The third annual Future Farmers of America Purebred Livestock show of the Columbia area will be held November 5 at the state fairgrounds with 15 chapters scheduled to be represented.

Sponsored a yearly by the Sears Roebucks Foundation in cooperation with the South Carolina Department of education, they will bring three new farm organizations into the group showing in the capital city for the first time. The latest chapters added to the show or Camden, lower Richland, and Pelion.

Full Attendance

With 43 valuable prizes or cash awards, all contributed by Sears-Roebuck, to be presented to winning livestock, swine and poultry entries, the purebred show is expected to draw full attendance from all eligible chapters of the FFA.

Under the program, the foundation gives purebred or registered animals to talk executors of heifers, gilts, sows, and poultry, as prizes for the young farmers’ progress and interest in developing and advance good stock in their local chapters. A self-expansive system, the plan requires the winners of sows and gilts to give a pig of the sows and gilts to give a pig of the sow’s or gilt’s first litter to another FFA youth, thus broadening the project and improving animal stocks on farms in the area.

Each year at the purebred show, when FFA members of qualified chapters exhibits their stock, additional animals are awarded to build the program and to develop a higher scale of blood and products on the farms.

The project, accepted and conducted by the Vocational Agriculture Teachers, involves the FFA chapter membership in their schools, to stimulate the development and progress of purebred livestock in the Columbia area. It is also designed to establish the cow, the hen, and the hog as the prosperity trio for Southern agriculture.

W. E. Gore, of the agricultural education division of the state education department, declared the program “had done a great deal to promote interest in FFA, and to improve stocks in this area.”

Prizes And Rules

Below are the rules and regulations governing this year’s show:

1. All entries must be placed and donated plants before 11 AM Wednesday, for the showing.
2. All except ours must furnish their own paid troughs, water pails, feed and bedding.
3. All gilts must be at least four months of age and in the boy’s care for two months prior to the showing.
4. Each entry must be fitted and shown in the show ring by owner.
5. Only FFA members with pig chain agreements on file in the district office may enter their animals in the show.
6. FFA judging teams shall consist of three members from each chapter.
7. Chapter exhibits must consist of two gilts, one heifer, one sow, and one pen of poultry (one cockerel and two hens) to compete for the grand prize.
8. Vocational agriculture teacher has the privilege of rejecting any animal undesirable for showing.

Awards will be as follows; Gilts, the best gilt from each chapter will be selected and will compete for ten purebred heifers, those being judged one to ten receiving one purebred heifer or $75 toward the purchase price each as first prizes. All other qualified gilts in the area show will receive a registered gilt or boar, or $25 toward the purchase price for second place.

For sows shows in last year’s show, first, registered gilt or boar, second, 150 baby chicks, third, 75 baby chicks.

Poultry exhibitors, first, 100 baby chicks, second, 75 baby chicks, and third, 50 baby chicks.

$10 will be awarded to the best three-member chapter judging team, and a grand prize of $75 cash will be given for the best FFA chapter exhibit.

Eligible entries and this year’s contest our Batesburg-Leesville, Blaney, Blythewood, Brookland-Cayce, Chapin, Columbia, Dentsville, Fairview, Gilbert, Irmo, Lexington, Swansea, Camden, Lower Richland, and Pelion.

Entry time for the show will be from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., boys’ chapter judging will be from 11 a.m. to noon, and official judging will be from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.