Livestock Numbers Drop

By Johnny McDonald

Are rural kids running out of room?

Signs of a decline in livestock entries throughout the state seem to point to fewer areas available to raise animals.

“It’s easy to explain,” says Cindy Zeigler, leader of the 4H Wranglers. “We’re building all these new homes and they don’t allow livestock.”

“I have friends in the (San Diego Country) Estates who would like to do 4H but can’t because of the (no-animal) rules.”

“Kids need space to do their projects. When I grew up, you could hike for miles and not have to worry about anybody. You can’t hike anywhere now. That’s what has happened to 4H boys and girls.”

She also explained, “Like my family here. We had three 4Hers; now they are grown and gone. If we sold our home, the best thing would be for new people to come in and follow our pattern.”

“But we’re not selling the house. So there are no new 4Hers here. Others have moved out to newly developed projects.”

Ramona FFA adviser Kimberly Smith thinks families have changed. “It’s hard to get them involved at the high school level. It is just as hard to get people involved in PTA and football boosters.”

Zeigler, a 4H leader for 13 years, thinks parents are too involved in Little League, soccer and softball to have time for anything else.