Life lessons learned raising livestock

We know the declining economy is affecting most everything that involves money these days. There are many of us hoping and praying it won't take a huge toll on our local youth who rely on covering their expenses with Junior Livestock Sale animals.

Most of these youths need to at least break even, while others are counting on proceeds from the sale to boost their funds for future education.

Personally, I think the prices went way out of sync a few years ago. I think that put a major dent in some buyers' pocketbooks. It also prevented some folks in lower income brackets from participating in the purchase of a sale animal. That's really sad, you know?

I guess it kind of compares to what has happened in the real estate industry. Prices skyrocketed to the point that average families couldn't find anything affordable.

Keeping that magic balance between income and affordability is important in agriculture as well as in real estate, although the price pendulum does swing back and forth periodically.

But the point is this, today's youth need to grasp the importance of learning about agriculture through school programs that culminate at fair time. However, they should keep money as a secondary issue.

Sure, these FFA and 4-H members need to be reimbursed for their expenses. But keep in mind; it's also a learning process that must pack a practical message.

Every year spent in agriculture isn't going to net a boatload of gravy. In real life, there are many factors that determine whether a year is bountiful.

This year may be a turning point in educational youth ag programs. Maybe the youngsters should consider it an awakening to reality.

Let's go back a few decades and see how the ag youth programs started. I remember youngsters back in the 1950s and '60s who were eager to show their animals because of the passion they had for what they were doing.

Of course, they were glad to be reimbursed and even make a little extra pocket money for their all-out efforts. If you talk to these folks, now adults, they will tell you what the program meant to them and that they learned much about managing their limited funds. Usually, they had just enough to start up with another animal the next year.

This year, I only hope that enough business owners and individuals in the community will rally to make the sale a success by encouraging the bidding to reach sensible levels, yet still give the youngsters enough incentive to do it again next year.

While the dynamics in most everything around us seems to fluctuate with the times, I hope the agricultural facets of the Shasta District Fair continue to draw support. After all, we are in the 27th Agricultural District. We should be proud that agriculture is still a significant part of our fair.

Before you complain about our fair, consider the state's economy for the last decade. The same lack of money that has caused California's fairs to be more and more self-supporting with less and less to zero government assistance. If you want to blame anyone, blame a bunch of elected leaders past and present who have had their own agendas in the area of spending money.

Back to the fair at hand - I'm glad it's "A Red, White and Blue aFair! Right now is the perfect time to show our patriotism and what a colorful way to show it. Somebody really got it right. I'm expecting to see flags everywhere and lots of patriotic symbols.

I've already got my outfits picked out for the week-long event.

As the official photographer of the fair once again, it's going to be doubly appropriate that the scooter that gets me around the grounds is blue. I'll have to invest in a couple of flags for the handlebars. I just hope that I have five days worth of red, white and blue summer clothing to wear.

The fair is actually a vacation from my regular job.

It's challenging, but photography is my passion so it's not boring at all. My camera will be capturing the high points of the fair, the faces, the activity, the racing, the entertainment, the booths and, last but far from least in my book, the Junior Livestock Show and Sale.

I'll see you at this "A Red, White and Blue aFair!