LITTLE VALLEY — It was a special day for many youth participants in the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Cattaraugus County 4-H program. Some were selling their first animal at the annual livestock auction; for others, it was their last after over a decade in the program.
The 4-H Livestock Animal Market Sale is one of the final events of the 2017 Cattaraugus County Fair. The auction was the day 4-H kids had prepared for, many of them for the first time since receiving their animals several months ago.
“Our numbers are up,” said Abby Luzier, the 4-H youth development educator. “We’ve grown from about 320 to almost 400 kids. We had about 250 entered in the fair last year and were at about 280 this year.”
Individual projects within 4-H had also grown, she said, with nearly 1,000 projects at the youth building, up from 400 last year. In the sale itself, 178 animals were auctioned off by about 140 kids, up from about 150 animals shown by 130 kids in 2016, due in part to many kids joining for the first time on top of hundreds returning.
“We’ve tried marketing ourselves better. We’re out there, we’re getting more people interested in 4-H,” Luzier said. “There’s definitely a lot returning, and then there are probably 10 or 15 that are aging out of the program this year.”they’re seeing our faces and
One of the show participants aging out is Natalie Booth, an undergraduate at Ithaca College studying physical therapy. Booth, who showed a steer and pig this year, said she has been in the program for 12 years.
“I live on a farm, so for my steers everything is farm raised,” said Booth, who shows her own cattle. Booth said she’s saving her money for college, but hopes to continue supporting 4-H after she graduates.
“It’s a fun project,” she said. “I really like all my animals. It’s been a sad day today.”
As with most years, 2017’s biggest group and bestseller was the swine. Eighty-six hogs were sold off at an average of $3.45 per pound with a total $75,668.95 going toward the 4-H program. In that large group, several kids showed at their first county fair.
“We had 69 in the sale last year and 86 this year, and a good chunk of those are new showmen,” Luzier said “Our top four were all new showmen.”
Benjamin Seiflein sold a hog for the second consecutive year, but it was his fifth year showing a pig at the fair. He said he began when he was only 6.
“I like it because I get to spend time with my animals and make money,” said Seiflein, who plans to save the money he earned for college.
For the foul, 25 pair of chickens averaged $107.40 and brought in a total $2,685. The 13 turkeys averaged $104.62, totalling $1,360. Even though they didn’t raise the most money, the 23 lambs paid off by earning $8,246.20 at an average of $2.13 per pound.
The beef and dairy steers had the biggest presence in the barns and were also the best buys at only $2.78 and $1.50, respectively, per pound for a total of $56,928.75.
Although she is used to having swine in the auction, 12-year-old Sarah Carter showed a beef-bred market steer for the first time this year. The steer, Winchester, was the Reserve Champion.
“I think it’s fun because I like doing it with my friends, learning new things and making new friends at the fair,” said Carter, who also showed a goat. Carter said she’s going to save the money she made from the auction for college, to prepare for her future and for next year’s project.
In all, $151,573.05 was paid for the 178 livestock, an average of $851.53 per animal raised for the 4-H program and its participants.
“This is what a lot of our kids work up for every year,” Luzier said. “It’s the completion of their project.”
(Contact reporter Kellen Quigley at kquigleysp@gmail.com.)
