After surviving the worst of the current pandemic, the Hussar 4-H Beef Club is excited to have their animals back in the ring for its annual Show and Sale.
The 59th annual Show and Sale is coming up on Tuesday, May 31 at the Hussar Arena. With the last two years not being able to have the sale live, they are just as excited to be back as the buyers, who are looking forward to some great 4-H -raised beef.
“It is going to be so nice to have a live show and sale,” said Hussar 4-H general leader Barb Slemko. “It will be so nice, just to be able to show their animals. Last year we had a little show, but it was just the parents and no guests allowed. It made it hard because you want to showcase all your efforts for the year. It would be nice to have an audience for that.”
She says they have 19 members of the club with projects, and the club numbers have remained strong through the pandemic. There is membership from the Hussar area, as well as Dalum, Gleichen, and Rockyford.
The show begins at 2 p.m. with the sale to follow at 6 p.m. Once again, Darren Rebalkin will be auctioning the animals and is hoping for some strong prices. Just like regular agricultural producers, the 4-H members have been facing escalating costs, especially for feed. It is making it harder for some projects to break even. This is an issue for many 4-H clubs.
With the rising costs of beef, Slemko is hoping buyers take the opportunity to actually buy, and keep the animal.
“We are trying to encourage our buyers to think about keeping the steer. There is always the option of selling it to rail, but we have hooks for all your steers, so if a buyer wants to keep their animal and get it butchered,” said Slemko. “With the price of meat now… if you can afford to do it in a lump sum, it’s cheaper to go the 4-H route.”
The auction will also include a fundraiser steer to be auctioned off.
“Every year, we allocate it to a different cause, and this year it is going towards a local family whose dad is fighting cancer and they have had to seek alternative treatment out of the country, and the bills for that are enormous,” explained Slemko.
She is excited about a successful show and sale. “I hope we see lots of people out there supporting the kids.”
