Our Future Farmers of America have been actively working on raising their animals to show and sell to the market. Recently, the FFA members have been raising a total of 11 steers that are currently 10 months old, and will be adding pigs and sheep in a few weeks.

One student has more experience with cattle than most, senior Brett Phelps, and he is proud of his classmates tending to the animals at the school farm.

“They’re all taking good care of them,” he says. “They feed them every morning and night. Our beef leader is Miss [Danielle] Hyatt, so she also checks on the farm to make sure they’re doing their jobs.”

By the end of January 2023, possibly the beginning of February, piglets and lambs will be arriving on the farm when they are three months old and will be raised by students for a few more months. After being nurtured, FFA members will take their animals to show and sell at the San Joaquin AgFest in June 2023 at the Fairgrounds in Stockton.

“I have a steer and his name is Pickle,” says Madison Hendley, junior. “I feed him one flake of wheat hay and two scoops of grain right now. I have to clean out his pen about once a week, so it does take a lot of work.”

FFA members put so much effort and dedication into these animals and all of their hard work certainly pays off at the showcases and auctions.