Hog Heaven : But Junior Livestock Auction Saturday Will Put Porkers in a Stew

Future Farmers of America and 4-H Club members will auction the livestock they have raised for market Saturday at the Orange County Fair.

Young participants in the agricultural programs of both organizations raise hogs, cattle and lambs to be sold at the fair’s junior livestock auction each year. The projects teach modern techniques and business practices. But because they operate on a small scale, they seldom break even when they sell the animals.

Sales of hogs and lambs will begin at 1 p.m. Saturday; the beef auction gets under way at 7 p.m.

Buyers may arrange to have the meat butchered, or may consign the animal to a commerical packer for resale at market price. According to fair figures, a 1,100-pound steer yields about 450 pounds of beef; a 220-pound hog dresses out as about 145 pounds of pork, and a 110-pound lamb becomes about 45 pounds of meat.

Buyers also may choose to donate their purchases to the Ken Johnson Scholarship Fund for 4-H and Future Farmers members studying agriculture.

The Fairground is at 88 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa. For further information on the auction, telephone (714) 751-3247.