She sits back on her couch and rests for a moment after packing and neatly organizing all the clothing, pieces of her uniform, and lucky belt buckle into a few bags. She knows it will be the little bit of true peace she gets for the next three days, as it is the Wednesday before the FFA show.

“I love thinking about how they’ve changed so much in the eight months since I got them,” Kera Palacios said.

As I’m sure everyone at Tomball High School knows, Thursday January 24th through Saturday January 26th is the annual Future Farmers of America show. Hundreds of students show the animals that they’ve had for anywhere from a year to 5 months to acquire the biggest payout they can.

Profits can range from anywhere from a few hundred dollars to tens of thousands for a prized steer. Many students do it for pleasure and hope to break even, but many also hope to make the biggest profit possible and secure funds for their futures.

“I hope to break even and make back what I’ve spent,” Palacios said, “but of course all students hope to make a profit.”

She has been showing her cows for the past few months at multiple different shows. She appears to be a well versed show-woman, as you can see from the numerous belt buckles and awards hanging in her room. The amount of time and dedication it takes to gain these animal’s trust is incredible.

“I’ve spent about 4 hours a day cleaning, medicating, feeding, and playing with them since I got them back in May of 2018,” she said.

It is hard to imagine raising these animals just to sell them, as I’m sure many students realize they could never do it.

“They’ve become like pets,” she said. “I named them Buford and Bandit. Of course in the back of my mind, I always knew the day would come where I sell them.”

All of the hard work that goes into raising these animals for the show, and they are gone within a single day.

Despite the sadness, she is grateful for the experience, adding: “I’m looking forward to next season.”

Talking with Kera was very insightful into the world of FFA and animal showcasing. There are plenty of ups and downs, the shows and awards, and the bonding with an animal you consider a pet. But with the Tomball FFA show comes the end of this road.

“This is the part of the process that is the most rewarding and the most hurtful. I have the ability to showcase my animals and all the work I have put into them and all the time that has gone into making them show ready but it’s extremely painful to say goodbye to an animal that I have put so much work into” Palacios said.