4-h connections - livestock skillathons

For many 4-H youth, summertime means show time.  Summer usually marks the beginning of the livestock show season.  This month, about 600 youth will show beef and sheep, in the Tennessee Junior Livestock Exposition.  Tennessee Junior Beef Exposition will be held, at the Tennessee Livestock Center, in Murfreesboro, on July 7 - 9, and the Tennessee Junior Sheep Exposition is set for July 13 - 16, at Hyder-Burks Arena on the Tennessee Tech University Campus, in Cookeville.

Sevier County young people have been busy preparing for these events.  The first step toward the State Exposition is participation in the County Livestock Show.  It is scheduled for Monday  evening, July 6, at 6:00 p.m., at the Sevier County Fairgrounds.  The Sevier County Livestock Association will be sponsoring the county event, with a cookout provided for all exhibitors and their families along with livestock association members.  The public is invited.

One of the activities, at the shows, is the skillathon, which gives youth the opportunity to showcase the skills and knowledge they learned from their beef or sheep projects.

Skillathons are a series of learning stations where youth demonstrate knowledge about livestock management and products.  4-H members may be asked to identify breeds, meat wholesale cuts, feed ingredients, animal body terminology and equipment used to show and manage beef or sheep.

                Youth learn critical thinking skills by solving problems and interpreting medication and fee labels.  The information is available from 4-H project manuals, supplied curriculum and information from junior livestock conferences.

                Skillathons are part of the Premier Exhibitor Recognition Program.  Youth compete for college scholarships, award belt buckles, savings bonds and animal purchase certificates.  This program emphasizes blue ribbon youth as well as blue ribbon livestock.

                At the conclusion of the show session, Sevier County 4-H Members will have fresh lamb available for your freezer.  Lambs are processed locally.  If you enjoy eating lamb, you will find this an excellent product.  Proceeds go directly to the 4-H members to support their project.  If you would like to explore the purchase of a lamb for your freezer, please call me at 453-3695.  Orders are being taken.  The lamb will be available around August 1.

                Exhibiting livestock and other 4-H opportunities are available to all Sevier County 4-H young people.  If you need more information about these opportunities, please call me at 453-3695.