Waiting another year to go hog wild
Once stay-at-home orders began going out in response to the coronavirus pandemic mid-march, Elizabeth Steenbergen knew there was a chance she wouldn’t be able to sell her hog, Wild (1018).
“When businesses and other places started closing down I was worried about being able to sell him at the fair,” Steenbergen said in an email. “We invested a lot of money into my hog and we were hoping to sell him and break even or make a little bit of profit off of him.”
Thankfully, Steenbergen still has an opportunity to sell her hog through the Porterville Fair’s Save our Sale and Bid for the Kid. Buyers can purchase or donate through add-ons for any animal or exhibi
tor by Friday, May 1. Visit portervillefair. com for more information.
A Porterville High School sophomore in her second year of FFA, Steenbergen was excited about raising a hog this year and learning from others about how to care for it.
“I was really looking forward to getting the experience of the fair, meeting new people … (and picking) up new, helpful things that I can use to help me with the care of my animal in the future and at the fair,” she said.
Steenbergen chose to raise a hog because she’s been “in love” with them since she was a 4-H member, but she quickly learned they’re a lot of work.
“It was a little harder than I anticipated because they need a lot of exercise, food, and other things to ensure that they are healthy and well taken care of,” Steenbergen said.
Like Steenbergen, Isaiah Zavala was also working on his first swine project this year. A freshman from Lindsay High School, Zavala joined FFA and raised Bruno (952).
“Having the opportunity to work on the farm every day was a great learning experience,”
Zavala said in an email. “I learned how much love I have for animals and how I want to continue my education and finish out my high school years in the FFA program so I (can) be a veterinarian.”
Like all other exhibitors, Zavala sent out buyer letters to encourage people to buy Bruno or consider donating towards his next project with an add-on.
“All my money raised is going towards my next project,” he wrote to potential buyers. “I would really appreciate your help in making my project a success.”