Courtesy photo Board of Trustee Member of the Community Foundation of the Upper Peninsula as well as the Community Foundation for Delta County Charlie Becker, along with Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) Member Allison Gustafson present Jr. Market Livestock Goat and Sheep Superintendent Carol Quist and Swine Assistant Sue Baumler a check for the purchase of an Osbourne ACCU-ARM Portable Animal Scale.

ESCANABA — Board of Trustee Member of the Community Foundation of the Upper Peninsula as well as the Community Foundation for Delta County Charlie Becker, along with Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) Member Allison Gustafson present Jr. Market Livestock Goat and Sheep Superintendent Carol Quist and Swine Assistant Sue Baumler a check for the purchase of an Osbourne ACCU-ARM Portable Animal Scale.

“We are so grateful to the Community Foundation of the Upper Peninsula, Community Foundation for Delta County and its Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) for granting us the funds to purchase a new scale. With over 300 market livestock animals that come into the U.P. State Fair, the new scale allows us to “weigh-in” simultaneously and allow animals to be admitted into barns in an efficient, more accurate and less stressful process,” Quist and Baumler stated,

“When our Granting Committees and Board of Trustees read the grant application from the Jr. Livestock Market Committee Advisor, Ms. Lori Dalgord, we were very happy to approve the grant,” said Becker. “The involvement, commitment and hard work these Delta County and Upper Peninsula Jr. Livestock Exhibitors put into the livestock, as well as the educational and agricultural experience they are gaining, is impressive.”

“Not only is this an all-around positive experience for exhibitors but it also is for the public as well. People who come to the U. P. State Fair get to view, touch and learn about different animals and what it takes to be an exhibitor,” said Gustafson.

“There is a lot that goes into showing animals. Jr. Exhibitors, boys and girls ages 9 thru 19, must complete and submit a Livestock Market Record Book which accounts of the care and cost of raising their animal and understanding of best practices, health and general knowledge about their species. They also need to participate in a showmanship class – exhibit their ability in handling the animal and how they have prepared and present their animal to the judge.,” said Quist.

“They also have to participate in a market class competition were the evaluation of the animals characteristic and a comparison to other animals and the ideal standards of that particular class,” added Baumler.

The Community Foundation of the Upper Peninsula, Community Foundation for Delta County, and its Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) along with the Jr. Livestock Market Committee thanked the U. P. State Fair Authority who has agreed to cover the cost of housing, maintaining and calibrating the scale in the future.