It is early August, and in this community, the Bond County Fair has just concluded.  A highlight is always the Junior Livestock Sale.  After the animals have been shown and judged, they are sold.  This year there were 11 steers and 16 barrows/or market hogs sold.  There were other categories, but this post focuses on the cattle and hogs.

This local annual event is a quiet collection of community leaders and their families. Without an observern having a long history in the community this event would go unnoticed.  But for the local businesses, community leaders, and families active in the community, the Junior Livestock Sale is the place to be.  Businesses bid on the show animals to love up the youth.  They bid for bragging rights that they bought a show animal.  Sometimes family members will outbid the businesses.  It is good clean rural fun.  Personal details often drive the bidding.  A few years ago, the grand champion hog was sold, and donated to be sold again, about 3 times raising over $25,000 for hospital bills of one of the community youth.

The 2026 Fair sale bill listed the market price (used for the sale) was $2.35/pound for steers and $0.70/pound for hogs.  The 11 steers averaged 1,367 pounds each.  The highest price paid for the grand champion steer was $7 per pound.  The lowest price paid was $3.75 per pound.  On average the price paid was $4.59 per pound.  That is nearly double what could have been purchased at a commercial sale barn.  The grand champion steer weighing 1,430 pounds brought $10,000.  The total value of the 11 Junior Livestock sale steers was $68,965.00.

The 16 barrow market hogs averaged 234 pounds each.  The highest price paid for a hog was $21 per pound and the lowest price was $5.25 per pound.  One hog is only one sixth of a steer, so the prices can be higher without the purchaser committing to the large dollar value. The total receipts for the 16 show hogs was $31,604.25

The 239-pound pig that brought $21 per pound only cost the purchaser $5,000.  So, what happened with the high hog prices?

Those mysteries are for the tiny community of rural youth supporters to enjoy.  The last 4 pigs sold were shown by two groups of community siblings.  Show youth family and friends wanted to be known as the biggest supporter with the winning the bid.  After the first group of sibling hog sales set a new high bar, I suspect the second group of show sibling supporters wanted to outbid the first family show youth.  But this good natured comradery is why the Junior Livestock sale barn is at capacity every year.  It is the best kind of rural fun, sending the message to young agricultural competitors that it is a good use of their time.  Loving up the youth that step up and commit to doing more than simply coasting.

The annual Junior Livestock sale is part of the secret life of rural communities.  They happen across the country every year.  But to participate, one has to find them and show up.  The sale participants are just having fun, living their values.  The recognition they seek is very locally focused, radiating out from the families of youth that show animals.  It is a small universe.  Still, it is part of what makes championing rural communities worthwhile.  I am proud of the very active internal community support of my local community.  It does not show up in policies or records anywhere, mostly in volunteer hours and high cultural values.  Go active rural communities!