RALEIGH – For the second year in a row, junior winners in the N.C. State Fair livestock shows drew a record amount of money in the Junior Livestock Sale of Champions. The top steers, barrows, lambs, goats and turkeys earned $217,850 in the sale on Oct. 22. The figure surpasses the record of $212,500 set at the 2022 sale.
“The money raised rewards the winners of the livestock shows at the N.C. State Fair, and it also goes to scholarships for the other junior competitors. That helps with college educations, the cost of animal care and educational outreach,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “None of that would be possible without the North Carolina companies, organizations and individuals that show their support during the sale.”
- The grand champion junior market steer was shown by Schyler Crocker of Selma, with a winning bid of $22,000 placed by Tractor Supply Company and Powers Great American Midways.
- For the second year in a row, the grand champion Got to Be NC junior market steer was shown by Annah Claire Sullivan of Lucama. The top bid of $20,000 came from Farm Credit Associations of N.C., N.C. Farm Bureau Insurance, N.C. Egg Association and Lickskillet Cattle Company.
- N.C. Farm Bureau Insurance and Farm Credit Associations of N.C. placed the winning bid for the reserve grand champion junior market steer at $18,500. Peyton Taylor of Caldwell County showed the steer.
- The grand champion junior market barrow was shown by Hannah Cooper of Hertford, with a winning bid of $21,000 from N.C. Pork Council, Smithfield Foods, Prestage Farms and Agri Supply Company.
- Travis Cox of Richlands showed the grand champion Got to Be NC junior market barrow. N.C. Pork Council, Hog Slat, Smithfield Foods and N.C. Soybean Producers Association placed the winning bid of $18,500.
- N.C. Pork Council, Prestage Farm and Smithfield Foods placed a winning bid of $15,500 for the reserve grand champion junior market barrow, shown by Billie Faith Fulcher of Godwin.
- Maggie Glass of Belhaven showed the grand champion junior market lamb and grand champion Got to Be NC junior market lamb, which together earned a winning bid of $15,500 from N.C. Farm Bureau Insurance.
- Tractor Supply Company and ATM Auction and Realty had the winning bid of $13,500 for the reserve grand champion junior market lamb that was shown by Taylor Askew of Greenville.
- Kennedy Lee of Smithfield showed the grand champion junior market meat goat. Agri Supply Company, Farm Credit Associations of N.C. and N.C. Farm Bureau Insurance placed the winning bid of $21,000.
- The grand champion Got to be N.C. junior market meat goat was shown by Carter Jennings of Kenly. The winning bid of $16,500 came from Iron Horse Auction Company Inc., the campaign of state Sen. Tom McInnis and the Thomas M. McInnis Family Fund.
- The reserve grand champion junior market meat goat was shown by Zade Jennings of Kenly. The winning bid of $12,000 was placed by N.C. Farm Bureau Insurance.
- Hattie Jo Powell of Four Oaks showed the grand champion market turkey. The winning bid of $7,500 came from Talley Farms and the N.C. Soybean Producers Association.
- For the second consecutive year, Sage Robertson of Burlington showed the reserve grand champion market turkey. N.C. Farm Bureau Insurance and the N.C. Soybean Producers Association placed the winning bid of $5,000.
In another repeat from 2022, Bryson Baldwin of Statesville showed the Supreme Dairy Female. The winning bid of $10,500 received a Taste of N.C. Dairy Basket. Buyers were N.C. Farm Bureau Insurance, Farm Credit Association of N.C., N.C. Dairy Producers Association, Iredell County Farm Bureau Insurance, Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative Association, White Rock Dairy, Piedmont Dairy, Appalachian Milk Cooperative, Major and Lou Bond, Weston and Shannon McCorkle, Thompson Cattle Company, Courtney Bumgarner, Carolina Livestock Vet Services, Nancy Keith, Eco Diesel Dynamics, Beam Dairy, Homeland Creamy, Cowbuyer.com, Drew & Dakota Sparks, Piedmont Dairy Equipment, Rocky Creek Veterinarian Services and Neal, Tonya & Hannah Loftin.
Additional support for bids on the grand champion, grand champion Got to Be NC and reserve grand champion junior market steers, barrows, lambs and meat goats provided by Apple Brandy Cuts, the Blinson family, WNC Livestock Exchange, John E. Ferebee Farming Inc., Land of Promise Farms, New Lake Seed Company, Stine Seed Company, Steve Carroll, Cleveland County Livestock Exchange and Stallings & Stallings Farms.
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