fair/show numbers

[knabe]

after my outreach for FFA participants and a rally in watsonville and outright racism, i have temporarily shelved reaching out.  my hand will still be out, but this is ridiculous.  i'm not sure what percentage this represents, it's always presented as a minority, but i can't accept that number any more.

lest you think this is a fringe movement, witness the revolucion

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5ZMLUgvpFw&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Esteinreport%2Ecom%2F

this guy is a professor at UCLA.  this is what my tax dollar is paying for.  i'm wondering if this guy would reach out to me on any issue, least of all FFA.

la raza, translation, the race.  his enemy is capitalism and imperialism.  i went to watsonville last weekend and the fields were full of mexican flags.

the demonstration in my town hollister had people like this calling me a few names, as well as the much larger rally in san jose, but no where near the size of LA.  amazing how little the media covers the totally racist commentary from the speakers and general tone of participants towards other races.  this dude sounds like hitler, lenin, stalin, mao, chavez, castro.  amazing how well the personality cult works.

 

[knabe]

my comments are out of line and a generality.  i am still upset after this weekend about a trip to watsonville and frustration of a few conversations at our fair overheard at the lulac booth in spanish which i comprende un poquito.  i won't bring it up again,and yank it.

 

[renegade]

This may be kinda random but we got our first hispanic ffa member this year. we have a very large hispanic population in my part of idaho but we have never been able to catch their interest i guess. this year a senior in high school joined and to tell you the truth she didn't seem like someone that would be interested in ffa. Since she began she has come to several events and even tried out for a recent officer vaccancy. We filled the spot but decided to put her and a couple other members on a recruitment and retention committee. I am impressed with the growth of our chapter overall. Two years ago 40 members was a good number, last year with new leadership and direction it was about 60, and this year with the same leadership team(but stronger) and two more advisors we are well on our way to 75 or more!!!!!!! Numbers will rise in the second semester too.

 

[Rocky Hill Simmental]

Our beef cattle numbers were down this year at the district fair. Last year FFA had they're biggest year yet and there were probably around 6 classes of steers. This year there were only 2 classes of FFA steers. Beef heifers and bulls was down a little too but I think there were more simmentals than last year. Commercial was down a lot of cattle. I think angus stayed about the same and there may have been a few more charolais than before.

Last year the judge wasn't really looking a cattle as much as he should have. I seriously don't think he judged or even looked at my simmental heifer that year. In group classes he was placing them before they even got all of them out in the ring... I guess the plus side was you didn't have to wait in line to show your cattle (just kidding?  ???) This year I think the judge did a pretty good job and usually had pretty good reasons for placing them like he did.

I haven't really heard of people selling cattle and buying them back but I guess it could happen. At our district fair they check your purchased date on the papers and you have to have your steer selected about 6 months before you show them.

 

[renegade]

Beef cattle numbers are rising in our district and this year our chapter beef numbers will triple i think and the problem is our fair has nowhere to expand the beef barn to. las year we started using dairy spots. I don't know what they are gonna do. it would suck if they started limiting cattle 

 

[Joe Boy]

Our local cattle show has really lost numbers and mainly due to cost.  It is difficult to make any money if you just do the local show.  I think a second reason is the amount of time that goes into it.  You cannot win without going the extra mile and there are so many demands on the kids today that this drives the numbers down.  I do not mean this as a cut on anyone who shows, but those who show pigs, do not have to put the time into it that kids who show steers, heifers, or sheep.  We have done all of them over a 30 year span and I know what cost us the most in time, energy, injuries and money.  We have had lots of people that accuse the other show stock exhibitors of cheating, but have seen it in all ends of the barn.

Conclusion:  Money and Time.  This is not only true for livestock showing but also in athletics in our area.

 

[knabe]

joeboy,

not sure what you mean by who should be making money.  what percentage of exhibitors make money, i thought most lose, and that it's a learning experience?  or do you mean the show itself just to break even or make a little to improve facilities, accumulate capital for unforseen costs?