4-H reap the benefits of a year's hard work

This year’s 4-H and FFA Market Sale at the Wahkiakum County Fair brought local businesses, families and other supporters to bid top prices for 4-H youths’ swine, poultry, canned goods and craft items. Brian McClain, auctioneer and owner of McClain Auctions, auctioned 11 animals and 15 still life items, including canned goods and crafts.

FFA youth, Dylan Hansen, sold his 236-pound barrow for $725 to Walter Deege of Deege Insurance in Cathlamet. Hansen is also a member of the 4-H Afterschool Club. Zach Calvert, member of the 4-H Afterschool Club and Sunny Sands Cowboys, sold his 244-pound barrow for $825 to Alfreda Cummings and her daughter Linda Bunce of Cathlamet. Cummings and Bunce turned the animal back for resale, where Fred and Crystal Stanley bought it for $400. Kael McKinley, member of the 4-H Afterschool Club, sold his 217-pound gilt for $700 to Alfreda Cummings and her daughter Linda Bunce. Cummings and Bunce also turned this animal back for resale, where Scott McKinley, John McKinley, and Pete LaBerge purchased it for $450. All proceeds from resold animals go to the Wahkiakum 4-H and FFA Market Sale Program to help grow the program, including loans to youth for market sale animals and advertising.

Members of the 4-H Farmers Club, led by Deb Gribskov and Shawn Deal, sold several poultry. C.J. Lorenzo sold his 12-pound goose for $50 to Robert Rich. Jacob Hammond sold his turkey poult to L & J Feed for $65. Seth Kuljis sold a pen of three pullets to L & J Feed for $75. Azery Gribskov sold her pen of three pullets to Walter Deege for $105. Deege turned them back for resale, where they were sold once to Justin Morrill for $85 and again to Kyla Gribskov for $50.

Members of the 4-H Ditzy Chicks Club, led by Joni Matthews, sold several canned items and crafts. Makenzie Matthews sold a plant to Walter Deege for $17.50, canned tomatoes to Hank Batten for $25, apricot pineapple jam to Aaron Smith for $45, a fleece blanket to Deb Gribskov for $30, and a basket of bath salts to Deb Gribskov for $40 and resold to Hank Batten for $52.50. Makayla Matthews sold a plant for $100 to Aaron Smith, canned spring salmon for $70 to Aaron Smith, boysenberry jam to Deb Gribskov for $80, zucchini relish to Hank Batten for $85, and a fleece blanket to Shaun Matthews for $50. Jordan Smith sold sugar-free raspberry jam to Hank Batten for $37, canned tuna to Hank Batten for $47.50, a fabric wreath to Shaun Matthews for $30, a book of greeting cards to Shaun Matthews for $60, and a fleece blanket to Carrie Kennedy for $90. Jordan will donate proceeds from the fleece blanket, made in a pink ribbon print, to breast cancer research.

Del’s Feed in Longview donated $25 to top off each sale. Altogether, youth received more than $3,300 for their market sale livestock and items.

4-H youth also showed off their year's worth of hard work at the 2010 Wahkiakum County Fair. Wahkiakum youth work with their leaders over the year to prepare their still life items and animals for fair; many in hopes of winning top honors in their classes. Each year, the top show-person's name is added to plaques on trophies showing each top show-person since the 1980s.

Each top show-person then competes in Round Robin. Round Robin is a contest where youth take turns showing other animals. They practice over fair, visiting other barns and learning from other youth how to show their animals. They then come together and rotate through each set of animals, i.e. horses, rabbits, etc. Judges with each set of animals score the youth on their showing abilities, and top overall show-people are selected based on how they work with all of the animals.

This year's winners are: Horse Junior: Marcie Dunham; Horse Intermediate: Makayla Matthews; Horse Senior: Makenzie Matthews; Beef Senior: Starsha Rose; Swine Intermediate: Kael McKinley; Goat Intermediate: Alex Johnson; Sheep Intermediate: Dalaney Cothren; Dairy Intermediate: Zach Calvert; Dairy Senior: Brook Calvert; Home Economics Junior: Alexis Nortrup; Home Economics Intermediate: Makayla Matthews; Home Economics Senior: Makenzie Matthews; Arts and Crafts Junior: Alexis Nortrup; Arts and Crafts Intermediate: Abbie Eaton; Arts and Crafts Senior: Makenzie Matthews; Poultry Senior: Azery Gribskov; Poultry Intermediate: Nanea Carroll; Rabbit Junior: Ashley McKenna; Rabbit Intermediate: C.J. Lorenzo; Round Robin Junior: Ashley McKenna; Round Robin Intermediate: Zach Calvert; Round Robin Senior: Makenzie Matthews.