Several local 4-H club members fared well at the annual 4-H auction at the Fair at the PNE.
In 2012, 4-H members raised $415,575 at the auction, over $30,000 more than in 2011.
This year’s auction saw 153 animals auctioned off including 43 swine, 27 lamb and 83 beef.
The 2012 4-H Auction Winners:
Beef grand champion, raising $10,773 at auction, was Quentin Jones of the Mission 4-H Beef Club.
The reserve champion was Paige Thompson of the Abbotsford 4-H Beef Club.
The lamb grand champion, with $2,263, was Megan Blaschek of the Yarrow 4-H Lamb Club.
The 4-H Festival is one of the most celebrated traditions at the Fair at the PNE since the program’s inception at the very first fair in 1910 at Hastings Park.
Over the past century the fair has welcomed more than 450 youth each year, from clubs across the province, to participate in its annual 4-H Festival. The 4-H program aims at educating youth about farming and agriculture through hands-on learning experiences.
The 4-H auction is the culmination of a year of hard work and dedication by participants.The youth spend the year learning important lessons in agriculture, including the costs of raising an animal from birth, and the profit made through sale at the end of the year.
Support from local individuals and businesses that attend the annual auction is integral to the success of the 4-H clubs and the future farmers.