Louisiana Farm Bureau YF&R Youth Livestock Show Fosters Responsibility, Maturity
By Keely Ana Strickland
Louisiana Farm Bureau News
Louisiana is home to more than 720,000 head of cattle and some of those are bred specifically for the show ring.
For the past 11 years, the Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation Young Farmers and Ranchers (YF&R) has hosted a youth livestock show. As per usual, children of all ages rounded up their cattle and traveled to the Lamar-Dixon Expo Center in Gonzales to participate in the event. This year’s show had a record breaking turnout with more than 101 exhibitors and 209 head of cattle.
Wynn Cupit, 14, is just one of many who has looked forward to this event all year long. He said his favorite days are the ones spent in the barn with his cows.
“It’s like the best thing,” Cupit said. “I don’t play sports, I just show cows, and it really is the best thing ever. It’s basically like going to a football game for me.”
Five years ago, Cupit’s friends introduced him to the world of showing cattle, and he never looked back. Unlike most exhibitors, Cupit doesn’t have the advantage of walking out the back door to his cows. They stay on his family’s land in Mississippi, so when Cupit isn’t at a show, that’s where all of his free time is spent. He said that a lot of effort, time and money is required, but he wouldn’t want it any other way.
“It’s not all sunshine and roses all of the time,” said Robert Duncan, YF&R State Chair. “You’ve just got to learn what has to be done and take care of it. It gives the exposure to what life is really all about.”
Duncan has been involved in YF&R since 2015 and is also a fourth generation farmer and cattleman in Rapides Parish. He and his wife, Rachel, believe it is important to engage children in the ag world around them, and that’s what they’ve demonstrated with their three young daughters.
“Growing up in ag gives you that sense of responsibility,” Duncan said. “Whether it be in the woods, in the field, or in the pasture, it is important to get out and see that circle of life and how things work.”
The theme across the board for farmers, ranchers and ag workers alike is responsibility. George Faulk showed animals when he was young and is now a livestock show chairman.
“It teaches you a sense of responsibility because you’ve got to water, feed and take care of those animals,” Faulk said.
He explained there are many valuable skills learned through this lifestyle that are only taught from experience.
“It's a lot of work,” Faulk said. “It all starts at the house. You have to lead a calf around the pasture, put a halter on it, get that calf calmed down and trusting of you to be able to lead it.”
Nothing worth having comes easy, and a prime example of that is visible through raising and showing livestock. Those at the livestock show said that although it is hard work, nothing is more fulfilling, and the atmosphere and camaraderie are unmatched.
“Man, the best part of the show is just getting the exposure to everybody,” Duncan said. “That’s what this show is about, getting people involved. Not just in the future, but now. You get these kids here and give them exposure to Farm Bureau. But it’s important to get them and their families here and tell them who we are.”
The YF&R Program promotes Louisiana agriculture and offers leadership and training opportunities to folks ages 18-35 who are involved in the industry.