This event is the culmination of a year-long animal raising process for the 4-H and FFA youth. After spending the winter and spring feeding, walking and caring for their respective animals, the youth offer these animals for sale at a one-night auction.

An auction is the process of buying and selling things by offering them up for bid, taking bids and then selling the item to the highest bidder.

Register at the desk in the main entrance of the livestock barn. Registrants must be 18 years of age and photo identification, such as a driver’s license, is required for registration. A buyer’s number will be given to you as your proof of registration and is to be used to signal when raised that you are interested in bidding on an animal. This buyer’s number is required to bid and purchase an animal.

Payment must be made in full by the end of the auction unless prior arrangements have been made. We accept the following forms of payment:

• Cash
• Checks (Personal, corporate, and cashier)
• Credit and debit cards (3% fee will be applied)

Prior to the auction, the animals are in their pens with their owners. Please stop by to see the animals and talk to the youth to determine which animals you are interested in bidding on. The youth are excited to talk to you about their animals and give you details on the way they raised them.

Professional judges evaluate the animals during the Farm Show. The sale order is based on the animal’s individual placing during judging. Based on this ranking, the Grand Prize animal is presented first. The owner proudly displays his or her animal in the ring for everyone to see and the auctioneer starts the bidding process. The bidding continues until there is only one bidder remaining and the auctioneer will slam his gavel and exclaim “sold.” As the animal leaves the ring, the next ranked animal comes in and the process continues until all animals are sold.

Bid by raising your hand or buyer’s number so the auctioneer or a ringman may accept your bid. As the bidding process continues, the auctioneer or ringman will look to you to see if you wish to continue bidding. Again, raise your hand or buyer’s number to indicate your intention of bidding at that price. The highest bid acknowledged by the auctioneer shall be deemed a legal contract to purchase the animal by that bidder.

Steers, hogs, lambs and goats are sold by the pound. For example, if the bid price is $.85 per pound and the animal weighs 200 pounds, it will cost you $170 to purchase this animal. Rabbits and poultry are sold by the pen and the bidding price will be for the entire pen presented.

There is a list of meat processors that will haul the animals to their facility to process the meat. At the end of the auction, or when you pay for your purchases, you may specify where you wish to have your meat processed and the sale committee will make arrangements to have it delivered to the processor. The buyer will need to contact the meat processor to discuss how the meat is to be cut and to make arrangements for picking up the packaged meat.

With the exception of pigs and chickens (which must be transported to one of the meat processors), the buyer also has the right to take the animal(s) they purchase home on Saturday evening.

Each member seller receives the sale price of his or her animal, less the percentage needed to sponsor the sale. Most youth use this money for college or trade school tuition.