Future Farmers of America and 4-H members will be pulling into the Umatilla County Fair with their animals in tow to show in a series of exhibits for a chance to secure a blue ribbon.

Shauna Newman, an education program assistant in the Oregon State University Extension Service’s 4-H Youth Development Program, explained the youths involved with 4-H have been doing events since earlier in the summer.

“Our programs actually start in June with a lot of pre-fair events for the kids that have a chosen project area that isn’t conducive with fair week,” she said.

Some programs that occurred prior to the week of the fair included the horse show, archery shooting, shotgun shooting and a dog show. As the fair approaches, hundreds of youths involved with FFA and 4-H will begin to show their livestock — swine, beef, sheep and goats — as well as other exhibits like presentation and food preparation.

Newman also said there would be contests for presentations with demonstrations and impromptu speech contests. The presenting contests can be interesting, she said, because they don’t always pertain to the livestock students exhibit.

Fairgoers can visit the barn and speak with youths for a glimpse into the work they’ve put into raising their livestock.

“Those kids work their tails off,” Newman said, “so the barn is always a fun place to walk through and talk to the kids, to ask them about their projects, what they’ve enjoyed and what’s been really difficult.”

Karsen Davis, of Adams and member of the FFA Pendleton chapter, showed her 129-pound Dorset sheep, Jasper, during the 2023 fair. Oregon Trail Veterinary Clinic was the top bidder for Jasper at $15.50 per pound.

Inspired by her family and older cousin, Davis said she has been showing lambs for eight years. While she received help when she was younger, Davis said she now does most of the work to raise and train lambs herself.

“My whole family is in the ranching community,” Davis said, adding her big cousin was passionate about showing lambs and successful at it.

“I wanted to be just like her,” she said.

She said the FFA is her whole world, and she participates in everything she can at school. She graduated from Pendleton High in May.

“I’m hoping that I can use all my knowledge that I’ve gained throughout all these years,” she said, “and be able to use it as a career and go to college for it.”

Katie Hennings, of Hermiston, showed her goat at the 2023 fair. Hennings sold her 82-pound goat, Zeus, for $28 per pound.

Hennings is a member of the Ranch Jam 4-H club, where she is focused on livestock, as well as the Target Teasers 4-H club, where she is focused on archery. She said she first came in to 4-H in 2018 to participate in shooting events with pistol and archery.

Hennings said she wants people to know the amount of work and dedication that goes in to showing livestock at fairs.

“I’m hoping that I can use all my knowledge that I’ve gained throughout all these years, and be able to use it as a career and go to college for it.”

{p style=”text-align: right;”}— Karsen Davis, member of FFA Pendleton chapter