Southeastern Youth Fair sets new records

FFA members line up steers to be judged during the Southeastern Youth Fair in 2021. [File photo by Bruce Ackerman]

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Posted February 18, 2025 | By Susan Smiley-Height, [email protected]

If there is a sign of spring in the air, Marion County youngsters and teens involved in 4-H and FFA will be getting ready to showcase a variety of skills in the annual Southeastern Youth Fair. And, according to SEYF Executive Director Sara LeFils, this year’s number of exhibitors and number of animals in one category are setting new fair records.

“This year we have 1,015 exhibitors, which is a record, and 3,353 entries. We have a record 168 market steers entered, along with 300 hogs, 77 lambs and 36 market goats,” said LeFils.

For many of the exhibitors, their endeavors started in the late summer of last year and involved feeding and caring for their animals.

“Exhibitors learn incredible life lessons when showing a market animal, beyond the lesson of understanding where your food comes from and the hard work of our farmers and ranchers who bring it to us. They learn the responsibility of caring for another living being that needs to be fed and cared for every day—even if it’s raining or freezing. Our fair kids have to feed their animals before they leave for school or morning practice and then again in the evening around homework time,” LeFils noted of the time commitment each student must apply in caring for the animals.

A big part of each year’s fair are market shows and sales for steers, swine, lambs and goats. Members of the public can place bids on the animals and proceeds from the sales often are used by the exhibitors to help further their education.

“They also have to keep financial records, write letters to buyers, visit and shake hands with potential buyers, and practice public speaking with a prepared presentation to their club or chapter on a subject relative to their market animal species. There is truly no better hands-on learning than raising a project for the SEYF,” LeFils continued.

The mission of the SEYF is to recognize local youth in a showcase for competition, exhibition, educational opportunities and the promotion of self-esteem, personal growth and development while helping educate the community about the importance of agriculture in the area.

The foundation of the fair was the Steer Show, which started in 1941. The SEYF we know today started in 1978. The event remains the largest all-youth fair event in the state of Florida and the oldest all-youth fair in the U.S. that operates without a midway.

The event is held at the Southeastern Livestock Pavilion on Jacksonville Road in Ocala and features competitions with steers, swine, goats, lambs, chickens, rabbits, horses and dogs; skills testing in tractor driving, cooking and home-crafts; and even an art category in which exhibitors 8 to 18 will paint a seahorse and those ages 5 to 7 will paint a lamb.

“Our auditorium will display everything from photography to plants to decorated cakes to paintings and sewn quilts. And we have two new contests this year, a tablescaping competition and an Insect-athon,” LeFils noted.

Each year’s SEYF is dedicated in honor of someone who has supported the endeavor and this year’s honoree is Lynn Nobles.

“Lynn recently retired from her position as director of Marion County IFAS Extension and before that served as Career & Technical Education director for Marion County Schools. She’s also a former ag teacher and a former Marion County 4-H member. She is a former SEYF executive board president, from 2013 to 2015. She has dedicated decades to agricultural education in our county and we are so excited to dedicate the fair to her this year,” LeFils offered.

“I am honored to have this year’s fair dedicated to me. I have loved watching so many students engage in learning important life skills. These experiences allow students to build relationships with community leaders, experts in the industry and others interested in agriculture. I am blessed to have helped them achieve their goals through our local agriculture youth fair,” Nobles shared via email.

When we asked LeFils what her favorite thing about the SEYF is, she replied: “I know that sometimes as we get older we worry about the future of our country and might often grumble ‘kids these days’ in a negative tone. In my humble opinion, there is nothing better to lift my spirits and encourage me about the future generation than to come watch the ‘blue ribbon young’uns’ at the SEYF. My favorite part is being surrounded by our generous community, who come out to support these kids, whether it’s financially as a buyer or the volunteers who dedicate hundreds of hours of time and expertise.”

LeFils said she also enjoys knowing that many of the adult volunteers were SEYF participants when they were young.

“Sometimes they go three generations deep,” she said with emphasis. “I’ve had three children who showed at the SEYF. The oldest is now a freshman in college out of state but he’s already bought his flight ticket to come back this year to volunteer. As parents, we know we are never perfect with all our decisions, but this one I know we did right—we raised our kids at the Southeastern Youth Fair.”

The Southeastern Youth Fair is open to the public and free to attend. The event will run from Feb. 21 through March 1. Those who wish to bid in the market sales may do so in person or online.

For complete details, including the calendar of events, go to seyfair.com