Last Sunday was kind of a bittersweet day for our family. It was the last day of the County Fair and the final event was the livestock sale. The fair and ultimately the sale were something my kids had been preparing for all year, but it still was not easy.
My kids sold a steer (male beef animal) and a wether (male sheep). Both animals came from our farm and they were extremely proud of them, but that did not make selling them any easier. Throughout the year we talked about the purpose of animals and why we raised them and ultimately what would happen to them. That is what made Sunday bittersweet. It was the culmination and celebration of a lot of hard work, but it was also the end of the road for an animal that you spent a lot of time with. However, that is what makes the 4-H experience so valuable.
Each morning my kids would get up early and go care for their animals and see that their needs were met before they did anything else. The kids learned that we must keep our animals healthy and comfortable even knowing that ultimately their purpose was for food. They learned the importance of feeding a balanced ration, the critical nature of fresh water, keeping an animal cool in summer heat and warm in the cold of winter. However, most importantly they learned about the balance of life and the difference between humans, pets and livestock.
That is a line I think we as a society have made blurry. The humanization of animals have caused a whole generation of people to be confused as to why we raise livestock. Pigs don’t talk or have human-like thoughts like Wilbur. They are animals who should be cared for but they are only animals. Don’t get me wrong, we care for our livestock like we care for our pets and most of the time we take better care of livestock than we do ourselves. However, we know their purpose on this earth is for food and when the time for that comes we are proud of the wholesome product we raised.
Have pride in your profession, take good care of the livestock intrusted to you and be very proud of the fact that you feed the world. That is the lesson my kids learned on Sunday.