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The Farmers’ Museum Junior Livestock show is a rite of summer for young people throughout a nine county region of Central New York. The show began in 1947 with a gift from the founder of The Farmers’ Museum, Stephen C. Clark of Cooperstown, to support the 4-H programs of the Cornell Cooperative Extension offices in Chenango, Delaware, Fulton-Montgomery, Herkimer, Madison, Oneida, Otsego and Schoharie Counties. The show lasts three days in early July and includes dairy and beef cattle, sheep, pigs, as well as dairy and meat goats. Exhibitors start showing at age eight and can continue competing until they reach eighteen years old.
This show is a pivotal event for young people interested in raising and showing farm animals in our region. Because the show is supported by the museum and 4-H educators, it is run at a high level with nationally known judges who share their knowledge and wisdom with the young exhibitors. As the show runs in early July, it is great preparation for larger shows that run later in the summer including county fairs, the New York State Fair and national breed shows.
Hannah Carnright a freshman at SUNY Cobleskill who is an intern at CCE Herkimer County for the summer of 2024. She has competed at the Farmers’ Museum Junior Livestock Show for many years. This year she showed her dairy goats as a capstone experience for her final year of eligibility and this is her account of that experience.
Arriving at the Iroquois Farm Show Grounds of The Farmers’ Museum for day one of the Junior Livestock Show starts with a vet check for all animals when everyone pulls in. Volunteer veterinarians from throughout the region check each one of the 500+ animals to make sure all are healthy and free of communicable diseases. Once the vet check is complete everyone takes their animals to the tents assigned to each species. After the animals are settled in, exhibitors check-in with the show staff to confirm the animals they brought, get their show number, meal tickets, their Farmers’ Museum Junior Livestock Show shirt, and first year exhibitors will get a pail with goodies. The shirts change from year-to-year and are collected and traded between participants. The first day finishes up with a chicken barbeque and ice cream social. The ice cream and fixings are mostly donated and sponsored by Stewarts Shops. The ice cream is served by the Dairy Ambassadors of each of the participating counties along with volunteers.
Day two of the show starts with showmanship classes and then moves on to confirmation shows for each of the species. In the evening following the first day of shows, the farmer Olympics were held in the main tent, and new this year, there were board and card games in the sheep show tent and line dancing in the dairy goat show tent. When nightfall arrives, a movie is shown in the open air for all the exhibitors and their families to watch.
The third day of the show completes the formal shows for each of the species. During these final rounds the exhibitors see which animals and handlers rise to the top of the rankings and learn from the judges what qualities put them above the others. The final element of the show itself is the award ceremony where the overall champions of each breed and species are announced, as well as special prizes and the Chobani Scholarships. At the conclusion of the awards ceremony, exhibitors have their pictures taken with museum officials, judges and sponsors of the show.
The Junior Livestock show has been my favorite show to participate in since I started showing my dairy goats when I turned nine. This show is where kids can meet one another and kids can teach and learn all about the species they have and that are at the show from one another. I have always had lots of fun showing and helping others when they have multiple animals in a breed class. At the show I have shown a couple beef cattle, and exhibited every breed of goat that is at the show.
My absolute favorite part of the show has been the parade of champions. Over the years, the parade has changed a couple times. 2018 was my favorite year for the parade of champions because I had won best Junior Doe in Show, during that parade, we all lined up in our show tents and paraded around the main show tent. In the show tent we were announced and had pictures taken with The Farmers Museum officials, our Judge, and the sponsor of the award.
A great memory of the show is that by winning a rosette enabled me to attend the The Farmers Museums’ Harvest Festival in the fall where hundreds of people from across New York State came for the festival and to see the winning participants in the Junior Show. My family would visit and would watch as all of the winning participants paraded through the Farmers Museum and be announced with what we won and our favorite activities and years in 4-H. This year was my last year and the best I had ever done. I finished my last year with Senior Champion, Junior Champion, Best of Breed, Best Udder of Breed all for Oberhasli, Reserve Senior Showman, Reserve Master Showman, and for the second year in a row, a Chobani scholarship.
Article published July 24, 2024.
The Herkimer Agricultural Council is coordinated by the staff of Cornell Cooperative Extension Herkimer. If you are interested in the work of the council or have a question about agriculture, local foods or starting an agricultural business, contact us today!
This website is a project of the Herkimer Agricultural Council which is dedicated to promoting the farm economy in Herkimer County,
managed by Cornell Cooperative Extension Herkimer County. Additional support from the Community Foundation of
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