Tag: poultry

Meet the Superintendent: Don Edwards

Every year at the State Fair, there are hundreds of different competitions to enter. Each category of competitions is managed by its own superintendent who oversees the show schedules, volunteers, and operations. This year the poultry show will have a new superintendent, Don Edwards, but he is hardly new to the event. Edwards has been working with the show for 25 years, helping to set up the competitions and get youth more involved. “This year is the first time I have the title of superintendent,” Edwards said. “This may be my first year as superintendent, but I have years of…

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FFA students compete in poultry judging contest

Following is a guest post from Marisa Linton. Marisa grew up showing and raising livestock, and currently lives on her family’s small farm in Mount Olive. She has shown animals at the N.C. State Fair for the past 14 years and is a past youth livestock scholarship recipient. She is an N.C. State University graduate, agricultural photographer and blogger. Last month at the Kerr Scott Building, more than 300 youth representing 81 schools flocked to the State FFA Poultry Judging Career Development Event. This event helps provide youth with skills and opportunities that relate to the poultry industry. North Carolina…

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The birds are coming back to town!

The birds are back! The backside of the Graham Building was awfully quiet last year, when the crows and quacks of the poultry competition were silenced by the threat of highly pathogenic avian influenza. The highly contagious disease found in the Midwest last spring was thought to be spread by wild birds, causing concern over the spread of the disease to North Carolina. State Veterinarian Doug Meckes banned all poultry displays and sales, including all poultry competitions at fairs. Any congregation of birds could spread the disease throughout our state and cause widespread damage to the $3 billion poultry industry, not to…

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