Youth News
Swine Judge Brian Anderson Says its Important to Encourage Today's Youth
Sat, 14 Mar 2020 18:56:50 CDT
Gilt Judge Brian Anderson from Caney Kansas, and serves as a fieldman for the National Swine Registry, traveling across the Southwest region of the U.S. to promote purebred Duroc, Hampshire, Landrace and Yorkshire swine. He attends all regional NSR and NJSA shows and events and works with producers to market their genetics nationwide.
Andrerson has a personal place in his heart for young livestock showers. Associate Farm Director, KC Sheperd caught up with Anderson before the Grand Drive of the Purbred Gilt show, and he says "It takes great kids, and more importantly, a great support system between parents and ag teachers and 4-H agents to keep those kids headed on the right path, and give them the work ethic, and to keep them on task."
Anderson grew up showing and says he it's only fair and right to pour into today's youth to give them a fighting chance to be successful. Anderson said kids learn really fast what a long day is, "You get out of it, what you put into it. Who knows how early they are up, or how late they are in the barn, but that is their safe spot, and that is what they enjoy."
Anderson says it's essential to give the kids a project, "We're using these animals to raise the kids, and we're doing it in a great place, and that's in the barn and in the show-ring. amongst people they admire, and people they work closely with and its just a solid way to do things."
Kids of all ages enter the ring at the Oklahoma Youth Expo, and Anderson thinks that is such an excellent opportunity for the little ones to get started, and it also makes them better showman as they get older, "The number of hours they spend with them, and what they can do with the project. Where they can drive these hogs compared to the way, we used to do it. These kids could drive them through downtown Oklahoma City and load them up, piece of cake."
Anderson said he always enjoys the opportunity to interact with today's youth and his time at the Oklahoma Youth Expo.
The Oklahoma Youth Expo will take place through March 20 at the Oklahoma State Fairgrounds in Oklahoma City. A full schedule can be found on-line at okyouthexpo.com.
To hear the complete interview with KC Sheperd and the Porter FFA, click or tap on the listen bar below.
Our Coverage of the 2020 Oklahoma Youth Expo is once again a service of ITC Great Plains, Your Energy Superhighway- learn more about this high voltage, transmission only utility and their commitment to the communities they serve which is the cornerstone of their business-click here for their website.
Reports will be heard daily on great radio stations that cover Oklahoma and that are a part of the Radio Oklahoma Ag Network- on the internet- our reports of the 2020 OYE can be found on the Blue Green Gazette page- available here.
We will be adding pictures daily to our official 2020 OYE Album of Photos on FLICKR, found here.
For more information about the Oklahoma Youth Expo, click here for the home page of the OYE website.
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