By  E. W. Lang

There was little movement in the cheese and butter trade this week.  Nearby Class III and Class IV milk futures gained a few cents and October, November and December Class III and Class IV futures lost 45 and 53 cents on average, at $22.57 and $22.94 per cwt.  Class III Milk Feed Indices are in the $10 to $11 range for the rest of this year, but average only $8.20 per cwt. for the first quarter of 2023.  Yes, $8.20 per cwt.  As such, beware the ides of March.   

I have been to three or so dairy shows this spring and have seen show calves ranging from homebred to cheap to expensive place anywhere from the top to the bottom of each class.  I've personally dropped some show calf dollars over the last couple years with less than impressive results.  I'm able, however, to justify this as expensive amusement with money might have otherwise been spent on illegal narcotics, maybe a nice thoroughbred,  rock and roll music concert tickets, T.V. preacher and Hare Krishna giving, and similar vice.

While I will grant that a project calf is an investment in learning husbandry, practicing sportsmanship, and somewhat conformist showmanship, there is another variety of youth project that I think could benefit young people.  This involves kids with savings and maybe parental help buying the good lower cost heifers that are in public auctions but aren't destined for blue ribbons.  A few people can make money on a high dollar club calf, and a lot of people can make money on good registered calves that can become No. 1 bred heifers that dairy farmers want to buy and milk. 

Modern dairy economics make these opportunities limited to some dairy areas that continue to have family operated commercial dairies, but the opportunity is there.  Kids best suited to this are tight wads who know to the dime what funds they have available and what things cost.   Most of us were in FFA with a few people like this, and now a couple of them are mega farmers who drive pickups that are neither clean nor have matching doors and a good muffler. 

And for those who may say, "Oh that kind of project can't be done anymore,"  remember that people said "it can't be done" in the 40s, 60s and 80s, too.  There's little to limit the dynamic of youth, ambition, financial greed and creative thought. 

A parallel example would be a couple guys in college with me who amassed wealth for university by raising runt pigs.  Again, there are few places where this kind of thing can still be done, but it was a perfectly honourable endeavor that taught useful livestock and life skills, particularly enterprise.  Raising runts never involves a purple ribbon, a professional fitter, special dust or travel to any shows, near or far.  It's not glamorous work but is as honest and useful as any in production agriculture.