Meeting the grade : raising market-ready youth lamb projects

Market lambs are popular 4-H and FFA projects for many youth. While youth learn to select, feed, manage, show and sell their market animals, they also develop many important life skills. They learn how to set goals, solve problems, make good decisions, keep accurate records, and manage money. One of the outcomes of this process is that youth produce a market lamb that hopefully meets or exceeds the quality standards set forth by the American lamb industry and, ultimately, consumers of lamb. While youth lamb projects make up a small percentage of all of the lamb produced in the United States, they still contribute a significant amount of product to consumers. Market lambs and other animal projects exhibited by 4-H and FFA members provide individuals several generations removed from the farm their only exposure and contact with farm animals. This publication is a follow-up to the WSU Extension fact sheet FS048, “Meating” the Grade: Raising Market-Ready 4-H Beef Projects (Heitstuman 2011)