Courtesy photo: Youth from all around the state come to the New Mexico State Fair to show their livestock inside the Jr. Livestock Pavilion, including this steer.
Like the main event itself, 4-H and FFA programs are a proud New Mexico tradition
By Erin Thompson
As a former EXPO New Mexico employee (and mother to a state fair superfan), I’ve had the good fortune to spend a lot of time at our beloved New Mexico State Fair over the past decade or so. I’ve witnessed firsthand how kids’ programming at the fair—including the Sensory Station for special needs fairgoers, School Days which hosts entire classrooms of curious learners, and art competitions for our state’s youngest emerging artists—provides a fun and rewarding experience for New Mexico youth.
For young people growing up in rural New Mexico (and some more populated areas of our state as well) with familial roots or a general interest in agriculture, programs such as 4-H and Future Farmers of America (FFA) are more than extracurricular activities. They’re reflective of an often multigenerational way of life. For the New Mexico State Fair, the competitions, shows, and livestock sales are fundamentally intertwined as part of the fabric of our annual event. The fair is a platform for kids to build their skills, boost their confidence, and compete for the big prizes.
Since the fair’s inception in 1938, agriculture has been at the heart of New Mexico’s biggest show. From cattle growers to chile farmers to dairy producers, our state’s ag families have persevered from season to season, tackling unique challenges and raising generations of children who share their hardworking values. These kids often become part of 4-H and FFA programs, creating and solidifying communities of youth who share a common bond to learn and carry on the concepts fundamental to our state’s rich agricultural history.
For those unfamiliar with 4-H and FFA, they’re similar yet different programs. One main distinction is the age of participants, with 4-H serving youth ages 5 to 18 while FFA is a school-based program for students ages 12 to 21. Both programs are agriculturally based and designed to build character, knowledge, and leadership skills, and provide hands-on experience. These kids are like any other kids but perhaps with a few extra chores. In addition to playing on the basketball team or serving on the student council for their local school, they raise animals throughout the year. They never have a day off from their labors in preparation to show and compete. They lovingly and meticulously care for the animals all the while looking forward to local and regional events as well as the state fair.
Courtesy photo: Grand champion and reserve grand champion livestock parade through Tingley Coliseum during the PRCA Rodeo.
Our state fair represents the culmination of weeks and months of hard work for the young competitors. For some of these dedicated exhibitors, the big prize happens when their beloved animal is selected for the livestock sale. This event is the apex of considerable time and effort spent breeding, raising, grooming and preparing their animals for the fair. The Junior Livestock Sale has long been a tradition at the event and continues to be the premier showcase for the state’s finest livestock. Not only do they receive the honor of having a prize pig or a reserve grand champion beef animal, but they are also compensated for their tireless work. In recent years, prize amounts have reached all-time highs, an exciting reward for the months and years of work that the youth have invested in their animals. More often than not, the award money goes right back into the next year’s project, although frequently it also goes toward funding their college education.
During a recent chat with State Fair general manager Dan Mourning, who has been CEO of the state fair for more than a dozen years, he shared his perspective about the state fair and its relationship to the agricultural events. He takes pride in the ways in which the fair supports agricultural projects, families and youth.
“Programs like 4-H and FFA teach the value of hard work, leadership skills, and responsibility. Students who participate in these programs are provided with opportunities to learn about careers in the agriculture and farming industries, and are encouraged to volunteer in their local communities.”
In addition to the skills they build, Mourning believes the fair serves another equally important role for young 4-H and FFA students. “Our New Mexico State Fair and similar events are also a place where youth of all ages from every corner of New Mexico experience a unique sense of camaraderie. Entire families bond and connect over their shared interests and fellow competitors become lifetime friends.”
We also had a chance to catch up with New Mexico Department of Agriculture cabinet secretary Jeff Witte. Housed at NMSU, the department has oversight for much of the youth programming. Secretary Witte, who himself grew up in a ranching family in rural New Mexico, was glad to share his take on the importance of 4-H and FFA as part of the state fair.
Courtesy photo: A show pig rests his head on the pen before the Junior Livestock Sale, the biggest sale in State Fair history.
“The 4-H and FFA programs provide so many opportunities for our youth as they develop into the next generation of leaders. Participating in competitions at the New Mexico State Fair provides that forum to stretch their skills and grow. But it is so much more than that, as they also develop lifelong friendships. It’s more than livestock, it’s more than arts and crafts, it’s life skills and fun.”
The New Mexico State Fair is proud to provide a venue to showcase the work product of our state’s agricultural community. Consistent with our state fair theme of Generations of Fun, this year’s fair celebrates the New Mexico traditions passed on from generation to generation. Topping the list is our state’s agricultural traditions and industries and more importantly the people behind the efforts. We’re embracing the opportunity to celebrate the men, women and yes, the kids who raise the animals and produce the crops that sustain our communities.
You can see the fruits of their labors first-hand at this year’s New Mexico State Fair, which runs September 5–15.
Erin Thompson is a retired government administrator and current freelance writer. She was previously a regular employee of the fair and now a communications consultant to EXPO New Mexico and several other agencies. When not working with the New Mexico State Fair, she is an enthusiastic attendee of the event along with her husband and 14-year-old daughter.
