Red Wave Sale is a Hit at Fresno State

By Melissa Moe and Jessie Theisman, Associate Editors

Every January, Fresno State hosts a large lamb and goat sale, known as the Red Wave Sale. Typically, around 60 lambs and 45 goats are sold in the sale, many of which were bred and raised by students on campus at the Fresno State Sheep Unit. The remaining sheep and all of the goats are consigned to the Red Wave Sale by Fresno State Alumni.

Red Wave Goats Ready for Sale

Red Wave Goats Ready for Sale

Student involvement is a huge part of the Red Wave Sale. Fresno State offers a class in which students learn to manage and run a livestock sale and show. The Red Wave Sale is entirely hands on and involves months of preparation to run smoothly. Cameron Rocha is a student at Fresno State who is very involved in the Red Wave Sale and helps manage the Sheep Unit.

”It really starts months and months before – almost before the lambs are even born,” Rocha said. “Getting the sale ready. ‘How we want to do our sale order?’ Dates, times and ideal weights that we want for the lambs. The Red Wave Sale benefits me, as a student. I spend a lot more time, here on campus. It keeps me on campus, keeps me more involved, keeps me out of trouble.”

Not only does the sale benefit students, but it also helps support Fresno State’s Jordan College of Ag. The sale contributes to the Sheep Unit, as well as other programs within the animal science and agriculture education departments.

The Red Wave Lamb and Goat Sale would not be possible without the support of alumni and affiliates. The Pavletich family of Pavletich Club Lambs has been breeding sheep in the Central Valley since 1971, and Scott Pavletich has been bringing lambs to the Red Wave sale for years.

“We’ve been here every year for the past eight or ten years, bringing a consignment. Every year the sale keeps getting better and better. Just like the sheep at Fresno State – they keep getting better and better,” Pavletich said.

Sheep and goats bought at the sale will be hauled to county fairs all around the state, from San Diego to Shasta and everywhere in between. Many of the sheep and goats were also bought by youth exhibitors who compete with their livestock in jackpot-style shows all across the state and in other parts of the nation.

Fresno State’s Red Wave Sale not only has a history of producing happy customers, it produces champions as well. Next month, many of the animals sold in the livestock sale will be shown at the Red Wave Classic, a livestock show put on by the students at Fresno State. The show will feature classes for sheep, goats, hogs and cattle, as well as a futurity class for exhibitors who are showing animals that were bought at the Red Wave Sale.