163rd Yuba-Sutter Fair concludes
Jun. 28—The Upton family has a long line of livestock owners.
Taylor Upton, 21, raised a variety of livestock all the way through high school before giving way to her younger brother and younger sister who are currently in the process of raising livestock each year for the Yuba-Sutter Fair.
Jaden Upton, 15, raised his third steer for eight to 10 months to get it ready for the third day of the 163rd Yuba-Sutter Fair in Yuba City when it's typically auctioned to the community for a price.
When raising an animal, Upton said it is important to work it out a lot so the livestock gains a good amount of muscle.
"You want to exercise them a lot so it's not just fat," Upton said prior to his showing.
Then once you get into the ring in front of the buyers, Upton said to open the animal up as best as you can so the buyers can see all of the 1,450-pound steer.
Upton said steers usually go for between $7,200 and $10,000, of which he receives 95% of for next year's junior livestock auction and other expenses.
Taylor Upton said she was able to put herself through Chico State University with her livestock money. Upton graduated this year with a bachelor's degree in animal science.
She is striving to be an agriculture teacher one day.
Upton said it is rewarding work to raise an animal because the livestock are usually gentle and work with the owners every step of the way during the growth process.
Buyers are extremely aware of the work that livestock owners go through for nearly a year leading up to auction. Annie Wooten, a Marysville High School teacher and former member of 4-H as a child, said she respects the individuals in 4-H and Future Farmers of America — one of the reasons why she showed up to purchase a few animals at auction.
"I know how much they work and how much effort they put into it, so it's nice to give back to them," Wooten said.
Wooten showed up under her father's business name to purchase animals for her two-person household — which if budgeted correctly can be enough food for a year, she said.
Wooten said she split a steer with her father a few years back, and after it went to the butcher, the duo received about 80 pounds of hamburger meat.
"They say it (80 pounds) lasts 58 weeks," Wooten said.
Wooten said many of the livestock sold on Saturday will be shipped off the lot early Sunday, en route to the butcher of the buyer's choosing.
At that point, the buyer picks how the animal is cut and wrapped so it's ready for pickup.
It's an interesting process, Wooten said, and one she respects, dating back to when she was a little one raising eight years of pigs.
"I did it when I was young. Now I am giving back supporting the kids because their parents might have supported me when I was doing it," Wooten said.
The Junior Livestock Auction was followed by a number of food and entertainment options through the evening Saturday. Day three also featured a Tuff Truck madness and racing event that preceded live concerts on the grand stage. The 163rd Yuba-Sutter Fair wrapped up its fourth and final day on Sunday at the Yuba-Sutter Fairgrounds.
