For Delta Liquid Energy, supporting youth in agriculture is about more than raising a paddle at the California Mid-State Fair Junior Livestock Auction. It is about investing in hardworking local students, supporting 4-H and FFA programs, and helping continue the agricultural traditions that have shaped our communities for generations.
This year, IT Manager Jeff Phillips, Director of Sales & Marketing Allison Platz-Velazquez, and Marketing Manager Becca Scott represented Delta Liquid Energy at the Junior Livestock Auction. Armed with bidding paddles and plenty of community pride, our team was proud to cheer on the students who spent months preparing their animals for the fair.
In total, Delta Liquid Energy supported 16 students across local 4-H and FFA organizations. Our team purchased nine animals, including pigs, lambs including the Reserve Supreme Champion, and the Supreme Champion Fryer Rabbit, and provided seven add-on contributions to additional exhibitors. In all, DLE invested over $26,000 in local youth agriculture.
Most of the meat from this year’s purchases will be processed for resale, while two pigs will be donated to the SLO Food Bank and one pig will be donated to ECHO in Atascadero. These donations allow the impact of the auction to continue beyond the show ring by supporting local students, local processing, and local families in need.
Each year, the Junior Livestock Auction gives us a chance to see what 4-H and FFA participants are learning through their projects: responsibility, consistency, patience, problem-solving, communication, and the value of hard work. This year’s students impressed us once again with their dedication, honesty, and love for the animals they raised.
Let’s take a closer look at a few of the hardworking young agriculturalists we had the honor of supporting this year.
Adelaide Johnson, 15 – Creston 4-H, Pig
Adelaide Johnson has been showing pigs for five years, and this year she raised a Hampshire pig named Charlie. While she said her original decision to show pigs “just kind of happened” after friends encouraged her to try it, she called it one of the best decisions she has made.
This year, Adelaide was especially proud of how much she improved in showmanship. “I feel this year I really leveled up,” she said. She also enjoyed getting to share the experience with her two younger sisters, and watching her youngest sister show for the first time.
Adelaide said raising animals has taught her responsibility, especially as the oldest sibling helping with the work. She was also proud that Charlie made weight perfectly this year after she had to bring a backup animal the year before.
When asked what raising animals has taught her for the future, Adelaide had a simple but powerful answer: “Hard work.” Her advice for younger exhibitors is to focus on the basics: keep the pen clean, walk your animal, stay attentive, and be consistent.
Aiden Morton, 11 – Creston 4-H, Pig
For Aiden Morton, this year was his first time raising a livestock project. He raised a pig named Hamione, inspired by Hermione from Harry Potter. Although Aiden had shown animals before, this was his first year raising a pig. He said he wanted to raise a pig “really bad,” and after about six months of working with Hamione, he learned one very honest lesson: pigs are messy.
Aiden’s favorite thing about Hamione was that she was playful, and he said the easiest part of the project was keeping her fed. His mom helped him along the way, and his proudest moment was taking part in the auction.
For other kids thinking about raising an animal for the first time, Aiden’s advice was clear: “You gotta practice with it every day because it takes a lot of work.”
Gavin Renteria – Templeton FFA, Lamb
Gavin Renteria of Templeton FFA raised a lamb named Big Earl, a fitting name for what he described as a pretty big lamb. Gavin has been raising lambs for the past two to three years and said the experience has taught him the importance of being on time, feeding morning and night, and staying consistent.
Although showing was one of the biggest challenges for Gavin, especially with the heat and being in front of people, he was proud that he accomplished one of his main goals: raising a lamb he could control and walk around the ring without trouble. “He didn’t get away from me at all,” Gavin said, adding that he was happy with how Big Earl did.
This year, Gavin graduated from Templeton and plans to attend Cuesta College for aviation mechanics. While his future path may not directly involve lambs, the lessons he learned still apply. “Being on time and consistency,” he said, are skills he can carry with him.
His advice for younger exhibitors is simple: start young and stick with it.
