Marias Fair 4-H Market Animal Sale

Jesse Fulbright, MSU Liberty County Extension

Thank you for your support of the Marias Fair 4-H Market Animal Sale!  The 2018 Fair will be July 18-22.  The 4-H Market Animal Sale will be at 3 p.m. on Saturday, July 21, 2018.  We have several exciting additions surrounding this year’s sale.

The Marias Fair will be working with Christiaens Meats and Lower Valley Processing of Kalispell in 2018.  All 4-H market cattle will be harvested and processed at Christiaens Meats in Valier.  They will be processed over a period of several weeks.  Christiaens Meats can be contacted at 279-3624. 

4-H market goats are new to the sale this year and join 4-H market swine and market lambs in being harvested and processed at Lower Valley Processing in Kalispell.  Lower Valley Processing can be reached at 406-752-2846.

All kill and processing fees will be the responsibility of the buyers as you make arrangements with your processors.  This amount will be included at the time you pay for your packaged meat.  Kill fees for cattle are $90, swine are $40 and lambs and goats are $80.  The lamb and goat fee includes the processing fee as well as the kill fee.

All animals from the 4-H Market Animal Sale being cut and wrapped at Lower Valley Processing will be coming back to Shelby one time only on Thursday, August 2nd from 8:00 to 9:00 a.m. and can be picked up H & O Motor Supply, 100 Main Street.  It is the responsibility of the buyer to make arrangements to pick up their meat at that time.  Other arrangements for meat processing with other facilities are the responsibility of the buyer.

“Buyback” animals will be handled in the same manner as previous years.  This is when a buyer wishes to donate the animal they purchased at the sale to a 4-H entity.  The sale flyer always includes a list of the Marias Fair Committees and county 4-H councils that animals can be donated to.  The youth selling the animal receives the entire amount of the purchase price.  The committee then resells the meat and receives the market price for the animal. 

The 4-H Livestock Committee is thanking buyers from the past few years with a new Pre-Sale Social on Saturday, July 21 from 1-2 p.m. at the Seewald Barn.  We encourage you to come and visit with our 4-H youth over appetizers and pick up free tickets to the 4-H Food Booth.  These are worth a special and a drink, and can be redeemed at any time during the fair.  The Food Booth serves a great lunch and dinner Wednesday noon through Sunday afternoon.  Profits from the Food Booth are returned to the fair exhibitors as premium money.

The 4-H Livestock Committee appreciates your support of the Marias Fair and of the 4-H youth.  If there are questions or concerns regarding the 4-H Market Animal Sale, please feel free to contact Jesse Fulbright at 759-5625 or Kari Lewis at 873-2239.