Sept. 4 livestock auction fuels future 4-H projects

Buying Alaska Grown meat will be as easy as holding up a bidder card during the 4-H Junior Market Livestock Auction at noon on Saturday, Sept. 4.

According to Lee Hecimovich, Mat-Su/Copper River 4-H & youth development agent, it is a great place for those folks who want locally produced food to stock their freezers.

While not every family has room for a whole beef, Hecimovich said buyers have lots of options, from smaller items, like a turkey or goat, to splitting a steer or hog with neighbors, friends or co-workers.

There’s also the option of donating all or part of the animal to a local food bank, she said. Buyers can do that on their own or join what’s called the Charitable Buyers group. Donations are pooled to buy 4-H animals, which are then processed and donated to food banks in Palmer and Wasilla. The donations are tax deductible.

“We’ve donated many, many animals that way,” Hecimovich said.

People who want to give a certain 4-Her an extra boost can do that through “add-ons,” which are bonuses paid the individual 4-Hers at the auction. Information on that is available at the bidder table, as well as information on processing.

Those interesting in the Alaska Grown livestock should attend the preview at 11 a.m., when they can see the animals and talk to the 4-Hers.