Holley-Faye Switzer, 14 – Rio-Rancheros 4-H, Lamb
Holley-Faye Switzer is no stranger to the show ring. This year, Delta Liquid Energy purchased Cricky, her Reserve Supreme Champion lamb. She also showed four breeding sheep and one replacement heifer at the California Mid-State Fair, and at home, she has 25 farm animals, all of them show animals.
While many exhibitors purchase their animals and then raise them for the fair, Holley-Faye took on an even bigger challenge this year by breeding and raising her own replacement heifer. She said figuring out the breeding process and raising the heifer herself was one of the hardest parts of her year.
Holley-Faye’s commitment goes far beyond fair week. After school, she often goes straight to the barn and works with her animals until late in the evening, sometimes as late as 11 p.m. While many kids balance livestock with sports, showing has become her sport. She has already earned an impressive number of awards and has built a TikTok following of more than 30,000 people who follow along with her livestock projects and show journey.
That work ethic is easy to see. Holley-Faye had recently wrapped up another show before the Mid-State Fair, and just three days after the auction, she was already on the move to her next show. One of the biggest lessons she has learned is to “keep working hard and just keep going.”
Even with a full show schedule, Holley-Faye continues to set big goals for herself. She said she aims to stay near the top, keep improving in showmanship, and continue pushing herself. One of her favorite highlights from this season has been placing in the top end of the sheep and goat barn.
When asked what advice she would give to younger kids interested in showing, Holley-Faye offered one of the strongest reminders of the day: “You don’t always have to buy the most expensive animal to do good. If you just keep working hard and you show and you practice, then you get somewhere.”
Looking ahead, she hopes to attend Cal Poly, participate in the Western Bonanza program, and potentially pursue work in genetics.
Liam Mestmaker, 14 – Pozo 4-H, Pig
Liam Mestmaker has been raising animals for three years, and all three years have been with pigs. This year, he raised a pig named Josiah. Liam said he was inspired in part because his dad had raised pigs, and he has learned how to independently care for an animal and how to market his project.
Liam’s favorite part of working with Josiah was walking him around the property, and he also enjoyed being in the show ring. Balancing his project with school and sports was not always easy, but the experience taught him an important lesson about commitment.
“If you start, you have to finish,” Liam said.
He met his goal of doing well in the show and said raising animals has taught him entrepreneurship and helped him grow as a person. His advice for younger kids thinking about showing is to remember that effort matters: “If you put in the work, it’ll pay off.”
Nolan Marquart, 12 – Templeton FFA, Pig
Nolan Marquart raised a pig named Chonkers, a name he chose because he “wanted it to be chonky.” This was Nolan’s first year raising a livestock project, and he said he chose to raise a pig because he was told it might be easier.
Of course, Chonkers still came with her own challenges. Nolan’s favorite part was that she would lay down and let him pet her, while the hardest part was getting her to walk.
With help from his family, especially his mom, Nolan completed his first year and had a strong auction experience. Delta Liquid Energy was also excited to support the Marquart family again this year after purchasing his older sister Emma’s pig at last year’s auction.
Nolan said he was proud that Chonkers sold for $13 per pound. His advice for someone raising an animal for the first time? “Learn to walk the pig very young.” A simple but very useful lesson from a first-year exhibitor.
Samantha Daniels, 18 – Paso Robles FFA, Lamb
Samantha Daniels of Paso FFA raised a lamb named Matcha, named after her favorite drink at Starbucks. Fittingly, Matcha brought plenty of energy to the project. Samantha said one of her favorite things about him was that he always seemed happy and was often jumping around the yard.
Samantha has been involved in 4-H for six years and has raised lambs each year. Since this was her last year, she decided to give it another try and finish strong.
Through her lamb projects, Samantha has learned about proper nutrition, keeping animals healthy, and paying close attention to their needs. One of the biggest challenges this year was keeping Matcha from becoming bloated, which affected him in the show ring. Still, Samantha said raising animals has taught her patience, an important skill she can take with her into the future.
