UF/IFAS
Okeechobee County Extension Service
458 Highway 98 North
Okeechobee, FL 34972-2578
Phone: (863) 763-6469
E- mail: dfculbert@ifas.ufl.edu
Feature
Article - for release the week of
Dan
Culbert - Extension Horticulture Agent
Spring into our Youth Livestock Show 
Next
Sunday is the first day of spring - and the beginning of National
Ag Week. Our local
agricultural community will celebrate Agriculture a week early: this Thursday
marks the opening of the 2005
Okeechobee Youth Livestock Show.
Part-time visitors and newly arrived residents to our area may not know that Okeechobee is number one in Florida’s Beef, Dairy Sheep and Goat industries. And, the best place to really say thank you to our local agricultural producers is at the Okeechobee Youth Livestock Show, to be held Thursday March 17 through Saturday March 19 at the county’s new Agri-Civic Center.
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According
to the President of the Show Committee, Rick Barnes, local 4-H and FFA members
have come through with
amazing results, considering that many of these youth have raised their
project animals right through last year’s hurricanes and the challenging
recovery period that still continues today. “The show is a total
community effort, all done by volunteers. Parents and producers alike
have all teamed up to make this the best Show ever.”
Show Secretary Sharon Vinson reports that 284 youth will be demonstrating their skills in animal husbandry with 153 swine, 43 steer, 50 beef breeding and 83 Dairy animals. This year’s show will include 58 chickens, turkeys, quail, pheasant, rabbits, and other small animals - the largest number of small animals ever shown at the Okeechobee Youth Livestock Show.
If you have not visited the County Agri-Civic center, this is a wonderful opportunity to see it in action. The Show opens to the public on Thursday night at 5 PM with the Dairy Show. Friday at 5 PM, the Steer show gets underway, and the Beef Breeding animals get to take over the ring later that evening. Saturday morning at 9 AM the Swine Show takes to the rings, and that night a Barbeque and the Auction are scheduled.
During each of the different shows, not only the animal’s appearance is judged, but the youth exhibitor’s ability to show off their project is evaluated. Behind the scenes, other competitions are going on. The all-important record book contests are where the youth exhibitors show their financial, labor, and health records kept during their project year. 4-H and FFA members are also working for the coveted “Herdsman awards”, given to the exhibitor that maintains their area in the cleanest and most attractive manner. Finally, the market animals are also evaluated on the quality of their meat in the carcass after the show is over.
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The real goal of the show is to learn about responsibility, a chance to participate in the world of agri-business, and an opportunity to be part of all important teamwork. All youth exhibitors are winners in this show - they are the future of our community, and profits they earn will be used for pursuing their future educational plans.
Those animals that are entered as market animals go up for grabs to the highest bidder at the Livestock Sale. Swine are sold at the Saturday auction beginning at 4 PM, followed by the Dairy and Beef Breeding animals at 7 PM. Steers are the final group of market animals to be sold after the breeding animal sale is concluded.
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Saturday evening from 4:30 to 8:30 PM will also see the best meal in Okeechobee served to any and all interested families and livestock buyers: a delicious Steak and Swamp Cabbage Barbeque will be made available by the local Farm Bureau’s Young Farmers & Ranchers. The proceeds from the $10 tickets will go to the Young Farmer and Rancher Scholarship Fund. Tickets are available in advance from any Farm Bureau Board member or Young Farmer and Rancher. Call Charlene at the Okeechobee Farm Bureau office (763-3101) for more information. Limited BBQ tickets for show visitors will be available at the Civic-Center on Saturday at the dinner, but since they have sold out in the past, the best bet is to purchase tickets in advance.
Market Swine started out as projects last December at less than 80 pounds, and will top the scales at 220 to 280 pounds during this show. Market Steers must have been bred, born and raised in this county and started out at 600 pounds. Steers eligible for the market sale can not be more than 1325 pounds. Dairy animals are also sold, but they are not destined for the freezer. Rather, they will join the working herds of our area’s dairies and continue to keep Okeechobee #1 in Dairy.
Buyers are needed to support our youth’s market animal production projects. An auctioneer will ask for bids from the floor in prices per pound. Successful bidders can fill their freezers with the finest meat in Florida, or may offer the animal back for sale as a contribution for the overall benefit of their favorite charity.
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If the price tag for an animal seems too much for an individual or single business, consider getting together with a group of folks that can pool resources as a “cartel”, with one person designated as the bidder for the whole group. Prospective bidders will need to register with the committee prior to the sale. Supporters can also offer “add-ons”, a set amount to be added to the price of one of the market animals.
If you have youngsters that have never had the chance to get up close and personal with farm animals, the Okeechobee Youth Livestock Show may be a place to introduce them to the wonderful world of livestock. A complete milking parlor will be set up at the show, and there’s a chance that a calf or two may actually be born right there at the Civic Center. There will be many 4-H leaders and FFA advisers that can direct visitors who wish to visit with our youth exhibitors and their project animals. And if you know a youth that wants to join 4-H or enroll in FFA, stop by the 4-H concession booth to learn more about these youth programs.
In addition to Saturday’s show, sale and barbeque, our local Master Gardeners will be showing off an exhibit showing some of the plants found in this area that you don’t want around livestock. The Florida CattleWomen will also be on hand to share some great information about the Beef industry and its products. The Show Committee and our Extension staff all hope you will stop by and see us.
I’ve
placed more information on the
Show, including directions and photos our Okeechobee web page, http://okeechobee.ifas.ufl.edu.
If you need additional information on 
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Trade
names, where used, are given for the purpose of providing specific
information. They do not constitute an endorsement or guarantee of products
named, nor does it imply criticism of products not named. The Florida
Cooperative Extension Service - Institute of Food and Agricultural
Sciences is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer authorized to
provide research, educational information, and other services to individuals
and institutions that function without regard to race, color, sex, age,
handicap, or national origin. Florida
Cooperative
Extension Service / IFAS /
University
of
Florida.
Larry
A. Arrington, Dean Last update: 03/10/2005
. This page is maintained
by Dan Culbert