Showtime for Julian Ffa Students
Ramona Fair Offers Chance to Earn Ribbons, Sell Animals

By Bobbi Zane

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Fourteen Julian High School students and recent graduates will show 19 animals at the Ramona Country Fair Aug. 1-8.

The event caps a year of dedication to the students' pigs, cattle and lamb. The students will have an opportunity to earn ribbons and offer their animals for sale at the Junior Livestock auction.

The kids and their animals will compete twice, initially for best animal based on conformation, structure, muscle mass and marketability. The second competition will be for best showmanship: how the owners present the animal. Lambs will compete on Aug. 2, pigs on

Aug. 3 and cattle on Aug. 4. The Junior Livestock Auction will be held at 10 a.m. on Aug. 5.

Most of the Julian kids will be showing and selling pigs. Participating students include: Annilee Beatty, Michael Wessley, Justina, Byrnes, Allison Cauzza, Juan Garcia, Tyler Kirk, Walter Lepley, Robert Johnson, Bria Morgan and Weston Fisher. Ashley Brookings will have a steer, Casey Peyakov will have small animals including poultry and Lisa Morgan will have a lamb and pig.

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At Julian High School, 64 students are enrolled in the Future Farmers of America program, according to the agriculture teacher Dale Fullerton.

"That's about 30 percent of the student body. "It offers a well-rounded curriculum that would benefit any young student. They learn "responsibility, bookkeeping and how to keep accurate records, how to be stewards of the land, and marketing techniques." The class also teaches public speaking, principles of leadership and community service.

The most entrepreneurial of the students use their animal husbandry to build a fund for college or other post-secondary education, Fullerton said. "They start a small business, investing the proceeds from the sale of their animals into more animals. By the time they're ready for college, they have a nice nest egg."