Friday morning, Cameran Fitch of Chesterville sits with the Hereford steer he caught at the Fryeburg Fair calf scramble last year. He raised it, showed it in 4-H and later sold it in the 80th annual beef steer sale.
Jason Bagley of Farmington stands with his market lamb at the Fryeburg Fair on Friday. This was Jason’s first year of showing and selling a lamb at Maine’s largest agricultural fair.
Retired assistant state veterinarian Beth McEvoy paints a bovine skeleton and later the internal organs on a brown Swiss steer owned by Cindy Kilgore of Jay at the Fryeburg Fair on Friday. Kilgore, at right, said, “She’s painting the bovine anatomy on a Swiss canvas.”
William St. Pierre of Berwick uses his ox team to haul a wagon filled with hay bales at the Fryeburg Fair on Friday morning.
Piglets get a midmorning snack from their mother at the Fryeburg Fair on Friday. Several sows with litters of varying ages, including one that delivered 14 piglets on Oct. 1, could be seen in the swine barn.
FRYEBURG — As visitors toured the livestock barns at the Fryeburg Fair on Friday, the focus for many was the show arena where the market auctions were taking place.
Beforehand, several youths were seen in the barn with their animals. Cameran Fitch of Chesterville was relaxing with his Hereford steer. He had caught the calf last year at the Fryeburg scramble. This is the third year he has shown beef steers.
“I grew up on it,” he said. “My aunt raised steers. I raised and sold a steer at the Windsor Fair.”
Cameran has raised several beef breeds. He said the Hereford was the easiest to work with, maybe because he was more experienced and spent more time with it. He plans to raise a steer next year, too.
In the sheep barn, Jason Bagley of Farmington was walking his market lamb. This is the first year he has shown at Fryeburg. Jason also had market lambs at Windsor and Farmington and a market hog at Farmington.
“I like it. It’s fun,” he said. “I can express myself and bond with my animals. Each has a different personality. It can be hard to see them go, but this one’s been a jerk, so it won’t be as difficult.”
Kaden Lane, Nicholas Rowe and Mason Rowe of New Vineyard and Dylan, Hailey and Ava Jackson of Jay had market lambs to auction. Lorne Grondin of Jay was there with his beef steer.
Twelve market hogs, ranging in weight from 214 to 300 pounds, were auctioned first. The grand champion pig, a Duroc cross, was shown by Camryn O’Connell of Brownfield. Her pig brought $2.75 per pound and was purchased by Coleman Concrete.
The highest-selling pig was raised by PJ Clair of Fryeburg. The 292-pound hog had earned the commended award in the 4-H Market Hog Show on Monday evening. Pepsi Co. paid $6.25 per pound. This animal was then resold, for $3.25 per pound, with the proceeds going to the Fryeburg Youth program.
Next up was the market lamb auction, with 30 lambs ranging in weight from 91 to 155 pounds. The auction was the 31st held at the fair.
The grand champion lamb, raised by Victoria Briggs of Sullivan, New Hampshire, was purchased by Hannaford Supermarket for $5 per pound.
Pepsi paid $7.75 per pound, the highest amount in the lamb auction, for the largest lamb sold. The 155-pound animal was raised by PJ CLair, who also had the highest-priced hog.
Several hogs and market lambs were auctioned off a second or third time with proceeds going to youth organizations or food pantries.
In the beef auction, 41 animals were sold. Eight had been caught in last year’s scramble.
The Baby Beef Champion steer was raised by Ashton Caron of Corinna. His 1,215-pound steer was bought for $6.25 per pound.
pharnden@sunmediagroup.net
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