The 4-H meat sale drew a full audience to the Chautauqua County Fair's Warren K. Brown Show Arena to bid on the pigs, steers, goats and sheep up for auction.
Chunks of money changed hands as the bids for the animals exceeded the current market price per pound quoted by 4-H spokesperson Irene Lesch, prior to the auction. She told the audience funding for the 4-H program was in deep trouble.
"We all know finances are tight for everyone right now, but we hope the (Chautauqua County) legislators recognize the value of 4-H. "We need to let our legislators know about the importance of 4-H's family involvement and the fact that the program fills a fantastic need."
Chautauqua County Executive Greg Edwards, who was in the audience, responded affirmatively when asked if he had gotten the message.
Lesch hopes her message works as well as that of auctioneer Mike Peterson whose rapid patter cajoled big bids from the packed audience.
According to Mrs. Lesch's information, market prices per pound for hogs was 63 cents; for steers, it was 90 cents; for lambs, $1.20 and for goats it was $1.25.
The top bid was $7 a pound for a pig that weighed 227 pounds. This prize, named Whistle Pig, was owned by Robert Nagel.
Hope Cantanese who is 10 and her brother Garrett, who will be celebrating his 9th birthday shortly, both had pigs they raised in the 4-H auction. Hope got $3 per pound for her pig whom she named Wilber and Garrett got $2.75 per pound for his pig, Porker.
They both said they had to feed their pigs twice a day.
"Sometimes, it's three times," Hope said.
Both six month old pigs were shiny clean when the Cantanese kids showed them in the arena ring.
The ring was a busy place with a total of 136 animals shown and auctioned off over a five-hour period.
The grand champion pig owned by 4-H member Matt Morrison was sold for $5.50 per pound.
The champion pig, named Zora, weighed in at 264 pounds. She was resold again, this time for $3.25 per pound.
The money raised by the first sale goes to the animal's owner while that raised by the second sale will go to 4-H. There were four other pigs resold for the same reason.
The top grand champion goat, named Zoe and owned by Kate Ewer, sold for $6.50 per pound. Zoe weighed in at 88 pounds.
Patrick Kibbe owned the grand champion steer which went by the name of Ironman. It was sold for $2.10 per pound.
The grand champion lamb named Roman, was owned by Cassandra Chapman, weighed 131 pounds and sold for $4.50 per pound.
