A rule change by Santa Clara County Fair officials means San
Benito County Future Farmers of America will not be allowed to
auction animals that they have spent months raising.
Hollister’s FFA members are upset about the change, which
prohibits local animals from being auctioned unless they are judged
champion or reserve champion (second place).
Hollister – A rule change by Santa Clara County Fair officials means San Benito County Future Farmers of America will not be allowed to auction animals that they have spent months raising.
Hollister’s FFA members are upset about the change, which prohibits local animals from being auctioned unless they are judged champion or reserve champion (second place).
FFA members say they were not notified far enough in advance of the rule changes. Many had already purchased animals to raise under the assumption that they would be able to sell them at the Santa Clara County Fair, as they have done in past years.
Hollister FFA President Nicole Silveira said she and other members were notified of the change only three weeks before the fair.
“I think it’s ridiculous,” Silveira said. “We brought a lot of buyers there and (the fair) is losing money by not letting us sell.”
Silveira added that the fair’s entry book contained several contradictions that made the rules unclear.
Kelly Bianchi, the Hollister FFA Adviser and SBHS Agriculture teacher, said eight students had purchased animals to enter at the fair, but after the rule change was announced, four students decided not to enter.
“Why go up there and waste our time if can’t sell,” Bianchi said.
The four students who entered livestock in the fair will be forced to slaughter the animals themselves or enter the animals in the Santa Cruz County Fair in September. Since many of the animals will likely exceed weight limits by then, it will be difficult for FFA members to win awards at Santa Cruz, she said.
Many of the Hollister’s FFA members stand to lose money as a result of the rule change. After purchasing, feeding and carrying for the animals, Hollister FFA members may not have another chance to sell the three pigs, two lambs and one steer entered in the Santa Clara County Fair. If the animals cannot be sold, FFA members stand to lose more than $1,000.
“A lot of these kids use the money to buy their next animal or help pay for college,” Bianchi said.
Responding to pressure from Santa Clara 4-H and FFA clubs, Santa Clara County Fair Livestock Committee members changed entry rules for the fair this year because the number of livestock buyers at the fair have been declining and the fair committee decided to limit the number of out-of-county animals that could be entered.
The rule change was aimed at providing Santa Clara residents with more opportunities to sell livestock with less outside competition, said Art Troyer, the executive director of the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds.
Troyer said the rule changes, which occurred in January, should have been made known to the Hollister FFA in order to prevent any misunderstanding.
“It was a communication problem on our end,” Troyer said. “We should have let them know earlier.”
Fair Management Board member Don Silacci described the rule change as a “mess.” He attempted to convince Santa Clara FFA officials to let Hollister entrants sell their livestock because they had already been purchased for the fair.
“It wasn’t right and it won’t happen again,” Silacci said.
Silacci and other members of the Fair Management board are working to find livestock buyers for Hollister FFA members who entered animals in the competition.
“It’s too bad (the livestock committee) didn’t let them know ahead of time,” Silacci said.
Brett Rowland covers education for the Free Lance. He can be reached at 831-637-5566 ext. 330 or
br******@fr***********.com
.
