Photo Courtesy of Sophomore Finley White 

  Each year, San Luis Obispo High School Future Farmers of America (FFA) participants have the opportunity of raising livestock for the Mid-State Fair, which runs from July 20 through July 31 at the Paso Robles Event Center. 

  Most FFA students get introduced to the process of raising livestock at a young age. Seeing their friends and/or older siblings successfully raise livestock is a huge motivator for students to begin their journey. 

 “I got introduced to raising livestock when I was younger. Everyone in my neighborhood who’s older than me has done it,” said sophomore Finley White. 

  Raising an animal is a huge task to take on and provides students with an introduction into leadership and responsibility. Many students feel that the process of raising an animal has been a crucial step in their maturity and a great introduction to raising livestock. 

 “Raising an animal has taught me a lot about responsibility and making sure I get stuff done on time,” said White. 

  Raising livestock for the Mid-State Fair is a long, but rewarding process. With students getting their animals in March, they have limited time to prepare their animals for the fair. Hours of dedication and hard work get put into raising the animal. Caring for the animal goes far beyond the classroom, with students having to work before school, during school, and after school to make sure their animal has the necessary resources. 

 “The school gets the animals through FFA or you get the animal yourself. I feed my pig twice a day: in the morning and evening. Then, I work with it and walk it so it’s ready for the fair,” said 2022 SLOHS graduate Olivia Huff. 

  There are three parts at the Mid-State Fair: showmanship, market, and auction. 

 “We have showmanship competitions where you either advance and then you either win it all, or you don’t. Market is when people see if your animal looks good. After market and showmanship, there’s an auction where we sell our animals,” said Huff. 

  Although raising an animal for the Mid-State Fair takes a lot of work, and the process of selling an animal that you’ve become close to can be hard, most students agree that it is well worth it.