Tips for a livestock newbie?

I’ve been talking with quite a few of my tweeps about animal agriculture over the last several months and realized it is something of a hole for me.  Sure I helped twitter #moo. Then again, it was hard to say no when a farmer asked so nicely and other farmers like Ray Prock gave it there all — Will Gilmer blogged about it here).  And I’ve learned a lot by listening, reading and asking questions.  But this weekend I’ll be taking a big step.  I’m goign to my first livestock show.  And, thanks to Mike’s pushing, I’m going in head first in the deep end!  I want be going to a local, county, state or even a regional livestock show…. no, I’m going to the North American International Livestock Exposition!

So, I’m not sure what I’m in for… what I need to be watching for…  I spent a lunch hour watching a show online for 30 minutes… I was thoroughly confused and had so many questions come up!  The more I think about the event, the more I realize how little I know!  Heck, I’m not even sure what to wear!  (I’ve got a great I Love Farmers cap!  And with all the denim a cotton girl owns, I’m assuming I can fake that well enough unless leather is an insult to cows… Okay, now I’m worried!)

If you have tips for the livestock newbie… please comment away!  You should know now I’m enough of a skeptic to wonder if you suggest snipe hunting as a short diversion. (Yes, I have some folks who’s suggestions may not be as constructive as funny and I love it!)

If you will be at NAILE, I’d love to add to my volunteer tour guides because I’m pretty sure Mike & Pam will tire of all of the questions (the photo of their Sasha alone raises several!) !  I’ve found a friend from the publications side who will be there & am hoping she’ll have time to help bring me along.  If you are going, just send me a DM and maybe we can meet up!

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POSTSCRIPT:  The closest I’ve been to a livestock show (to my recollection):

• I remember clearly going to a rodeo when I was a kid.  It was during the Mid-South Fair.  Roger Miller sang that night.  Had to buy his CD years ago so I could prompt memory-inspired smiles on a random basis.  “You can’t rollerskate in a buffalo herd” and “trailer for sale or rent” are the songs that strike me.  My mom thinks I may have seen someone show livestock in those early years, but I think we just walked quickly through the smelly barns.
• There was a rodeo I was in college in Enid, Oklahoma… and there was the National Finals in Vegas one year.
• Rodeos may be PART of a livestock show (and NAILE has one this weekend to prove that point) but I’m not sure I thought or learned much about the animals at any of these.  In fact, I think I was focused on the people on them.  I’ll try to do better this time.  🙂