RBC I The 2016 Rio Blanco County Livestock Sale will be held at 6 p.m. in the 4-H Community Building at the Rio Blanco County Fairgrounds in Meeker on Aug. 6.
The sale, which is the biggest single reason for the fair to exist, will be preceded by the Lions Club Barbecue from 3:30 to 5:15 p.m. under the grandstands. The pre-sale awards and activities will be held at 5:15 p.m., and that will be immediately followed by the bake sale and then the fair finale—the livestock sale.
Why support the sale?
The Rio Blanco County Junior Livestock Sale is the culmination of the year’s work for 4-H and FFA members.
Members spend months selecting, training and feeding their animals in preparation to exhibit and sell these projects at the county fair.
The sale also provides youth funding to begin the next year’s projects. Many of these youth save a portion of the proceeds for their upcoming college careers.
The livestock sale enables a unique, hands-on educational program in agriculture. Livestock sale buyers enable 4-H and FFA programs to promote involvement in projects that teach strong morals and values, provide a drug-free environment, and emphasize citizenship, leadership and community involvement.
Through their involvement, young people learn how to produce food for your table as well as the business skills necessary beginning with production, marketing and finally the sale of their product. The price you pay today encourages youth participation and is a small investment in the future of American agriculture.
Benefits of being a buyer include: an invitation to the best barbecue in town, hosted by The Lions Club and sponsored by the Rangely branch of the Bank of the San Juans beginning at 3:30 p.m. on Aug. 6 under the grandstand.
Buyers can also watch the entertainment at the pre-sale awards and activities at 5:15 p.m. while having ringside seating for the sale at 6 pm. Recognition at the 2016 sale and in printed media is available for buyers as well as a complimentary color photo of their purchase with the 4-H/FFA member. Most importantly, 4-H and FFA livestock members are tremendously grateful for the generous supporters of the sale.
Individuals may obtain top-quality beef, pork, lamb, goat, rabbit and poultry for your freezer to enjoy all year long. The buyer pays the total sale price bid at the time of the sale. Buyers will need to designate the processor of choice and fill out a cutting sheet, if available, or contact the processor with instructions. Bid price does not include processing.
If a whole animal is more than the buyer would need, it can be split with a friend or relative in halves or quarters. Two or more individuals, families, businesses, or organizations may wish to split the cost of an animal. This reduces the cost to any one person or group, and reduces the amount of meat each will receive.
Buyers not wanting to keep their purchased animal pay the difference between the final bid price and the “buy back” price.
Buyers can also donate the meat from the purchase to one or more non-profit organizations. Youth benefit from the buyers’ support while buyers get the promotion as well as the satisfaction of knowing that their favorite organization gets the meat. They may also donate the processing fees or arrange with the recipient to pay the processing fees.
Add-ons are a good way to support a specific youth or group of youth, if you are unable to purchase an animal. Add-ons are a flat fee, large or small. Add-on money is added on top of the sale price. You do need to be a registered buyer, and add-ons can be done at the time of the sale or at the completion of the sale.
For more information, contact the Rio Blanco County Extension Office at 970-878-9490 or the sale committee members: Adair Norman 970-675-5385; Teresa Anderson 970-878-4337; Daniel Lapp 970-675-2105; Bill Ekstrom 970-623-1372; or Paul Fortunato 970-629-9197.
