EVERY YEAR, members of the Clark County 4-H and FFA auction off animals they’ve raised during the year at the Junior Livestock Auction. The auction also supports the Youth Efforts Against Hunger (YEAH) program, with animals, like this rabbit, donated to help support those in need and Les Schwab is one of the many sponsors.
SHEEP, PIGS, GOATS, RABBITS and cows are all put up for sale to the highest bidder at the Junior Livestock Auction, but are also weighed and prizes are awarded to those who raise them.
WORKING WITH THE YOUTH Efforts Against Hunger (YEAH) program, the Junior Livestock Auction raised more than $24,400 and donated 7,220 lbs. of meat in the fight against hunger in Clark County.
Since 1968, the Clark County Fair Junior Livestock Auction (JLA) has given local youth a chance to work with the 4-H and FFA, and exhibit the animals they’ve spent the previous year raising.
Rabbits, cows, goats, hogs, poultry and sheep will all be displayed and available for sale to the highest bidder on Sat., Aug 10, at 11 a.m. at the Dairy Show Arena/West Fairgrounds.
Traditionally held on the second Saturday of the Clark County Fair, last year’s auction had almost 400 buyers purchase more than 220 animals from 139 exhibitors, according to the Clark County Fair’s Junior Livestock Auction’s website.
The exhibitors, who come from all over Clark County, spend the year raising and caring for their animals, learning not only about the daily workload involved in agriculture, but also getting an insight into the financial aspect, as well. Having to budget for feed, housing, supplies and show and grooming supplies are necessary to prep the animals for the auction so they can have a good chance of being auctioned off.
The animals are also monitored for their growth and progress, starting with a preliminary weigh-in during the late winter or the spring, depending on the breed. Three days before the auction, the animals are brought back in for a second weigh-in to ensure they meet the requirements necessary to be auctioned.
The reason for the requirements is because all the animals being auctioned have a date with the slaughterhouse after they are bought and paid for.
In their promotion for the event, the JLA acknowledges the impact such a realization can have on those who take part in raising the animals, but it is also seen as an important learning experience.
“Obviously, this is a very intense project,’’ reads the JLA website (www.clarkcojla.org). “It is also perhaps one of the most powerful ones we have in our current 4-H and FFA Programs. Unlike many, these kids know exactly where their hamburger comes from. They understand why things like mad cow disease and hoof and mouth cause panic. They know that farmers and ranchers are working extremely hard, under intense financial pressures, to keep food on our tables. And they accept that there are standards of behavior that are non-negotiable when dealing with living creatures and our environment – that raising livestock is not just about the bottom line, but is also about quality of life for all elements involved.
“We feel this project touches on the idea of community, healthy youth development, rural life, food security, locally raised meat, healthy lifestyles, agricultural and environmental sustainability, and of course, down home fun at the auction.”
Once the bids are in and the auction completed, the animals are kept over for another night in their stalls and are then taken to the meat processor the next day. Once slaughtered, and the meat collected, it will be picked up by the high bidders and some will also go to a good cause.
Over the years, the auction has worked with the Youth Efforts Against Hunger program (YEAH), which provides high quality meats through the JLA to the Clark County Food Bank. According to the JLA website, the YEAH program has provided 7,220 pounds of meat to those in need throughout the county, with buyers able to make donations or purchase an animal outright, then turn it back so the meat can be given to the food bank.
According to YEAH Treasurer Donna Graham, last year’s auction raised more than $24,400 for the program, including cash donations and funding for the purchase of animals at the auction. The YEAH Program also provides the funds for the preparation of the meat, so it can be provided fresh to the food bank and into the hands of those who need it.
Any donations made to the YEAH program, either with money or with an animal, are eligible for a tax donation and any 4-H members can make a donation and ask their buyers to make a monetary contribution to the YEAH program. Also, if they don’t want to keep the meat from the animal purchased in the auction, 4-H members can donate the meat to the YEAH program.
Anyone interested in making a donation to the Junior Livestock Auction’s YEAH program, which is a nonprofit organization, can make a check payable to the Junior Livestock Auction/YEAH and turn it into the Clark County Fair office or mail it to 17402 NE Delfel Rd., Ridgefield, WA 98642.
More information about the Clark County Junior Livestock Auction/YEAH Program can be found online, www.clarkcojla.org.
