$60,000 raised at 4-H/FFA livestock auction
Truman Traeder raised the only chicken for the 4-H/FFA auction held on Saturday during the Mineral County Fair. NAPA Auto Store in Superior bought the purple-ribbon winner for $350.
Emma Hill lounges with her 1,330-pound steer, Bandit, just before the 4-H/FFA livestock auction in Superior on Aug. 4.
4-H member Macy Hill (right) puts the finishing touches on her reserve champion sheep just before the auction at the Mineral County Fair last weekend.
Emma Traeder receives a kiss from her 245-pound hog, Opal, during the 4-H/FFA livestock auction.
Taylor Haskins won the Frank York Round Robin Showmanship Award for best showmanship of beef, sheep, swine and horses.
Nearly $53,000 went into the pockets and college funds of 4-H/FFA members at the 2018 Livestock Auction held on Saturday afternoon, Aug. 4 at the Mineral County Fair. This doesn’t include the additional $8,000 local businesses threw into the pot to sweeten the deal for the 21 youth who have spent this past year raising the animals for judging and the auction. Altogether, there were 14 swine, three beef, two sheep and one chicken up for grabs.
The auction was held next to the pens this year, moved from an area close to the livestock barn. This was to help show off a new, more accurate livestock scale donated by Denley Loge and Ray Rehbein. Tents provided the crowd, which included nearly a dozen businesses and individuals who bid, with relief from the afternoon sun. Bidders included Cenex Energy Partners; Shyrock RV Park; Trail West Bank; Castles Market; New Holland Dealers; Flathead Garage Doors; Quartz Warehouse; Idaho Forest Group; RDO Equipment; Superior Color and Lumber; Haskins Excavating and Septic; Big Sky Motel; Shawn Heyer, LLC; Napa Auto; MIH Construction; and Reep, Bell, Liard, Simpson and Jasper, PC.
Auctioneer Jim Ellis started the bidding at 4 p.m. where brother and sister Danner and Darby Haskins walked away with the most cash. Danner’s blue ribbon 1,330-pound steer received $6 per pound from the Idaho Forest Group (IFG). IFG also bid on Darby’s 260-pound reserve champion swine at $13 per pound. The company also donated one of the hogs it purchased back to the Superior Food Bank.
Grand champions were Jonna Warnken’s 265-pound swine; Penny Foley’s 148-pound sheep; and Emma Hill’s 1,330-pound steer named “Bandit.” Every year, the Frank York Round Robin Showmanship plaque is awarded to the member who demonstrates the best showmanship of beef, sheep, swine and horse. This year’s recipient was Taylor Haskins. Though her award was showmanship of all categories, her entry was a 245-pound green, glittery pig named Theodore, who won a purple ribbon and was offered up to bidders as “green eggs and ham.”
The 4-H/FFA auction relies on the support of local businesses and individuals, and 4-H director Dave Brink said this year’s auction was a great success. In addition to individual bids, Karl Tyler Chevrolet donated an additional $200 to each animal; RDO donated $100 to each hog and sheep; and Les Schwab Tires donated $100 to each animal.
After the bidding ended on livestock, three baskets of vegetables were also auctioned off to support 4-H. They went for $60 each to Quartz Logging, MIH Construction and Trail West Bank. Donations were also asked to help purchase a 30-by-40 foot tent for future events at $50 each. Several businesses stepped up, and approximately $700 was raised.