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Take a Tour Around the Barn
With less than 2% of the population involved in production
agriculture, many people don’t understand where their foods and fibers
come from. Many of the products we enjoy, both food and non-food,
are products of animal agriculture. These tours around the barnyard at
the fair have the goal of helping everyone understand why we need
animals and how they help us.
Tours will be offered at various times, during the Fair and will be guided by Fruita and Plateau Valley FFA students. These
students have spent time learning important information about beef,
sheep, swine, poultry and rabbits as well as the by-products they
provide. These same students spend part of their time during the
school year in agriculture classes at Fruita Monument High School.
The knowledge they gain will help them be smart consumers as well as
enter the field of agriculture, even if it’s not as a farmer or rancher.
Many of the jobs available in agriculture are in the supply, machinery
or services part of the industry.
When you come out to the fair, look for the big red barn
display near the animal show ring. This is where tours will begin
and educational presentations will be provided as you relax on some
straw bales. You’ll also find lots of great information about
animals and agriculture organizations. For the kids, there is a
great brochure about animals that they can read, watch part of a show,
and bring the brochure back for a prize. The display has been
sponsored by the Mesa County Farm Bureau, Mesa County Woolgrowers, Mesa
County Cattlemen’s Association, Tularosa Land Company, Shepardsons Works, Dr. Karen Fehringer, and the Grand Junction Lions Club.
What is FFA?
Learning to do, doing to learn, earning to live, living to serve. This is the motto of an organization that has almost a half a million members nationwide and 100 members in Mesa County. Members learn about agriculture and develop personal leadership skills
which offer them opportunities to develop careers in agriculture.
FFA is a dynamic youth organization that changes lives and
prepares students for premier leadership, personal growth and career
success. Today, student members are engaged in a wide range of
agricultural education, leading into over 300 career opportunities in
the food, fiber and natural resources industries. Student success
remains the primary mission of FFA.
Mission: FFA makes a positive difference in the lives of
students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal
growth, and career success through agriculture education.
FFA focuses on developing these values in it’s students through activities
such as raising animals to sell at the Mesa County Fair:
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Self Confidence
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Responsibility
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Achievement
We accomplish these by teaching students these skills through their
projects:
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Public Relations
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Community Service
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Teamwork and Cooperation
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Perseverance
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Record Keeping
Each year 10-15 FFA Students and approximately 250 4-H Youth dedicate a
portion of the year to raising animals for the Mesa County Fair.
Throughout the year, these young people learn how to care for the
animals and develop a base knowledge of animal agriculture and its
importance in our society. Their project is brought to a close as
they proudly display their animals for judging in the many shows that
take place at the Mesa County Fair. Judges advise them on the
quality of meat their animal will produce and their skills as a show
person. Later in the week, these animals are sold at the Jr.
Livestock Auction, where we are grateful for the community support shown
each year. The money that the young people earn off their animals
usually pays for the expenses as well as helps them get started on a
project for next year, save for college to work towards other goals.
FFA is a dynamic youth organization within agricultural education that
changes lives and prepares students for premier leadership, personal
growth and career success. FFA was created in 1928 as Future Farmers of
America; the name was changed in 1988 to the National FFA Organization
to represent the growth of agriculture. Today, almost half a million
student members are engaged in a wide range of agriculture education,
leading over 300 career opportunities in the food, fiber and natural
resources industry. Student success remains the primary mission of the
FFA.
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