Market Animal College is a one-day hands on learning experience developed for youth livestock exhibitors (ages 5-18) to help them learn more about raising their livestock and become better producers, exhibitors and marketers throughout the year. We have classes ranging from prospect selection to the use of vaccinations, and covering best practices for livestock exercise to nutrition courses for all four main livestock species. Youth attendees, and their chaperones, take a college type approach to selecting their courses they most wish to attend throughout the morning based on their specific species interest and experience. A final class list and schedule for the entire day will be made available on our website (www.marketanimalcollege.com) in the days to come. Participants do not need to have any prior knowledge about livestock showing to participate, as we offer both beginning and more experienced classes for all experience levels. No livestock should be brought by participants to Market Animal College. We do require a $10 registration fee per youth participant (no fee for adult chaperones) which includes an event t-shirt, notebook, drawstring bag, a $5 Rockingham Cooperative coupon and entrance into a grand prize for one lucky participant to win on the behalf of their 4-H Club or FFA Chapter (a Tru-Test Scale system complete with a scale head, platform and load bars!) The nominal fee is in place to help us gain an accurate count to plan for attendees but we don’t want the fee to be a deterrent to any youth interested that otherwise may not be able to participate. We are NOT including lunch in this year’s registration fee, but have coordinated bag lunches for all participants for $5 with a local 4-H Club on-site at the event. Additional lunches are available for youth and adults alike. Youth and adults will also have the opportunity during the day to visit with vendors to discuss specific products/services offered and visit our on-site Rockingham Cooperative store to utilize their $5 coupon on show products and equipment available that day.
