The first thing you hear walking up the dirt road to the Alachua County Agriculture and Equestrian center are the roosters announcing their presence with loud, unapologetic crows. Those are the squawks of award-winning birds.
Next, the smell of hay and livestock overtakes the senses, instantly transporting visitors into the barnyard. As they walk closer, if they can hear over the cock-a-doodle-doos, moos and oinks, visitors can hear the thick Southern drawl of the announcers giving pointers to young farmers showing off their prize cows, horses and pigs. Some cows, surely understanding the critique, stomped their feet and mooed loudly in dismay.
The barnyard antics served as a perfect setting for the annual Alachua County Youth Fair & Livestock Show, where young agriculture enthusiasts spent almost a week showing off their prize livestock, poultry, crafts, youth projects, and farm products in an educational space.
To the untrained eye, the livestock lying lazily along their posts are no different from the animals drivers see out of their window on I-75. But it gets serious – talking with any of the dozens of farmers at the fair proves that raising animals is no walk on the farm.
Adley Butke, 13, started training with her cow Princess in August. Princess was up against dozens of other cows during one show contest – graded on appearance, behavior, and showmanship. Adley said staying calm and collected is what kept Princess calm during competition, netting her a second place win.
Cole Wheeler may only be 10, but he already has years of experience under his belt raising animals since he was 5. For his sixth year at the fair, he brought chickens, a rabbit, and a hog named Pickle. His chicken, who was unnamed, was a very vocal yet award-winning bird.
“We had to pluck some feathers because they were golden, and if we wouldn’t have, I wouldn’t have gotten either of those,” Cole said, pointing to the big, colorful ribbons hanging from his prize chicken’s cage. “Last year, that’s why we didn’t win anything with them.”
Attention to detail is everything, Cole explained. His participation at the fair every year has trained Cole’s eye to prepare not only his chickens, but every animal he raises to be the best it can become during the competition season.
Hunter Teutsch brought his 273-pound hog to the fair, appropriately named Boss Hog. Boss Hog likes to eat marshmallows, eggs and apples, and get his belly rubbed.
But the friendship between boy and pig eventually comes to an end. Most hogs raised by the young farmers were set to be sold for meat on Tuesday, the last day of the fair. One parent called it “Tearful Tuesday,” when the young farmers must say goodbye to their hogs.
“It’s sad,” Cole said, looking down at Pickle, “because you know where they’re going.”
Even with the pain of losing a friend they have raised since they were piglets, most kids can recognize the positive impacts of farm life. Hunter said learning to respect animals was one of his biggest takeaways from raising Boss Hog. He hopes more people will give animals the respect they deserve.
“They don’t live very long. Sometimes animals just want some attention,” he said, petting his pig. “They’re just pets, not humans.”
His father, Wesley Teutsch, stood beside Hunter as he pet Boss Hog for one of the last times on Monday evening. Hunter said he felt sad over having to say goodbye to his pig, but he and his father both know the sad ending is a key part in the process of maintaining the food chain.
“We eat food every day and a lot of times we don’t think about where it comes from,” Teutsch said. “The animal had a good life and was loved and, you know, this is what they’re raised for.”
Some young farmers feel raising animals for consumption is a better alternative to buying meat from larger companies. The top four meat companies, Tyson Foods Inc., JBS USA Holdings Inc., Cargill Meat Solutions Corp., and Sysco Corp., have a combined 213 production plants across the country, according to The National Provisioner.
Knowing where the food comes from, how it was raised, and what it was fed makes Cole feel a little better once it ends up on his plate.
Parents say the fair is a great opportunity for the youth to learn the ins and outs of how a business works, especially on a farm.
The money they earn from selling their pigs goes toward the year’s expenses, like machinery or food for the hogs.
Hogs can be sold for as much as $1,000 each, Cole said. He pays his parents back for anything they have provided him throughout the process.
“It’s kind of like a business adventure for the kids,” said Teutsch. “It’s a way for the kids to make some money as well and kind of learn money management on a farm.”
Despite the fair’s close, raising farm animals isn’t over for most of the young farmers. Many of the farmers are already making preparations for next year’s animals and are looking forward to whatever the competition may hold.