4-H at the Puyallup Spring Fair

Future Farmers of America groups and 4-H clubs meet around the Sound not only to train the next generation of food producers but also to teach young children about work ethics, pride in their achievements, and complex economics as they raise animals for show and eventual purchase.

Just watching the children show or tend to their animals helps children begin thinking about cycle-of-life issues, especially when they begin to understand the concept that some animals are pets while others are raised to be food.

The big day for these hundreds of animal tenders comes this month when the Puyallup Spring Fair puts their efforts and knowledge to the test. The fair provides the final exam for hundreds of young entrepreneurs as they display their living products in hopes of garnering the best price for their labor. The best pigs, cows, and sheep are sold for the highest prices.

Pierce County is home to 1,100 members of 4-H clubs with another 15,000 experiencing the program through after-school efforts and events throughout the year. Behind those young farmers and ranchers is an army of 600 adult volunteers who teach them about everything from hog raising to sheep shearing and rabbit tending. "We have a plethora of programs," said Olga V. Fuste, county chair of the Washington State University Extension program, which oversees the 4-H activities. "Many of them are available to children who don't raise animals."

The nine- to 19-year-old members find themselves raising everything from hamsters and rabbits to cats, dogs, sheep, pigs, and cows, or learning how to be bosses or project leaders.

The children, who raise animals, learn all about their care and feeding with an eye on what brings the best price when it comes to putting the animals up for market. They start with the initial cost of buying the animal and track costs of feeding and tending to the animal. "It's a real educational experience for them," said Assistant 4-H Manager Merilyn Schriver.

The children buy eight-week-old piglets for about $50 each. The baby pigs weigh about 40 or 50 lbs at the time. All of their dimensions are taken at the time of purchase to compare to the height, weight, and girth when they are sold. The children then spend about $100 for 600 lbs of pig food and spend the next four months feeding, brushing, and otherwise tending to the porker while they take classes on pig handing and presenting.

The pig will have grown to about 250 lbs by sale time in April. At auction, the pigs might go for only about 50 cents a pound. This means the children could actually lose money on the deal. So they make sure the pig is clean and well fed so a higher price can be arranged with a private buyer. Side deals could easily double the sale price and net the children $100 or so for their efforts. The children record all of the expenses, revenues, and other information about the pig as part of the program.

"It's all about raising the best product for the least amount of investment," Schriver said. "The quality is the most important thing. It's not all just for show. It's a real educational experience."

Any profits are then used to buy another animal, to spend as an allowance, or to be deposited into savings accounts. That's the case for Jerry and Anne Timbs of Orting. Their children raise animals through 4-H to sock away for a college fund. But they also learn about responsibility and commitment along the way.

"It is great to see the kids doing all the work themselves," Jerry said.""But the thing about animals is that you can never leave them. Vacations are a problem."

The Puyallup Spring Fair runs April 14 to 17 at the Puyallup Fairgrounds in Puyallup.

The Northwest Junior Livestock Show and Sale draws the top 4-H and FFA students in this area to show and sell their hogs, steers, and sheep. It is held Thursday through Saturday, finishing with the annual auction on Sunday.

Adult admission is $8, Youth (6-18 years) $6, and five years old and under are free.

The fair