SANTA MARIA, Calif. (KEYT) - Hundreds of local agriculture students filled the Santa Maria Fairpark all day Monday to begin the annual Santa Barbara County Fair Junior Livestock Show and Auction.
For hours, students, along with parents, advisors and other helpers delivered nearly 4,000 animals into the several agriculture barns located on the far western edge of the Fairpark.
"We are having our move in day," said Hailey Rose Switzer, Santa Barbara County Fair Livestock Superintendent. "We're welcoming all of our 4-H, FFA, Grange and independent exhibitors here onto the fairgrounds."
There are 1,111 exhibitors at the fair this year, local students that coming from mostly Northern Santa Barbara County or South San Luis Obispo County.
"It's just exciting," said Rylie Allen, Sisquoc Cinco Campanas 4-H. "Even though this is my ninth year doing it, I'm excited to be able to take my animals this year and have that experience again."
Ever since the Santa Barbara County Fair first started more than 130 years ago, the livestock show has long served as the backbone of the county fair.
The event allow local agricultural students to show and auction a variety of animals they have raised over the past several months.
Different species represented at the fair this year includes, dairy/beef cattle, poultry, rabbits, swine, sheep, dairy/meat/pygmy goats and cavies.
"The junior livestock show is the heartbeat of the county fair," said Switzer. "It's what keeps us energized and excited to be here. The kids are really excited to be here, and yes, all the other stuff is so fun. The carnival rides and the hot dogs and everything, but we love the exhibitors. They look forward to this all year and they work really hard to be here, so we're very excited for them to get to show off that work this week."
Last year, the auction brought in nearly $2 million, which goes directly back to the students, who are able to use the money as they need.
"A lot of exhibitors do use the Junior Livestock Show to help fund their future education, whether it's going to college or a trade school," said Switzer. "These projects not only teach them the responsibility of caring for somebody else, but they also teach them the day in and day out of what it takes to get this project to the end, so it's great they get to fund their college projects in the future with their animals today.
This year's auction will once again take place on Friday and Saturday, with a small animal auction on Friday at noon, the replacement heifer auction on Friday at 6:30 p.m., followed by all the other market animals on Saturday starting at 8 a.m.
"We have great support from the community here in our auction," said Switzer. "Every year gets bigger and better. Our sale goes well into the night as our numbers keep growing here at the Santa Barbara County Fair, but we have a great auction and a great support system behind it."
The Santa Barbara County Fair will open at noon during the weekends and at 2 p.m. on weekdays and close each night at 10 p.m.
For more information about the Santa Barbara County Fair, click here to visit the official website.
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