Junior Livestock Auction is Saturday in Eagle
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Photo courtesy Sean Haverson |
EAGLE COUNTY — Local 4-H Club participants will sell their beef, swine, sheep and poultry animals to the highest bidder Saturday at the Junior Livestock Auction at the Eagle County Fairgrounds.
A buyer barbeque will take place at noon and the auction begins at 1:30 p.m. Both events take place in the Eagle River Center, located at the west of end of the fairgrounds.
Time investment
Local 4-H Club members invest countless hours throughout the year with daily feeding, cleaning and handling of their animals in preparation for exhibition at the fair and sale at the auction. Animals are evaluated by professional livestock judges, and those that meet established market quality standards will be auctioned at the Junior Livestock Auction.
“The kids learn a little enterprise along the way — mostly that the payoff at the auction is part of doing business,” said Jenny Leonetti, Eagle County 4-H Club youth development agent.
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“The kids buy and raise their own animals, including feeding, watering, grooming, managing their overall health and keeping a daily record book,” she said. “Buying an animal from the auction is an ideal choice for anyone, from a resident to a restaurant owner that supports local food production.”
Pay up at time of sale
According to Leonetti, 4-H Club members receive 97 percent of the proceeds, which they typically invest in next year’s animals, college funds and savings accounts. The other 3 percent goes to the Junior Livestock Sales Commission to cover the costs of running the auction.
Animals are taken directly to processing following the auction. All accounts must be paid at the time of the sale, with a personal check, cash, certified funds or a major credit card.
The yearly auction is made possible through the support of local sponsors, buyers and through the work of the volunteers on the sale committee. For more information, go to http://www.eaglecountyfairandrodeo.com.
