Story and Photos By Jeff M. Hardison March 23, 2018 at 9:18 a.m.

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1 2018 SRF concludes Friends found opportunities to greet each other at the SRF. Seen here are Patsie Cannon (wife of Auctioneer Carroll T. Cannon) and friends Leon Clyatt and Sue Clyatt of Levy County. Story and Photos By Jeff M. Hardison March 23, 2018 at 9:18 a.m. FANNING SPRINGS -- The 2018 Suwannee River Fair (SRF) Youth Livestock Show and Sale concluded Wednesday (March 21) with children seeing their cattle, swine and goats being auctioned. Auctioneer Carroll T. Cannon of Ty Ty, Ga., clearly calls out numbers for people bidding on almost 400 animals on Wednesday (March 21). The sale lasted several hours.

2 In the two photos above, Mason Boyd (left) stands watching his Grand Champion Swine as it is being auctioned. Standing next to him is SRF President Loran Brookins.

3 Mason Boyd (left) stands holding his Grand Champion Swine trophy as many of the buyers of the animal join him immediately after the pig was sold. Payne Parnell stands with some of the buyers of the Grand Champion Fat Steer.

4 Linden Teague is seen with her Grand Champion Feeder Steer. Linden Teague with her Grand Champion Feeder Steer and some of the buyers.

5 Emily Horlocker holds her Grand Champion Wether (goat) during the auction. Emily Horlocker stands with her Grand Champion Wether trophy as some of the buyers pose with her after the auction.

6 Kellie Swails looks at her Reserve Champion Swine during auction. Virginia Sanchez and Herman Sanchez speak with Gilchrist County Sheriff Bobby Schultz. All three of them were among the many buyers of livestock.

7 Sam Mills stands with his Reserve Champion Fat Steer and some of the buyers. Abigail Butler stands with buyers of her Reserve Champion Feeder Steer.

8 Alaina Blair stands with buyers of her Reserve Champion Wether. Austin Phillips stands with buyers of his Reserve Champion Homegrown Fat Steer.

9 Madison Starnes stands with buyers of her Reserve Champion Homegrown Feeder Steer. Five of the many elected officials (and livestock buyers) at the SFR are seen here. They are (from left) Gilchrist County Sheriff Bobby Schultz, Levy County Sheriff Bobby McCallum, Levy County Supervisor of Elections Tammy Jones, Levy County Judge Tim Browning and Eighth Judicial Circuit Court Judge Stan Griffis. School Board members and County Commission members and others were present, as were other constitutional officers like Dixie County Supervisor of Elections Starlet Cannon. And as some people might have noticed Gilchrist County Judge Sheree Lancaster is seen with some of the livestock on which she bid as part of a group of buyers.

10 Levy County Property Appraiser Oz Barker watches the auction. HardisonInk.com Levy County Extension Director and Extension Agent IV Edward W. (Ed) Jennings is a specialist in agriculture (livestock). Gilchrist County Extension Director and Extension Agent IV Marvin F. Weaver who has a mixed specialty of Agriculture/4-H Youth Development was honored with Levy County Extension Agent IV David A. (Anthony) Drew during the event. After more information is gained, that story with a photo provided by the UF/IFAS (Cooperative) Extension (Service) is scheduled to be published on this daily news website.

11 Anna Robertson of Williston FFA prepares the Chapter Steer for auction. Tori Mills of Williston FFA and Kylie Smith of Trenton FFA hold an Australian Shepherd puppy for Bridget Barley of Williston FFA as she was showing a fat steer for auction. These girls said they were happy to help their friend with the puppy-watching duties.

12 This wrapped up the second week of several activities including shows for Poultry, Rabbits, Dogs, Horses, Goats, Swine and Cattle. FFA and 4-H members also competed in Life Skills contests. There was a program cover contest, an Ag-Life Contest, Gain In Weight Contest, Group Steer Contest, Livestock Judging Contest, Pullet Management Contest, Showmanship Contest, and the Mr. Loran s (Brookins) Barbecue Contest too. The two weeks of fun, learning and competition at the fair wrapped up with livestock auctions. LIVESTOCK AUCTION This annual event is for the youth in Levy, Dixie and Gilchrist counties' 4-H or FFA programs. This was the first year for meat goats to be auctioned. From the list of 387 animals auctioned, there were 12 Grand Champion or Reserve Champion winners. The name of the winner, their club, their city, the division of the livestock, the sale weight, market value and the bid price are listed for each below: Multiplying the weight by the per-pound bid will show a price that can be compared to market value. The children do not receive every penny from the bids, as explained in the information from the SRF website. Dixie County Extension Director Holly Houghton talks about a friend of hers who was involved in a crash. Houghton, after hearing about the total loss of a Jeep by a journalist recently, shared the story. Extension directors from Levy, Dixie and Gilchrist counties were among the many people who made the SRF a success again. Scores of volunteers from all walks of life, and donors of time, money and other resources have kept this as a thriving youth livestock show and sale in Florida.

13 Dixie County Extension Director and Extension Agent III Holly Houghton notes the following: "You will be paid the bid price from the buyer, multiplied by the weight of your animal (3 percent is deducted for shrink on the steers), minus the commission retained by the fair." SWINE Grand Champion Mason Boyd of Williston, from the Williston Wranglers 4-H Club. Swine s sale weight 275 pounds. Market $ Bid $ Total $1, Reserve Champion Kellie Swails of Cross City, from Dixie Wranglers 4-H Club. Swine s sale weight 270 pounds. Market $ Bid $25. Total $6,750. FAT STEER Grand Champion Payne Parnell of Chiefland, from Chiefland Sr. FFA. Sale Weight 1,319 pounds. Market $1, Bid $7.50. Total $9, Reserve Champion Sam Mills of Chiefland, from Chiefland Sr. FFA. Sale Weight 1,305 pounds. Market $1, Bid $6.50 Total $8, FEEDER STEER Grand Champion Linden Teague of Newberry, from Buckaroos 4-H Club. Sale Weight 742. Market $ Bid $6.70. Total $4, Reserve Champion Abigail Butler of Chiefland, from Chiefland Sr. FFA. Sale Weight 810. Market $ Bid $9. Total $7,290. WETHER (GOAT) Grand Champion Emily Horlocker of Chiefland, from Chiefland Sr. FFA. Sale Weight 105 pounds. Market Value $168. Bid $10. Total $1,680. Reserve Champion Alaina Blair of High Springs, from Osceola 4-H Club. Sale Weight 115 pounds. Market Value $184. Bid $10. Total $1,840. HOMEGROWN FAT STEER Grand Champion Briar Mitchell of Trenton, from Trenton Middle FFA. Weight 1,353 Pounds. Market Value $1, Bid $4.75. Total $6,426,75. Reserve Champion Austin Phillips of Williston, from Williston Wranglers 4-H Club Weight 1,140 Pounds. Market Value $1, Bid $7.50. Total $8,550.

14 HOMEGROWN FEEDER STEER Grand Champion Carsen McKenzie of Fanning Springs, From Trenton Middle FFA. Weight 728 Pounds. Market Value $ Bid $4.50. Total $3,276. Reserve Champion Madison Starnes of Williston, from Williston Sr. FFA. Weight 713 Pounds. Market Value $ Bid $6.50. Total $4, ADD ONS Another way that agricultural science students involved in this auction gained money was from buyers adding on. Rather than bidding a certain amount, a patron could simply donate x amount of dollars to any livestock seller.