Washington County Fair closes out with 4H livestock auction

WASHINGTON — 4H’er Taylor Bartholomew, 16, of Washington, walked her returning bottle bucket Heifer into the Washington County Fair showring one last time on Friday, selling it for $1.95 per lbs.

Bartholomew, who has had her heifer for two years, said it was emotional to auction it off. She has walked, cleaned, and fed her cow, longer than a most 4H’ers, with her returning heifer.

“It was hard just knowing you raised it as a little baby and bringing it back,” she said. “I was crying a lot.”

Almost 200 4H’ers sold their livestock at the Washington County Fairgrounds 4-H and FFA livestock auction on Friday, totaling sales to an estimated $300,000 to 600,000, Amy Green, Washington County Youth Coordinator, said.

“Having the auction as part of the process at the fair really does help show that these are not pets, this is part of the industry where you raise meat and you sell meat and you get paid for it, and you are supposed to pay all of your bills,” Green said. “You see a lot of tears, but today is definitely a day that they will always remember ”

Green said not all county fairs have an auction, and 4H’ers aren’t required to sell.

“You have to give credit to the buyers, this would not be this successful if their not willing to give this day to be here,” she said. “Some of them have been buyers for years — it is in their budget.”

Bartholomew said that the buyer picked up her heifer in the fair barn after the auction.

“I brought mine back to the barn, which kind of helps a little bit, it kind of feels like you are bringing it back from a show, but it's still hard,” she said. “It’s a little different than some of the people who get them as big cows, but I always start with them as little baby.”

Kyleigh Dolan, 18, of Washington, who is graduating from 4H this year, sold five of her Holland Lop and Netherland Dwarf rabbits at her final auction. She said her auction winnings will go toward her University of Iowa college fund.

“It's my ninth year in 4H, but I had them before that,” she said. “I’ve been crying all week, but I am super excited for college. All of the rabbits and all of the equipment will pay for college.”

She said she has 20 more rabbits at home, but plans to sell all of them in the near future.

“My dad is the superintendent for rabbits, so he’ll still be involved I’ll come back during the summers and help,” she said. “Overall it has been a great learning experience.”

Maria Meller, of Riverside, said her family bid on her son’s two rabbits that he had for 3-4 months in the 4H program, so she knows they are going into good hands.

“They are going to go to their farm. With rabbits and some of the poultry it is common for them to get back to the owner,” she said. “He kind of got attached to them. This was his first time doing it.”

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