Samantha is considering attending Cuesta College and is interested in becoming an ultrasound technician. Her advice to younger exhibitors is practical and honest: be strong, because the animals can be tough.
Scarlett Ferrari, 16 – SLO FFA, Lamb
Scarlett Ferrari of SLO FFA raised a lamb named Ernest, who placed first in market for his class and seventh in championship. This was Scarlett’s first year showing a lamb, although she showed poultry when she was younger before taking a break to focus on softball.
Scarlett quickly learned that raising a lamb takes self-discipline, work ethic, and a strong support system. She worked with Ernest twice a day, morning and night, and had to balance training with school, sports, and adjusting to a new school as a transfer student.
Her favorite part of the project was seeing Ernest’s progress. “It was really cool seeing how we could bond together and work with one another,” she said. Ernest was stubborn at times, and putting weight on him was one of her biggest challenges, but Scarlett kept adjusting his feed, supplements, and exercise until she found what worked.
Her goal was to learn the lamb program, help Ernest make weight, and have him behave well in the ring. By fair week, she felt she had accomplished those goals and was proud of the progress they made together.
Looking ahead, Scarlett hopes to study business at Cal Poly while continuing to stay involved in agriculture and show animals. Her advice to first-time exhibitors is to make sure they understand the time commitment. “You just really have to put time aside for them,” she said.
Lacy Conlan – Atascadero FFA, Supreme Champion Fryer Rabbit
Delta Liquid Energy was also proud to purchase the Supreme Champion Fryer Rabbit from Lacy Conlan of Atascadero FFA. Although we were not able to interview Lacy this year, we are excited to recognize her outstanding accomplishment and support the hard work that earned such a high honor at the fair.
Additional Students Supported
In addition to the students featured above, Delta Liquid Energy was proud to support the following exhibitors through animal purchases and add-on contributions.
Animal Purchases
- Gavin Renteria – Templeton FFA, Lamb
- Nolan Marquart – Templeton FFA, Pig
- Aiden Morton – Creston 4-H, Pig
- Samantha Daniels – Paso 4-H, Lamb
- Liam Mestmaker – Pozo 4-H, Pig
- Adelaide Johnson – Creston 4-H, Pig
- Scarlett Ferrari – SLO FFA, Lamb
- Holley-Faye Switzer – Rio-Rancheros 4-H, Lamb
- Lacy Conlan – Atascadero FFA, Supreme Champion Fryer Rabbit
Add-On Contributions
- Emma Marquart – Templeton FFA, Pig
- Caleigh Taylor – Atascadero FFA, Pig
- Camilla Wellington – Atascadero FFA, Lamb
- Benjamin Mott – Paso 4-H, Lamb
- Danika Johnson – Atascadero FFA, Goat
- Kelsi Porter – Templeton FFA, Goat
- Luke Madson – Cerro Alto 4-H, Pig
For students interested in agriculture, mechanics, operations, business, customer service, safety, marketing, or other hands-on careers, the lessons learned through 4-H and FFA can open doors far beyond the show ring. Delta Liquid Energy recently shared more about career opportunities in California’s propane industry and how those paths connect to the skills many students are already building through agricultural education.
Learn more: Fueling Your Future: Career Opportunities in California’s Propane Industry
Supporting the Next Generation of Agricultural Leaders
At Delta Liquid Energy, we are proud to be a locally owned, family-operated company with deep roots in the agricultural communities we serve. The Junior Livestock Auction is one of our favorite traditions because it allows us to support students who are learning by doing, showing up every day, and building skills that will serve them long after fair week is over.
To the students, families, advisors, volunteers, fair staff, and buyers who make this event possible, thank you for another memorable year at the California Mid-State Fair.
We are proud to support the next generation of agricultural leaders, and we look forward to continuing this tradition for years to come.
Interested in learning more about how 4-H and FFA shape future leaders? Visit our blog to discover more inspiring stories from the fair!