FFA and 4-H members early await the youth livestock auction at the Hood River County Fair on Friday, July 29. Every year the order in which animals are auctioned off changes to keep everyone engaged.
Ring man Torey Schmidt signals for a bid during the youth livestock auction at the Hood River County Fair on July 29. Schmidt’s father, Don, was a longtime ring man before him.
Abby Kahler and Grand Champion market hog, Rip, strut their stuff during the youth livestock auction at the Hood River County Fair on July 29.
Noah Noteboom photo
Sarah Muenzer completes the last-minute checkups on the market swines at the Hood River County youth livestock auction on July 29.
Noah Noteboom photo
FFA and 4-H members early await the youth livestock auction at the Hood River County Fair on Friday, July 29. Every year the order in which animals are auctioned off changes to keep everyone engaged.
Noah Noteboom photo
Newly elected chairman of the youth livestock committee, Brent Goe watches the action from the sidelines.
Noah Noteboom photo
HRVHS FFA advisor Danielle Bull receives official results.
Noah Noteboom photo
Ring man Torey Schmidt signals for a bid during the youth livestock auction at the Hood River County Fair on July 29. Schmidt’s father, Don, was a longtime ring man before him.
Noah Noteboom photo
Brendon Scott calls out a bid during the youth livestock auction.
Noah Noteboom photo
Vendors new and old, line the Hood River County Fairgrounds on July 29. They cooked food in 100-degree heat and did it with a smile on their face.
HOOD RIVER — While most kids were out enjoying the rides, eating cotton candy and soaking in the sun, FFA (Future Farmers of America) and 4-H member Abby Kahler was busy taking care of her market swine and goat. She spent most of the week keeping them cool during the recent heat wave that swept through the Gorge. A Hood River Valley High School senior, Kahler is a seasoned veteran in the agricultural programs at the high school. She has been a member of 4-H for eight years and spent five years in the FFA program.
Every year at the Hood River County Fair the 4-H and FFA host a youth livestock auction. The livestock auction committee has a new chairman at the helm. Brent Goe was elected this year and says his main duty is to make sure everything goes smoothly.
“We have a good committee for the auction and we are all working together,” said Goe. “My job is to make sure all the stars are aligned. I have to make sure the auctioneer shows up, find plenty of ring men to call out bids and manage the overall flow of things.”
While Goe is the face of the livestock auction this year there are people behind the scenes — and in the cages — doing the little things. Mere minutes before the auction was set to begin, Sarah Muenzer was leaning headfirst into cages making sure the market hogs had the correct numbers and confirming the presentation order. Muenzer explained that every year the order of the animals presented changes to keep bidders engaged and easier for the members who show animals. Some years it may take hours to get through every exhibitor, and this year there were more than 100 entries. Animals from goats and sheep to ducks and turkeys were auctioned off Friday evening.
“I enjoy the thrill of being in the ring,” said Kahler. Last year her hog was named Reserve Grand Champion. She took a big step forward this year when she was honored as Grand Champion for her market swine named Rip after a character on the popular western drama TV series, Yellowstone.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic the livestock auction made changes in order to continue offering the program to students. According to FFA adviser and HRVHS agriculture sciences teacher Danielle Bull, the auction offers an online option for “add-ons.” Those who may not have been able to attend in-person or just want to donate can now do so virtually. Kahler and Rip received more than $250 in add-ons in 48 hours after the auction ended Friday night — and that doesn’t include the money she earned for Rip’s price per pound during the auction. Rip weighed in at 276 pounds and bids can go as high at $5 per pound.
Kahler had been camping at the Hood River County Fairgrounds for three days before the auction. While she is ready to escape the heat and sleep in her own bed, she knows the time to say goodbye to her grand champion has come.
“Rip has definitely been my best friend and I’m going to be sad to let him go,” said Kahler. “Same thing for my goat, Beth.”
As sales are made final, animals shipped out and the rides are packed up and headed to the next county fair, the 4-H and FFA programs are already thinking about next year’s livestock auction. Bull said the first order of business in the “off-season” is to clean up and clarify any rules that may have been misconstrued the year prior. “We start right away making sure we have all of our rules and regulations ready so all the students are on the same page,” said Bull. “We constantly have meetings every month to make sure we have the right systems in place.”
Bull hopes to have results for each entry posted on the livestock auction website and the Hood River Valley FFA Facebook page, but she and everyone who worked with the livestock will throughly enjoy the rest of their summer. Results and information on how to join the 4-H or FFA programs will be available at hoodriveryouthlivestockauction.com.
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