The Pearl River County Jr. Livestock show and sale will take place today at the Pearl River County Fairgrounds in Poplarville.

The show will begin at 8 a.m. and the sale will start at about 7 p.m. This year, over 20 children who are members of the Pearl River County Jr. Livestock program will participate in the show, Pearl River County Extension Agent Alex Shook said.

This will be the fourth year this event has taken place and businesses and individuals are invited to come and bid on the 4-H’ers projects, Shook said.

Shook said this year’s livestock will include cattle, goats and sheep and the goal of the sale is to reward the children for the care they provided to the animals.

“The livestock project is one of the oldest projects in 4-H and it’s given children an opportunity to learn how to take care of and raise livestock,” Shook said. “The project also teaches them valuable life skills such as dedication and teamwork.”

The Pearl River County Jr. Livestock program focuses on teaching children who are interested in agriculture about how to raise livestock humanely and where food comes from, Shook said.

The Pearl River County 4-H Club is part of the Mississippi State University Extension Service and aims to improve the life of Mississippi youth by providing them with educational programs, Shook said.

The 4-H club is open to anyone between the ages of 8 and 18. Within the Club, children can also join a variety of programs. In Pearl River County, 4-H provides children an opportunity to participate in robotics, care for livestock, learn about shooting and participate in a horse program, Shook said.

“We also have a community club, where children participate in city-wide cleanups, send Christmas cards to senior citizens and look for opportunities to improve the community,” Shook said. “Every child is not interested in the same thing and 4-H has done a great job of providing children with the opportunity to join a club or program that they will enjoy. The program they join will help them learn skills such as leadership, responsibility and self-discipline.”

Joining the Pearl River County 4-H club is free to everyone. To learn more, contact the Pearl River County Extension office at 601-403-2280 or visit the office located at 401 West Lamar street in Poplarville.

For more information about the Pearl River County Jr. Livestock show and future events, visit the Facebook page.