The California sunshine is glowing and the livestock industry is in full swing. Around our golden state you will find lambs, piglets, calves and foals running the open fields. To me the future of the livestock industry is found in the heart and passion of livestock youth exhibitors. The junior livestock competition season is fast approaching and kids are running around the state finding their future market animal projects. My family and I have been involved in junior livestock competitions for over 10 years. Livestock shows have taught me the trails and tribulations of the livestock industry. This experience has been the start for many successful agriculturalists in California which makes livestock competitions extremely important to the future of agriculture. In the past few years California has seen a decline in support for competitive livestock shows which has caused junior exhibitors to struggle to keep their projects profitable. Each year we see smaller and smaller competitions which has lead to the depletion of many shows. A perfect example of this depletion is the Junior Grand National Stock Show held at The Cow Palace in Daly City, Ca.  The first Junior Grand National Stock Show was held in 1946 with thousands of animals lining the buildings. Today the Stock Show has gone from a month long show to a week with less then half of the livestock it originally attracted. Funds for livestock shows are increasingly going away which is only hurting the youth and the future of the livestock industry. Seeing the trends of the Junior Grand National Stock Show not only effects that particular show but competitions cross California. Shows are in desperate need for more support for the livestock industry to keep this competition alive. It is shown that California sets trends for the rest of the agriculture industry in the United States but the trend of depleting livestock competitions must stop before it reaches other states!

Jiana Escobar showing a steer

Adam Escobar showing swine