For 4-H kids, Saturday’s livestock auction at Harford fair provides lesson in profits and responsibility

For the last six years Emily Troyer, 15, has been raising animals to sell at the 4-H auction at the Harford County Farm Fair. The annual auction has provided her the opportunity to grow her knowledge of agriculture, pay for livestock equipment and expenses, and save for college, she said.

Troyer is a rising sophomore at North Harford High School and a member of the student agriculture and leadership organization Future Farmers of America. Through FFA, Troyer competes in quality product testing competitions, requiring her to identify issues with agriculture products and ways to fix or avoid defects. This fall, her team will compete at a national competition in Indianapolis.

She also serves as the vice president of the Black Horse 4-H Club, which has 75 members.

Troyer is well versed in raising market steer and pigs for the annual auction, which is set for Saturday at the fairgrounds.

This year, Troyer is entering a beef steer, a pig, and for the first time, a market lamb.

“This year has gone pretty good, but it has also been a year of learning for me since it is my first year with a lamb,” Troyer said.

Preparation for the auction began last September when Troyer bought her steer, Ken, a 6-month-old that weighed 400 pounds. Troyer has spent much of her time outside school training Ken to be comfortable around people, washing him and teaching him how to walk in a show ring.

In March, Troyer got her market pig, Clementine, and lamb, Tuddy.

“Each day right after school I go to the farm and I work with my cows and feed them and while they are eating I will take my pig on a walk and work with her and then work with the lamb,” Troyer said. “I try to have a schedule for which animal I work on each day.”

Troyer has spent time researching appropriate feed for each of the animals to raise them to a healthy weight and also have them look nice when she shows them to judges and potential buyers.

“You need to be able to analyze your animal yourself and know what to change if you need to adjust the animal’s image,” Troyer said. “There is science behind each supplement and what it targets, so I spend a lot of time researching that and talking with my trainer.”

Troyer described animal nutrition and its correlation to the animal’s image as a “moving target” and she dedicates a lot of time to perfecting it.

Through nutrition, Troyer has gotten her steer, Ken, up to 1,200 pounds. Her lamb, Tuddy, is 122 pounds and her pig Clementine is 236 pounds — all qualifying for market weight.

But nutrition is not the only aspect of raising livestock Troyer is working to master. Showmanship is also crucial.

“I worked really hard at showmanship, which is based off of the person showing the animal,” Troyer said. “It  is really important to me because it is based on me and I can’t change the animal sometimes but you can change yourself and learn a lot from other people.”

Last year Troyer won numerous titles for showing heifers. Many of the principles for how to properly show an animal in the ring apply for the auction as well.

“You have to train the animal into muscle memory for how to stop and turn with its feet a certain way, which is a challenge to do with my steer because he has ring anxiety,” Troyer said. “But overall, when you get in the ring, you have to be focused because showmanship is serious and intense.”

Before the auction each year, Troyer and other 4-Hers are tasked with writing handwritten letters to potential buyers advertising their livestock for auction and inviting them to the auction. On the day of the auction, a lunch is held for the potential buyers where Troyer said she mingles with them to further promote the sale of her livestock.

“You really feel like a salesperson because we want to show buyers our animals so we can get as many people as we can interested and get more bids and a higher price,” Troyer said.

During the auction last year, Troyer sold a steer and a pig and earned about $10,000. This year, she hopes to make as much as $15,000.

“I take all of the money I make and then I will split it up because I have vet bills, the cost of bedding, hay, equipment and fuel — there are so many factors that we keep track of throughout the year,” Troyer said. “This year I am hoping to make $10,000 to $15,000 because I had a lamb for the first time and I had to buy some new equipment.”

After her expenses are covered, Troyer said she saves the remaining money for things such as college and the purchase of future animals.

Since starting her journey with 4-H at the age of 5 as a Clover — a pre-program for younger kids before they are old enough to officially join 4-H at the age of 8 — Troyer said she has gained valuable leadership experience and skills.

“4-H gives you so many opportunities and I am so thankful that I have been in it because it is a big part of my life that I want to continue with,” Troyer said. “I have gained a lot of leadership skills through things like public speaking and by helping younger kids and teaching them.”

Troyer’s three auction animals will be among about 275 expected to be auctioned off this year by fair officials. The auction will be held on the last day of the fair, Saturday, at 2 p.m.