This city slicker was gobsmacked by the prowess the Future Farmers (FFA) and 4-H students demonstrated bringing their animals to the local county auctioning block. The animals, not to be confused with pets, mind you, include lambs, goats, hogs, steer, rabbits and chickens. These savvy, sophisticated young people will gladly clarify the difference between a calf and a steer, a kid and a goat, a lamb and a sheep, and a pig and a hog. To simplify for unknowing urbanites, livestock less than a year a year and 120 pounds are referred to by their "puppy" names. Egads! You mean these youngsters raise their livestock to put on the auction block knowing these animals will be going to the chopping block? Oh grow up! Of course they do. Ten year old Elizabeth with blue eyes, freckles and pigtails proudly told me how she cared for Biscuit, her 149 lb. 8 month old sheep. "I feed him twice a day, walk him around twice, clean his stall and practice standing him everyday." Standing is the term for presenting the animals for the judges and bidders similar to dogs at Kennel shows. "What if you have to go away?" I asked. "Then I'm responsible for getting someone to care for him." Elizabeth went on to say she sheared him with an electric clippers. Elizabeth and older sis McKenzie had gone with their mom to the breeder and purchased their lambs at 3 months. They lambs weighed about 40 lbs each. Today, at 8 months, Biscuit weighed in at 149 lbs. "Excuse me, I have to get ready I'll be going into the ring next," Elizabeth told me. And then I went there, "Will you miss Biscuit?" Putting her arms around Biscuit and nuzzling his neck she said, "Yes." She did tell me what they paid for the lamb, what it cost her to feed him and what she hoped Biscuit would fetch. Biscuit sold for $28/lb, a hefty $8/lb more than she wanted and had calculated for a $1,500 profit. You do the math. Elizabeth certainly did earning a nice income and my admiration. Elizabeth is also a competitive cheerleader and has a Labradoodle, named Chip. Most of the FFA and 4-H students were in high school. Senior Madeleine auctioned off her goat and a steer. She'll be heading off to Stanford this fall. Golly ghee, this New York City girl was in awe of how worldly and mature these young people were. Whatever my expectations, I wasn't expecting to have so much fun and perhaps, some envy. Shucks, this gal was taken down off her high horse.
