Celebrate Youth Empowerment and Agriculture at Spokane’s Annual Junior Livestock Show

BY COLETTE BUCK

Held annually at the Spokane County Fair and Exposition Center, the Junior Livestock Show of Spokane brings together youths and adults from across our region’s agricultural community to show, buy, and sell major Inland Northwest commodities.

The Junior Livestock Show of Spokane was established in 1936 by a group of farm magazine writers and nearly two dozen representatives from the agricultural industry in the Inland Northwest. They all shared a personal connection and passion for farming or ranching and wanted to support youth development. It’s that passion that continues to shape the philosophy and purpose of the foundation that oversees the show today.

“Our position statement is cultivating youth and promoting livestock,” Lori Williams, Executive Director of the Junior Livestock Show of Spokane, said. “That is something our board and our wide group of volunteers firmly stand behind. We do what we do to uplift the youth…and promote the livestock that makes our everyday lives possible.”

Williams is one of many junior show volunteers that grew up showing livestock and share that same passion to help the agricultural industry endure in the Inland Northwest. Anyone is welcome to attend the show and auction, and in fact, it’s encouraged to help the community understand where their food comes from and how it’s produced.

“It’s very important to connect people with agriculture, showcase what we are able to produce here, and get the youth involved from the beginning,” Williams said. “You don’t have to be in production agriculture to still be connected, but just having that exposure that could maybe open up some possibilities down the road…It’s kind of just one big community with unending possibilities for our youth to grow up in.”

Each year, school-aged participants enter cattle, pigs, sheep, and goats into the show that they’ve bred, raised, or created a marketing plan for in their local 4-H or Future Farmers of America chapter. The livestock and participants compete in different competitions across three days ending with the market livestock auction for public bidding.

“It is something that I hold near and dear to my heart, like many of our volunteers do,” Williams said. “I think it will kind of give a glimpse of a bright spot of youth, what they’re doing, how they’re spending their time, and how they’re preparing themselves for the future.”

The 88th Annual Junior Livestock Show of Spokane is set for May 3 through 6 at the Spokane County Fair and Exposition Center and is open to the public. For people interested who might not know where to get started, Williams recommends connecting with a student’s school-based 4-H or Future Farmers of America chapter or WSU’s agricultural extension centers located across Eastern Washington.

Held annually at the Spokane County Fair and Exposition Center, the Junior Livestock Show of Spokane brings together youths and adults from across our region’s agricultural community to show, buy, and sell major Inland Northwest commodities.

The Junior Livestock Show of Spokane was established in 1936 by a group of farm magazine writers and nearly two dozen representatives from the agricultural industry in the Inland Northwest. They all shared a personal connection and passion for farming or ranching and wanted to support youth development. It’s that passion that continues to shape the philosophy and purpose of the foundation that oversees the show today.

“Our position statement is cultivating youth and promoting livestock,” stated Lori Williams, Executive Director of the Junior Livestock Show of Spokane. “That is something our board and our wide group of volunteers firmly stand behind. We do what we do to uplift the youth…and promote the livestock that makes our everyday lives possible.”

Williams is one of many Junior Show volunteers who grew up showing livestock and aspire to help the agricultural industry endure and thrive in the Inland Northwest.

Anyone is welcome to attend the show and auction, and in fact, it’s encouraged to help the community understand where their food comes from and how it’s produced.

“It’s very important to connect people with agriculture, showcase what we are able to produce here, and get the youth involved from the beginning,” Williams said. “You don’t have to be in production agriculture to still be connected, but just having that exposure that could maybe open up some possibilities down the road…It’s kind of just one big community with unending possibilities for our youth to grow up in.”

Each year, school-aged participants enter cattle, pigs, sheep, and goats into the show that they’ve bred, raised, or created a marketing plan for in their local 4-H or Future Farmers of America chapter. The livestock and participants compete in different competitions across three days ending with the market livestock auction for public bidding.

“It is something that I hold near and dear to my heart, like many of our volunteers do,” Williams said. “I think it will kind of give a glimpse of a bright spot of youth, what they’re doing, how they’re spending their time, and how they’re preparing themselves for the future.”

The 88th Annual Junior Livestock Show of Spokane is set for May 3 through 6 at the Spokane County Fair and Exposition Center and is open to the public. For people interested who might not know where to get started, Williams recommends connecting with a student’s school-based 4-H or Future Farmers of America chapter or WSU’s agricultural extension centers located across Eastern Washington.