Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Lane McAlister, 17, of Clovis FFA, practices walking one of his show pigs at his family's farm. Curry County is planning youth livestock shows for next week.
It's showtime.
Future farmers across Curry County are hustling to get their livestock ready after their stock show was approved and finalized by the Curry County Commission on July 28.
While the effects of the pandemic are becoming more widely visible, local teens have been working through it all summer while raising their animals in hopes of showing this fall.
"I've been having to work pretty hard to get them back in shape. Before the pandemic and everything I was working with them and it was going pretty good, but then it hit and I didn't think there would be a show so I quit. And now there's fixing to be one so I'm having to bust my rear to get them going again," said Layton Allen, 17 of Melrose FFA.
Lane McAlister, 17, of Clovis FFA, said "It's been harder to go out of state and get animals," making the beginning of show season more difficult for some.
While the season has had its challenges, it's given some kids new opportunities. Skylar Jordan, 17, of Clovis FFA, said that "I'm an athlete so my summers are usually overtaken by sports." Because of the pandemic, she has had more time to work with her animals.
Allen raises mostly steers, but has dabbled in pigs during his six years of showing. Jordan has been showing lambs and pigs for two years after having the opportunity to keep her animals at the Clovis High School ag farm.
McAlister's been working with swine since he was 9, and now sees the process through from artificial insemination to the sale of the pig.
All three students said raising and showing livestock has had major influence in their lives.
"It's taught me responsibility for sure. You have to wake up early every morning, rinse them down, get their hair dressed and put them in the cool room before it gets too hot. You have to work with them almost every day to teach them how to set up and how to work for you so you don't look like a fool in the show ring," Allen said.
"It's definitely taught me patience. It's given me more life skills on how to care for something other than yourself," Jordan said.
