The mission of the youth livestock validation program is to promote a positive youth development environment focused on ensuring rules for livestock exhibition are being followed under the supervision of County Extension Agents and agricultural science teachers.
This helps to foster integrity, virtues, and values of youth and families.
The purpose of validation is to encourage positive relationships with County Extension Agents, agricultural science teachers and local stakeholders; create a level playing field for youth livestock projects, maximize youth experience and life skill development; and facilitate youth engagement with livestock projects.
Validation allows youth to build on life skills such as responsibility, respect, teamwork and communication. By participating in the livestock project, youth exhibitors learn daily care, nutrition, reproduction and production practices specific to livestock projects.
For Hopkins County to successfully complete these requirements, working in cooperation with Northeast Texas Livestock Association, the State and County Steer and Heifer Validation has been scheduled 6-7 p.m. Saturday, June 22 at Cattleman Veterinary Services, 3135 State Highway 11 in Sulphur Springs. If you have plans to show steers or heifers during 2019-2020 showing year, I encourage you to contact the Hopkins County Extension Office at 903-885-3443 (for 4-H exhibitors) or your agricultural science teacher (for FFA Exhibitors) for more information.