Down in Perry at the Georgia National Fair’s Junior Livestock shows, these young dairy cow exhibitors are finally getting the chance to showcase months of time and energy that’s gone into getting their calves show-ready — it is a true testament of the power of hard work, dedication, and teamwork, as about two-thirds of these kids are new to an exploding livestock program in Whitfield County.
“All of a sudden, it’s boomed; we’ve gone from five or six or seven…sometimes eight calves that are being shown, to this year,” explained Janet Robbins, an agriculture teacher at Northwest Whitfield High School. “It looks like thirteen, fourteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen. We’re not exactly sure where it’s going to stop, but it has been something that’s been really popular because of the family involvement -- and other family members see it, and other friends see it, and it’s just kind of exploded because they see the fun and the benefit of the project.”
Children who show livestock often learn valuable life skills, including responsibility, sportsmanship, and leadership.
