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Teaching Youth Responsibility
| Name | Kenneth L Hall, Jr. | | Situation | The Eastern Carolina Fair sponsors a Market Swine and Market Goat project for which youth in the Pee Dee can participate. Clemson Extension takes the lead in organization, development and implementation of this respected project. Working with youth in the Pee Dee Region of South Carolina has been a rewarding one for county agents over the years, but has been helpful to young people in the county who have interest in this project. The project teaches youth to be responsible for their project animal.
| | Response | Applications are mailed out to interested youth as well as area FFA chapters seeking participants in the project. Applicants may apply for either a pig or a goat depending on their individual facilities. The animals are distributed at the fair grounds. The age of both species is between three and four months of age. Members in the project take their animal home and care for them during the summer. In 2003 there were forty-three pigs and thirty-three goats distributed to area youth. Each sponsor (Extension agent or FFA Advisor) is responsible for making sure that participants have proper hauling for their animal and proper facilities for housing.
| | Impact | Youth learn animal nutrition, health care, record keeping and showmanship. They are responsible for the daily care of the animal. Parents are to offer support, but not to do the work for the youth. Families get involved and support the projects. Brothers and sisters compete with each other and help each other with the daily care of project animals. There have been many success stories from this project. Youth with the pig project are able to show at the Florence Fair and also participate in the State Fair Market Barrow Show. It allows them to earn extra premium monies and add another show to help with showmanship. Participants may also participate in the SC Pork Board Scholarship program where they can earn a $1,500 scholarship for college. We have had five scholarship winners come from this project over the past ten years. The goat project, which is relatively new, also allows the youth to show at the Florence Fair and their animals are also entered in the State Market Goat Show held in the fall. All animals are sold for the youth if they would like them sold. The money is returned to the youth, which helps them learn about economics. If the animals grow well and they compete well in the fairs, extra premium monies can be made by the youth.
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Last update4/17/2008
This website is maintained by Gloria Quick.
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