This weekend, OCCF Trustee Al Buckbee (Bellvale Farms) convinced me to attend a calf auction with my family to benefit the Orange County 4H Clubs. I had no idea what a fun and great learning experience this would be. The barn in Slate Hill where the auction was held was jam-packed with dairy farmers, their families, and 4H'ers looking for a good deal on a calf of their own. The farmer on my left traveled from Sussex County, NJ to pick up some good bargains. The bidding was based on precise measurements: what the calf's pedigree was, how much milk her mother had produced, her age, even the length of her neck in some cases (a long-necked heifer tends to produce more than a thick-necked one).
The food was fantastic and the silent auction, along with the live auction, was a lot of fun. Agriculture, like many of the calves on Saturday night, is alive and kicking in Orange County!
I didn't come home with a calf (thank goodness) but my kids are signing up for 4H as soon as possible.
Thanks to Lucy Joyce and her children, Kevin and Jasmine Lewis, for a pre-show introduction for my family to raising goats, chickens, and horses. What a great day!
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