Homer resident Lauren Wilte, age 15, shows her pig at the second annual Michigan Livestock Expo. Held at the MSU Livestock Pavilion, 4301 Farm Lane, exhibitors age 8-20 came to show their livestock with hopes of taking home a first-place ribbon.
With dozens of sheep, goats, hogs and cattle, the second annual Michigan Livestock Expo was in full swing this weekend at the MSU Pavilion for Agriculture and Livestock Education.
Featuring exhibitions, sales and contests, the expo will conclude Tuesday with an auction of the award-winning animals from the 8- to 20-year-old exhibitors.
The expo is the largest in the state and is the most unique because it caters to many different animals and breeds, said Ernie Birchmeier, co-coordinator of the expo and a dairy specialist.
Aside from the competitions and auction, the expo is a socializing and networking experience that educates young people involved, Birchmeier said.
“(The) livestock expo was put together by a group of agriculture industry leaders in an attempt to enhance agriculture and provide an educational opportunity to the youth of Michigan,” Birchmeier said. “We have got livestock exhibition competitions going on throughout the weekend, some of the kids are also participating in quizzes and skill-a-thons that they will be taking.”
Along with the exhibitions, participants also were tested on components of the livestock industry and quizzed by judges, he said.
Alison Harwell, a Coldwater, Mich., resident and 19-year-old exhibitor, said she attends the expo for the variety of experiences offered in one area.
“What I really like about it (is) that it’s different from any show we go to,” Harwell said. “(There’s) a lot of people here and a lot of species. (We show) pigs all year round, (and here) we get to experience some of the beef side and some of the sheep and goat side, so it’s really inviting. It’s more of a community family field than just people you show with all year long.”
In preparation for the expo, residents from across the state came with dedication to raising their breeds and a competitive side to participate in the exhibit, including Bailey Albright, a Coldwater, Mich. resident and MSU agribusiness management senior, who said the expo has provided her with experiences she could not gain anywhere else.
“This is my second year here — I really enjoy exhibiting livestock,” Albright said. “It’s the culmination of a summer-long work ethic and working at home and really preparing everything that you can and putting all your work in one project. You finally get to get here and whether you win or lose, you know it’s how much work you put into it.”
After participating in the expo a second time this year, she said she will retire after exhibiting livestock for 12 years. Albright said she attributes her successes to her agricultural experiences in exhibiting and raising animals.
“It’s more than an educational experience, you can’t even describe the things that you learn,” she said. “It’s more than anything you can learn in a book or any thing you can learn in a classroom.”
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