A Fair Tradition Worth Celebrating
Minding our own business
The annual Jr. Market Livestock Auction is one of the most meaningful traditions at the U.P. State Fair, where hardworking youth connect with generous buyers who invest not only in quality livestock, but in helping young people achieve their goals.
Tony Mancilla
The annual Jr. Market Livestock Auction is one of the most meaningful traditions at the U.P. State Fair, where hardworking youth connect with generous buyers who invest not only in quality livestock, but in helping young people achieve their goals.
Tony Mancilla
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The United States has many celebrations and occasions that reaffirm our love of family and country. Those days center around birthdays, weddings, Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter and other similar holidays. My personal favorite day of the year is the Fourth of July because it symbolizes everything good about America and allows us to enjoy all those other days. I want to introduce you to my second favorite day of the year, the 4-H auction at the U.P. State Fair.
Every year on Saturday of fair week the 4-H auction is conducted in the show arena next to the beef barn. Kids from all over the Upper Peninsula buy animals, raise them to market size, compete in livestock shows and then sell their animals at the auction. Buyers representing large and small companies or themselves bid on the animals based upon the animals' weight. Kids generally give a gift to the buyer and use the money for expenses to either go to school or to get started in a career. It is a very worthy cause.
The best part of the process is when the kids' market and sell their animals. They go out and meet buyers with information about their animals and themselves. When you bid on or buy an animal they always come and thank you and shake your hand. They are very hardworking and courteous kids. Every year I feel grateful knowing there is a group of kids coming up that will be able to handle most things in life. The future of our great country will be in good hands. So, if you are at the fair on Saturday drop by the livestock show area and you can see for yourself why the 4-H auction is one of the best days of the year.