Livestock auction helps 4-Hers learn ag business

The ending was never in doubt.

After months of raising and caring for her goats, walking them, grooming them and training them in preparation for the Johnson County 4-H and Agricultural Fair, Gracie Morris had a connection to her animals. She named them, knew their personalities and worked out how to best approach the animal.

But as a 10-year 4-Her, she also understood the business of agriculture. At the close of the fair, it would be time to sell her goats to the highest bidder.

“It’s a weird thing to come to terms with over the years,” said Morris, 18. “Starting out, I thought of them as my pets, as my friends. But over the years, it’s been a big family lesson, where we’ve learned that these are market animals, and we’re raising it specifically to be sold for its meat.”

The annual livestock auction ties a bow on the 4-H portion of the Johnson County fair. After the competitions are done, kids have the opportunity to sell their animals,…

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