Marias Fair Carcass Contest - What Happens After the Fair?

Kari Lewis

One component of the Marias Fair that isn’t always quite as visible is the carcass contest, which follows the fair.  Following the fair and the processing of the fair animals, carcass data is recorded by a judge, and the animals are then ranked for their carcass merit with awards being given for the best carcasses as well.  While contests vary a little bit depending on the species, the carcass is weighed, the size of the ribeye or loin eye and fat thickness is measured, and characteristics that determine the carcass’s quality are graded. 

As extension educators, we strive to teach the youth about raising a quality product throughout their project.  4-H members receive Livestock Quality Assurance training where they learn about proper animal health and vaccination protocols along with how to provide a safe and healthy environment for their animal.  Throughout the year, we strive to educate members on how an animal’s genetics, nutrition, and the care they receive impact the final product that they produce.  The carcass data is an opportunity for members to evaluate the final quality of the product that they produced for the buyer. 

In the lamb carcass contest, the top four lambs were raised Danny Habets, Carly Behr, Dylan Clark, and Cole Waldusky.  Danny Habet’s lamb, who was also the Reserve Champion in the live contest, also earned Certified Lamb status and will be enjoyed by its buyer, 3 Rivers.  Danny’s lamb had a 3.6 in.² ribeye, graded Choice-, and had 0.2 inches of backfat. 

In the goat contest, the top three were Logan Waldusky, Alyson Leach, and Landan Omdahl.  Logan’s champion carcass, purchased by Turner Angus, had a 2.4 in.² ribeye area, 0.6 inches backfat with the heaviest carcass weight and highest cutability as well.

In the swine contest, the top four were Sadie Vermulm, Elyse Bengtson, Karra Lohr, and Payton Vermulm.  There were 16 members who had pigs that earned Swine of Excellence distinction for their carcass merit from the Marias Fair, which is quite impressive!  The Champion carcass, exhibited by Sadie Vermulm and purchased by Marias Ridge Ranch, had an 8.6 in.² loin eye, just 0.5 inches of backfat, and scored well for marbling, color, firmness, and wetness.

In the beef contest, the top four were from Jordyn Fields, Ruger Winkowitsch, Coley Cundall, and Grady Kerfoot.  Jordyn Fields’s steer also earned Steer of Merit status, which is a special distinction from the Montana Stockgrowers Association.  The Champion carcass, exhibited by Jordyn Fields and purchased by Naturener, had a 14.6 in.² ribeye, had a Choice- quality grade, and a 1.7 yield grade with just 0.25 inches of backfat. 

The Reserve Champion beef carcass, exhibited by Ruger
Winkowitsch.  Of the 2018 Marias Fair steers, 98% graded Choice-
or better, compared to the national average of 79%

It was interesting to see that out of the 56 steers in the Marias Fair carcass contest, 98% had a quality grade of Choice- or better, which is pretty amazing!  The national average in that same time frame was right around 79% Choice- or better, so our Marias Fair steers did very well compared to the national average in terms of their quality grade. 

As always, thanks to all those who support our 4-H youth!  Carcass data is available at http://msuextension.org/mariasfair/livestockcom.html.  

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.

What does it take to make the Marias Fair happen?

Kari Lewis, MSU Extension - Glacier county

This week, I started thinking about just how many people it takes to make the Marias Fair happen, and I wanted to share some numbers with you to illustrate just how much of a family-based, community oriented event the local fair is.  As I started putting this together, even I was a bit surprised at just how many folks contribute to our fair!

We had 186 kids from Glacier, Toole, Liberty, and Pondera counties exhibit 1,569 projects which included everything from shooting sports to livestock to cooking, sewing, photography, leathercraft, welding, and more.

We had 15 barn superintendents from three committees that oversaw our livestock, small animal, and horse shows.  We had 15 volunteers that helped weigh-in and process our market animals in under three hours. 

There were 145 steers, hogs, and lambs exhibited in the market shows.  On the breeding side, we had 8 yearling heifers, 9 cow/calf pairs, 2 yearling ewes, and three ewes with lambs at side.  There were 7 dogs, 44 dairy goat entries, 7 meat goats, 19 horses, 27 cages of poultry, 20 cages of rabbits, and 2 cats exhibited at the Marias Fair.  There were 20 volunteers that helped with the hog, beef, or lamb shows.  We had nearly a dozen volunteers help with the Dog, Cat, Rabbit, and Poultry Shows.  At the horse show, we had 14 volunteers that helped evaluate horsemanship, assisted in the ring, and announced the show.

In the 4-H food booth, we had nine food booth day chairs that kept the food booth running and

 oversaw the 257 youth and parent volunteers that worked in the food booth throughout the fair.  The food booth’s profits are returned to our 4-H youth as premium money, rewarding them for their blue and red ribbons they receive during the fair, and also provide us with a means to thank our volunteers and judges.

There were 25 judges that interview judged 185 kids over a five-hour period on Wednesday.  These judges had committed six to eight weeks in advance, and shared their afternoon with the kids, despite many also having harvest, haying, irrigating, and work commitments during the fair.  We had 50 plus parents and leaders that helped with interview judging, setting up, and taking down county displays.

On the public presentation side, there were three judges that evaluated nearly 25 speeches, demonstrations, and cowboy poetry talks over two days.  For the Friday 4-H livestock judging contest, we had six group leaders, two parents that assisted with check-in, two reasons takers, and one official judge that helped with the contest.

For Saturday’s Round Robin showmanship competition, we had 5 volunteer judges and 5 ring stewards.  At the livestock sale, we had 15 volunteers helping line up animals and three auctioneers, four ringmen, and four clerks that assisted in selling 145 head of livestock in just under three hours. Come Sunday, we had four guys that hauled the lambs, hogs, and beef to the processor.

In addition, we had numerous in – kind donations such as tens of cases of water from four sponsors, the use of livestock scales, squeeze chutes, and loading alleys, and multiple deliveries of water from the Shelby Fire Department to cool the showrings prior to the horse and livestock shows.

There were 90 plus sponsors of 4-H fair awards from multiple counties that recognized our kids’ efforts and accomplishments.  Lastly, we had four administrative assistants that put in a tremendous amount of time and effort both leading up to the fair and at the fair to make things run smoothly.

Really, this is only the tip of the iceberg, as each 4-H youth has project leaders, club leaders, parents, aunts, uncles, and friends supporting them and encouraging them in their journey.  Thank you to each and every person that makes 4-H and the Marias Fair possible, we couldn’t do it without you.  Thank you for choosing to invest in today’s youth, to make tomorrow better.  

If you want to know where all the good folks have gone, stop by your county fair, and I promise you’ll be encouraged at the youth and adult partnerships in action!