Huge payday for 4-H and FFA youth at annual livestock auction
Members of the Plumas and Sierra county 4-H and Future Farmers of America programs saw their summer-long efforts culminate with another huge payday at the 4-H Livestock Auction held Sunday, Aug. 13, the final day of this year’s Plumas Sierra County Fair.
Combined, more then 80 generous buyers spent an incredible $262,278, not including price bumps, on 114 animals raised by an amazing group of dedicated and hard-working youth.
In comparison, last year buyers spent $215,282 on 120 animals. In total sales, 2005 generated the largest take with 182 animals — 68 more than this year — totaling $314,400.
This year 21 head of beef sold for an average of $4.99 lb. amassing $134,453; 62 hogs that averaged $6.34 lb. adding another $95,997 to the pot; 20 sheep averaging $8.46 lb., totaling $21,918; nine goats at $10.53 lb. amounted to $6,784 in sales; and two meat birds that sold for the highest price per pound, one turkey sold for $95 lb. and the other for $30.00 lb., which contributed $3,125 to the sale total.
Very active throughout the sale again this year was the Palmaz family, owners of the Genesee Valley Ranch. Christian Palmaz guaranteed the minimum price for of all sheep at $5.50 per pound, raised the swine prices to $5.50 lb. and guaranteed the beef prices at $4.50 per pound. The Palmaz family also generously bumped the prices of several other animals sold during the day, as did Plumas Bank and Leonhardt Ranch.
And as in prior years, Dr. Steen Jensen and Dr. Chris Kennedy raised the guaranteed price for goats — this year to $11 per pound — and bumped the sheep up to $6.75 per pound. Rockin T Ag added another 25 cents to the sheep sale price. Several other buyers raised the prices on a number of individual lots.
Multiple buyers this year also included many names familiar to this sale: Bar One Ranch, Bengard Ranch, Andrew Clarke, Dig It Construction, Don and Jim Dobbas, Inc., Dobbas Ranch, Ed Staub & Sons, Paula Erle, Fehrman’s Funeral Homes, Holland Waterproofing, Horton’s Les Schwab Tire of Quincy, Indian Creek Vet Clinic, Joy Engineering, George’s Custom Meat, Les Schwab of Portola, Trent McCuen, Roberti Ranch, Rockin T Ag, John Roen, Sierra Pacific Industries, Sierra Valley Ranch, David and Frances Wilson and Wold Amusement.
Sale of champions
If some of the following names sound familiar, it’s because the majority of them are routinely in the bidding battles year-after-year for the champions’ stock.
Greg and Rachelle Ramelli, Don and Jim Dobbas, Inc. and Dobbas Ranch paid $8,643 for Sierra Valley 4-H member Chance Morgan’s hefty 1,383-pound grand champion steer. It sold for $6.25 a pound.
Don and Jim Dobbas also bought the reserve grand champion beef from Loyalton FFA member Mandy Truhett. They paid $4 a pound, $5,216, for a meaty steer that tipped the scales at 1,304 pounds.
For the second year in a row, Drew Tilton of Indian Valley FFA raised and sold the grand champion swine. This year it sold for $6.50 per pound to David and Mari Schramel of Pumas Medical Services. The portly 261-pound pig’s paycheck was $1,696.
Safeway Stores bought the 255-pound reserve champion hog and FFA Showmanship winner from Luke Wohnoutka from the Loyalton club. The pot-bellied pig fetched $1,500 at $6.25 per pound.
Also for the second consecutive year, the grand champion lamb honors went to Case Emsoff of the Sierra Valley 4-H. The 128-pound sheep sold to Sierra Pacific Industries for $6.50 pound. He was also the junior sheep showmanship winner and round robin winner.
Bobbi Jo Griffin from Treasure Mountain 4-H raised the 115-pound reserve champ sheep, which was also the beginning sheep showmanship winner. Mike and Melissa Price of Les Schwab Tires in Portola paid 6.75 per pound for the lamb. Griffin was also the 4-H junior poultry showmanship winner.
Ron and Stephanie Horton of Les Schwab Tires in Quincy bought American Valley 4-Her Annie Froggatt’s grand champion goat, which was also the junior showmanship winner this year. They paid $11 a pound for the 82-pounder.
Also representing American Valley 4-H, Stella White sold the reserve champion goat to Rockin T Ag for $10.75 a pound. It weighed in at 68 pounds.
Kaidyn Holland of the Chester Lake Almanor 4-H sold her grand champion turkey, all 23 pounds, for a sale high $95 a pound to Richard Scrogin and Broglio Construction.
Joy Engineering paid $30 a pound for the reserve champ turkey raised by Lilly Baumbach from Treasure Mountain 4-H. She was the senior poultry showmanship and the 4-H senior goat showmanship winners.
Animals donated for resale
Charlie and Marylynn Neer, the Leonhardt Ranch, Ed Staub & Sons, Fehrman Funeral Homes, Indian Valley Construction and Neer Custom Cut and Wrap each donated their purchases back for resale to benefit the Clayton Neer Memorial Fund. Bresciani Ranch and Bresciani Insurance donated their purchases to benefit the Mac McElduff Foundation. David and Mari Schramel donated their purchase to Plumas District Hospital and Hansen Communications donated their purchase to the Senior Citizen’s Nutrition Program.
Award winners
Other 4-H and FFA showmanship winners not already mentioned include Mason Williams, 4-H beef; Kristin Roberti, 4-H junior beef; Nichole Cardona, 4-H swine and senior round robin; Morgan Tyler, 4-H beginning swine; Lewis Carmichael, 4-H junior swine; Veronica Vasquez, FFA goat; Jake Smalley, 4-H beginning goat; Grace Bristol, 4-H senior sheep; Lacie Banchio, 4-H beginning beef; Candace Durney, FFA beef; and Louise Lysen, FFA sheep and round robin winner. Baylie Botts with the Indian Valley 4-H won the Gene Drybread Memorial Award for highest placing first year exhibitor.
Behind the scenes
Others who contributed to the success of the sale included the Neff Family, which again paid for the live trucking. Plumas-Sierra Telecommunications sponsored the auctioneer’s services. The Plumas County Sheriff’s Employees Association picked up the tab for the buyers’ breakfast and Alpine Beverages provided drinks.
Sean Harris took care of the sales on-site IT accounting needs and Amanda Osburn of Bliss Photography handled the day’s photo needs and Tony and Kim Folchi.
As always, Auctioneer Wesley Neer did a masterful job working a generous crowd of buyers that packed the sales area that morning.
Andrea White, president of the sale committee, expressed her appreciation for all those who helped make the day so successful for he 4-H and FFA youth. “We couldn’t have done it without them,” she said.
Awesome job kids