Life in the Barn
By Conner Vernon • Nipomo FFA
When the alarm clock goes off at 5:30
in the morning, my day begins at my favorite
place, the barn. From the looks of it, the barn
isn’t anything special on the outside, but the
memories it holds on the inside are my most
treasured. My Grandfather originally built the
barn out of old scrap wood and secondhand
materials because he didn’t have much
as a Portuguese immigrate to this country.
Although money was limited, he provided
for his six children through hard work and
resourcefulness. Over time the old barn has
changed but one thing has remained the
same; it has been the place where livestock
are cared for, important breeding decisions
are made, the thrill of victory and the agony
of defeat are shared.
My barn journey began by helping my
grandfather do chores; feeding pigs, goats,
sheep and an occasional drop calf. I wasn’t
much help in the beginning as I could barely
see over the fence, but it is where my dream
of livestock ownership began. My dream
became a reality, like most 4-H members, at
the age of nine when I received two ewes,
Jaime and Spot, as family gifts. They were
just ordinary ewe lambs that I showed at my
very first fair, but they became the matriarchs
of my sheep flock. Spot never won herself,
but she has produced several champions.
She is seven years old now, and my most
cherished possession. I love that ewe!
Between my brother, Kyler, and I we own 38
ewes.
Although my family is known for raising
sheep, I had the desire to create my own
path. So I ventured into the swine barn and I
quickly fell in love, with pigs of course. The
swine portion of the barn was awesome
because I didn’t have to share livestock with
my younger brother. To date, I have six sows
and two gilts and I have been showing swine
for the past seven years.
Working with my livestock every day has
helped me in many ways. I have to make
business decisions about which animals I keep
or sell. It is not always easy, but my livestock
judging skills have improved. I put these skills
to work on the Nipomo FFA Livestock Judging
Team. Last year I was humbled to win the
High Individual in the state and our team was
crowned the State Champions in the Livestock
Judging Contest.
If you want to do anything well, it takes
dedication, patience, and hard work. I
spend many hours in the barn working with
my animals practicing showmanship, fitting
and managing their health and nutrition.
These animals depend upon me. While I
enjoy it, I have to make difficult choices and
sacrifices about other activities like hanging
out with friends or playing sports. Although
these sacrifices have been difficult, I wouldn’t
trade my time in the barn, fairs, shows, or
fields days, for anything. This is where I have
learned life lessons, gained lifelong friends
and found the true meaning of an abundant
life.
California FFANEWS • Page 6 • Winter 2015
{ Continued on page 7 }