Farm Bureau showed its commitment to supporting youth by spending over $29,000 at the Delaware State Fair’s Junior Livestock Auction.

Every year, junior exhibitors at the Delaware State Fair in the beef, swine, sheep, and goat departments strive to earn a place in the Junior Livestock Auction. The auction features the top three beef cattle and the top four hogs, lambs, and goats from each class. Each animal is sold to the highest bidder, who can choose to keep the animal or donate it back to the 4-H or FFA programs.

This year, the Delaware Farm Bureau (DEFB) made a significant impact by purchasing the reserve champion hog and steer early in the auction. They continued their support by being the highest bidder on five additional animals, extending their support to youth across all three counties. All animals purchased by DEFB were donated back to the 4-H and FFA, amounting to over $18,000 in total support for Delaware youth exhibitors.

County Farm Bureaus and committees also got in on the action. New Castle County Farm Bureau spent just over $2,000, Kent County Farm Bureau and Sussex County Farm Bureau (SCFB) each spent just over $3,000, and the Young Farmers and Ranchers committee spent $2,200 on a hog for their half-a-hog raffle.

Steve Breeding, DEFB 1st Vice President and SCFB President, was happy with the support shown by the Farm Bureau to Delaware’s youth. “These young people are the next generation of Delaware agriculture, so it is our responsibility to invest in them,” he said. “I am a direct product of the livestock department at the state fair and auction. Knowing firsthand the values and responsibilities associated with raising livestock, I feel it is one of the top priorities of the Delaware Farm Bureau to help ensure these young exhibitors are rewarded for their hard work.”

For more information on Delaware Farm Bureau, visit defb.org. 

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