This is helping young people learn about livestock, learn about caring for another living being.<\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI really enjoy watching the youth exhibit a project they\u2019ve been working on for multiple months,\u201d says McCorkle, 51, of Willow Spring, N.C. \u201cThis is helping young people learn about livestock, learn about caring for another living being.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
McCorkle\u2019s responsibilities during the 5-6 days he\u2019s at the fair fall into two primary categories. From his perch next to the two show rings, McCorkle uses one microphone to let spectators know what show they\u2019re watching (on a recent morning it was British breeds and then crossbred market steers) and then announce the names of the winners. He then picks up another microphone to let people in the back of the building, where families are tending to their cattle, know what\u2019s coming up next in the schedule.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI want to make sure all these young people are recognized by name, in addition to receiving a ribbon,\u201d he says, sporting a \u201csignature\u201d cowboy hat that he typically only wears at the fair. \u201cI also need to make sure those who are showing later are aware of where we are in the schedule.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
McCorkle also serves as an ambassador for the fair, and the kids (ages 8-18) who are exhibiting their livestock. \u201cTo those of you in the Jim Graham Building this morning, we want to express our appreciation to you for supporting our youth,\u201d McCorkle says into the microphone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At another point, McCorkle gives a nod to others helping with the shows. \u201cI would be remiss if I didn\u2019t introduce our help in the ring this morning,\u201d he says, before calling out the names of the judges and other volunteers. \u201cWe appreciate all the help in the ring.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n For McCorkle, his time at the fair is a chance to give something back. As a child growing up in the small town of Newell, N.C., McCorkle worked with cattle on the farm of a neighbor (known to McCorkle as \u201cUncle Gene\u201d) and was active with Future Farmers of America and the 4-H. He showed sheep as part of the 4-H lamb program through middle school and high school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cKnowing what I gained through 4-H and my market lamb project\u2026it allowed me to grow as a person,\u201d he says. \u201cI know that volunteers gave of their time to help me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n So McCorkle started volunteering at the fair when he was a member of the Animal Science Club as a student at NC State. Through various jobs (including a stint as a deputy fire marshall at NC State), McCorkle has made time to serve as the announcer during livestock shows. Since 2020, he has worked as an agricultural program specialist with the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, and so helping at the fair is now part of his job. Accounting for a 3-4 year gap at one point, McCorkle figures he\u2019s been announcing shows for about 25 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis is an important piece of the fair,\u201d he says, adding that he manages a small herd of beef cattle on land on the edge of Wake County. \u201cIt\u2019s important to take citizens who are not involved with agriculture and expose them to it. It\u2019s an opportunity to see sheep and goats and hogs.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false,"raw":"\n\n\n\n\n There are all kinds of sounds associated with an event like the N.C. State Fair. Teenagers screaming on a ride. Carnival workers offering to guess your weight or age. Announcements that a lost child has been found.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the Jim Graham Building, the familiar sound is often the voice of Weston McCorkle \u201892, \u201895 MR. Since his days as a student at NC State, McCorkle has worked as a volunteer announcer for the livestock shows held each year during the fair. He has primarily worked with the junior livestock shows, announcing the names of the kids who have managed to raise a winning beef or dairy cow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is helping young people learn about livestock, learn about caring for another living being.<\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n \u201cI really enjoy watching the youth exhibit a project they\u2019ve been working on for multiple months,\u201d says McCorkle, 51, of Willow Spring, N.C. \u201cThis is helping young people learn about livestock, learn about caring for another living being.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n McCorkle\u2019s responsibilities during the 5-6 days he\u2019s at the fair fall into two primary categories. From his perch next to the two show rings, McCorkle uses one microphone to let spectators know what show they\u2019re watching (on a recent morning it was British breeds and then crossbred market steers) and then announce the names of the winners. He then picks up another microphone to let people in the back of the building, where families are tending to their cattle, know what\u2019s coming up next in the schedule.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI want to make sure all these young people are recognized by name, in addition to receiving a ribbon,\u201d he says, sporting a \u201csignature\u201d cowboy hat that he typically only wears at the fair. \u201cI also need to make sure those who are showing later are aware of where we are in the schedule.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n McCorkle also serves as an ambassador for the fair, and the kids (ages 8-18) who are exhibiting their livestock. \u201cTo those of you in the Jim Graham Building this morning, we want to express our appreciation to you for supporting our youth,\u201d McCorkle says into the microphone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At another point, McCorkle gives a nod to others helping with the shows. \u201cI would be remiss if I didn\u2019t introduce our help in the ring this morning,\u201d he says, before calling out the names of the judges and other volunteers. \u201cWe appreciate all the help in the ring.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n For McCorkle, his time at the fair is a chance to give something back. As a child growing up in the small town of Newell, N.C., McCorkle worked with cattle on the farm of a neighbor (known to McCorkle as \u201cUncle Gene\u201d) and was active with Future Farmers of America and the 4-H. He showed sheep as part of the 4-H lamb program through middle school and high school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cKnowing what I gained through 4-H and my market lamb project\u2026it allowed me to grow as a person,\u201d he says. \u201cI know that volunteers gave of their time to help me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n So McCorkle started volunteering at the fair when he was a member of the Animal Science Club as a student at NC State. Through various jobs (including a stint as a deputy fire marshall at NC State), McCorkle has made time to serve as the announcer during livestock shows. Since 2020, he has worked as an agricultural program specialist with the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, and so helping at the fair is now part of his job. Accounting for a 3-4 year gap at one point, McCorkle figures he\u2019s been announcing shows for about 25 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis is an important piece of the fair,\u201d he says, adding that he manages a small herd of beef cattle on land on the edge of Wake County. \u201cIt\u2019s important to take citizens who are not involved with agriculture and expose them to it. It\u2019s an opportunity to see sheep and goats and hogs.\u201d<\/p>\n"},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Weston McCorkle \u201892, \u201895 MR, has spent a quarter century as a volunteer announcer for livestock shows at the N.C. State Fair.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":39,"featured_media":1048,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"source":"","ncst_custom_author":"","ncst_show_custom_author":false,"ncst_dynamicHeaderBlockName":"ncst\/default-post-header","ncst_dynamicHeaderData":"{\"showAuthor\":true,\"showDate\":true,\"showFeaturedVideo\":false,\"subtitle\":\"Weston McCorkle '92, '95 MR, has spent a quarter century as a volunteer announcer for livestock shows at the N.C. 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