Great Turnout For 4-H/FFA Awards Banquet

Recently the Caribou County Market Animal Committee in conjunction with the Caribou County 4-H and local FFA chapters held their annual awards banquet.  In the past the award ceremony has been held during the fair week in early August.  This year the committee decided to try something different by having a banquet for the participants and their families.  This year's banquet was held in the Grace High School cafeteria and was complete with a baked potato bar.  Once the attendees all had their potato dinner and sat down to eat the awards began to be handed out.  

The Market Animal Committee is an organization that puts together and runs the market animal shows and sale at the Caribou County fair each year.  The committee consists of a president, vice-president, and secretary as well as a species chairman for each of the four market animals shown at the fair.  The current committee members are President Justin Andersen,Vice-President Ross Carrol, Secretary Lisa Barfuss, Swine Chairman Sarah Jensen, Goat Chairman Jennifer Smith, Lamb Chairman Katie Crofts, Beef Chairman Royce Hatch, Sale Chairman Dirk Johnson, and Sale Secretary Andrea Barthlome.  Each species chairman handed out awards to the showmanship division winners, the grand and reserve champion showman, the grand and reserve champion market, and the overall project winner.

In addition to the awards being handed out Justin Andersen took some time to discuss several different things that the market animal committee has been working on and thanked a long list of individuals who helped make this year's fair and shows a success.  One of the topics he discussed was the scholarship program that has been started by the committee through the sale of a donation animal each year.  This year's donation animal was donated by Grace senior FFA member Carson Reeves who donated his alternate pig that sold for $4000.00 at the sale.  Justin Andersen also announced that the scholarship would be called the Soriah Lunt McCubbins Memorial Scholarship.  Soriah was a 2018 graduate of Grace High School who tragically lost her life in an auto accident last year.  Soriah was an active member in 4-H and FFA.  The Market Animal Committee commissioned a plaque with the scholarship name and recipients each year.  Justin encouraged all of this year's seniors to apply for the scholarship.

Dirk Johnson also took a few minutes to discuss the market animal sale this past year.  A total of eighty-five youth were able to sell their project animals at the sale earning $207,800.00.  Dirk was excited to share how the sale has continued to grow and be successful for the youth in the county. He also went on to thank all the businesses and individuals that help to make the sale a positive experience for the youth.

The evening was a complete success with dozens of families in attendance.  Everyone will no doubt be looking forward to next year's projects and fair.  If you are interested in participating in a market animal project contact the 4-H Extension office at 208-547-3205.