Showing Up And Showing Out: FFA Fair Week 2026

From May 2026 through September 2026, and for some even longer, the livestock crew has been working with their animals to prepare for this past week, September 16-20. Throughout the Tulare County Fair week, our Redwood livestock kids compete in Showmanship and Market to showcase all their hard work. 

By Adriana Soria-Rosales

During the week of the Fair, everyone sees how well an animal behaves and looks. What no one really sees is the consistent hours and effort it took to get one’s animal to this point.

John Coon, Redwood’s Ag Mechanics teacher and FFA Advisor, said what it looks like for his livestock crew: “Preparation for a livestock project looks a lot like playing a varsity sport.”

“It is 90-100 days of extreme commitment, seven days a week, twice a day. We don’t take any days off with livestock; they work so hard, they put in so many hours, and it’s a full commitment.”

When asked what Coon hopes students participating in FFA livestock will learn, he says, “Of course we hope that they learn how to do a good job showing in the show ring, but that’s really secondary to me.”

“I want them to learn about what’s truly happening in the California Ag Industry, and in the animal science world. They really can learn about what California agriculture looks like from an animal science standpoint, and hopefully it turns into a very lucrative outcome for them.”

The Tulare County Fair is all about showcasing your animal, but throughout the week, students represent their school as a whole through their FFA Chapter.

“I want the actions of our students at the fair to be known by everybody as a really good example.”

Multiple schools, many animals, and many kids attend the fair, and as Coon says, it’s like a varsity sport.

Coon said, “Some of the finest qualities of agriculturalists across the world are things like helping out a neighbor in need and doing the right thing. And I think that’s what our Rangers, that show in the FFA chapter, probably personify the best.”

At Redwood High School, we give the livestock crew the opportunity to choose among lambs, swine, and steers to show.

Gabriella Gann, ‘27, a second-year livestock student, spent her summer working and preparing for the fair with her lamb Oakie. 

Gann said that her dad also raised livestock when he was in high school at Redwood, and it encouraged her to get into livestock as well.

When asked about the time put into her lamb, Gann said, “It was honestly really hard. It’s a lot of hours. I’ve spent over 250 hours in the past couple of years.”

For students with multiple years of experience, some things may appear easier throughout this process, but everyone is putting in the same amount of time at the farm.

“It’s a lot of commitments and hard work, but it’s extremely rewarding throughout all the relationships that I’ve created and getting to know my lambs and [to] be able to work with them.” 

The livestock crew spends a lot of time together, and when they are at the fair, it’s a chance for them to support each other and see how far they’ve come. 

Gann shared, “We’re all helping each other out the whole time and just getting to have a great experience and a good show.”

Julia Lima, ‘27, is another second-year livestock member and showcased her lamb, Theo. 

Lima said what the process leading up to fair week looks like for the crew: “There’s a lot of preparation going into this week, a week before we start shearing and making sure that our lambs are looking as healthy as possible.” 

“We watch their feed and water to make sure that they’re all prepared for fair to make weight.” 

For Lima, she said that being at the fair can be somewhat overstimulating, but it of course has its pros.

“It’s super fun experiencing everyone with their animals and seeing how hard everyone’s worked is so much fun, so it’s just such a good week.”

While showcasing in the Market Lamb Division: All Other Breeds, Lima and Theo placed first in Class 3 and third overall.

When asked what was most rewarding about all of this for Lima, she said, “The most rewarding part is getting into the show ring and seeing my hard work pay off. It’s really rewarding to see how many hours I put in and how I express it onto my lamb.”

Allie Robinson, ‘27, was a part of the swine crew for her second time and prepared her swine Beth for the fair.

For Robinson, commitment was a big part of preparing and showing Beth.

Robinson said what showing livestock for the past two years means to her: “It means dedication and hard work, [it’s] a lot of early mornings at the farm, washing your pig, getting it ready, working with our pig every day, and the week before the fair.”

In the beginning, getting your livestock to do what you want it to do can be like training a new puppy. You’re teaching your animal to be ready to show in front of judges.

For swine, when showing your animal, the kids use nothing but a show whip and a brush to get their swine to walk in the direction they want it to.

Robinson shared her most challenging part with Beth, “The most challenging part is probably the first couple weeks when you’re trying to work with your animal and get it to walk.”

While being at the fair, Robinson shared what it looks like for her, “It’s pretty intense and chaotic considering there’s animals everywhere all the time, but you just have to know how to manage your time and manage your animal well.”

Noah King, ‘27, was involved in his first year of livestock and showcased his swine, Dale. 

King shared what encouraged him to do livestock his final year: “My dad’s a dairy veterinarian and he kind of always pushed me through high school to get involved more in FFA with animals.”

“I decided to do it my senior year, and it was a very good choice.”

King said what preparation over the summer and throughout school looked like, “We had to be at the farm every morning at 6:30, and in the evening about 5 o’clock.”

“It was probably about 60 hours a month that we had to take care of this, and it’s a lot of work, but it’s worth it.”

As Fair Week approaches, the work becomes more focused on training the animals: “Every Saturday morning, we have one [training], and we spend about an hour and a half showing our pigs and getting ready for fair.”

King said the most rewarding part for him: “The most rewarding part is probably the experience; it’s probably been the most fun part.”

Breann Branch, ‘27, showed livestock for her third year, showcasing her steer Bubba. 

Branch said what got her started with livestock, “Ever since I was little, I had been coming to county fairs, and the first thing I always wanted to do was run to the barns. I just wanted to see the animals.”

“So when I knew that was an option for me when I got into high school, I knew there wasn’t a doubt in my mind that was the first thing I wanted to do. It’s definitely something I could not envision my life without.”

For Branch, she said that to her it’s so much more than just showing livestock and that they’re the future of agriculture, and they’re the ones continuing through the industry.

Branch said what the preparation has looked like for her: “It’s been a year; this marks a year for me, and it’s been nonstop, going, going, going.” 

“Every moment at the farm is prepping us for fair. Whether that be the way they stand, the way we stand, the way their hair looks, the way their head moves.”

Branch said her most rewarding moments coming out of this process: “The most rewarding part is definitely this time of year when you get to just see your hard work being paid off.”

“It’s kind of surreal, and you get to see everything, and everybody’s here the whole week, and it’s just really fun.”

Tags: fairweek, livestock, rangers, redwood gigantea, redwood high school, redwood journalism, redwoodffa, visalia ca