A Labour Day auction at the Saanich Fairgrounds is just the place to find some contented carnivores.
The South Malahat District 4-H Club will hold its auction in the beef ring at the fairground Monday, with the bidding starting at 2:30 p.m.
“We have five steers for sale, three hogs, 14 lambs and one small engine [for a leaf blower],” said Matthew Smith, chair of 4-H auction committee.
“They’ll be processed and turned into steaks and roasts.”
Smith said 4-H will take care of all the arrangements, providing the trucking to the abattoirs.
“All you have to do is pay for it. The buyer pays for the processing fees and the cutting up fees, but we have all the contacts already organized.”
He said the buyer can then pick it up from where it gets processed or arrange to have it delivered.
And if you’re worried about fitting a steer into the basement freezer, 4-H has got you covered.
“We can also do halfs and quarters. A whole steer is a lot to take for someone,” said Smith. “If families are interested in taking a half or quarter, we can team them up and then get them to bid together to make it a more reasonable price and amount of meat.”
He suggests getting to the auction 15 to 30 minutes early to pre-register and get your bidder’s number.
The 4-H Club takes a 7.5 per cent commission to cover the costs of running the auction, with all the rest of the money going back to the member selling the animal.
“The member can use it to buy their animal for the next year or it can go to post-secondary education or starting their own farm,” said Smith.
For more information, visit www.4hauction.ca or call 250-893-9756.
editor@saanichnews.com
