Department News

Northeast Livestock Expo 2008 Again Successful

Contact: Cindy Kilgore, Maine Department of Agriculture

By Chad Arms, June 10, 2008

The Second Annual Northeast Livestock Expo was again a big success May 16-18 at Windsor Fairgrounds. Building on last year’s inaugural event combining a joint effort of the Maine Beef Producers Association, the Maine Sheep Producers Association, and the Boer Goat Breeders of Maine, for a multi species event, the Expo highlighted the livestock industry in Maine for sales, shows, and educational activities.

The great support of the staff and management of Windsor Fairgrounds, the Maine Department of Agriculture, sponsors, vendors, consignors, and the many adult and youth volunteers contributed to the success, according to Kevin Woltemath, President, Northeast Livestock Expo, Freeport, ME.

Maine Beef Producers Association (MBPA)

Benjamin Pride of Limington, Maine bought the high selling purebred lot, a Simmental cow with her heifer calf selling for $1,800. A highlight of the Purebred Cattle Sale was the Angus heifer, King & I Blackbird, consigned by King & I Angus, Industry, ME and bought by Shelby Patten. The $2,000 proceeds for this heifer were given to the Maine Jr. Angus Association for their educational trips and activities. Their leader is Karen Trenholm of Manchester.

Animals sold included Angus, Simmental, Belted Galloway, and Beefalo grossing $41,700. The volume buyer was Kimball Farms of Haverill, MA and the volume consigner was the University of Maine. Archer Farms of Chesterville, ME donated five straws of Objective semen selling for $200 with the proceeds going to the Northeast Livestock Expo Youth Program.

The MBPA Pre-Conditioned Feeder Calf Sale averaged $1.07 per pound on 105 head. The steer average was $1.16 and the heifer average was $1.05 per head. The highest selling calves consigned were those from the University of Maine selling for $1.42 to $1.55 per pound. See the complete results.

Boer Goat Breeders of Maine

The Boer Goat Sale averaged $487 on 67 lots. The high selling spotted percentage doe sold for $1,450 to Shane Hillard of Maryland and was consigned by Max Boer Goats, Lykens, PA. The top selling buck sold for $1,050 to Eben and Flora Prime of Winthrop and was consigned by Kemmer Ranch, Crossville, TN.

A total of 130 head were shown by 33 exhibitors from six states for the Boer Goat Show. The Grand Champion full blood doe and Reserve Champion full blood doe were exhibited by Roseledge Boer Goats (Curtis and Linda Prime) of Augusta, ME. The Grand Champion full blood buck was shown by Mini Mt. Estate (Ramona Stinson), Bowdoin, ME. The Reserve Champion full blood buck was exhibited by S-N-T Valley Farm (Steve and Tara Byers), New Market, VA. The Grand Champion percentage doe was shown by Danielle Mills, Rockwood, ME. and the Reserve Champion percentage doe was exhibited by Curtis and Linda Prime, Augusta, ME.

Maine Sheep Breeders Association (MSBA)

There were 37 sheep sold at the MSPA Purebred and Market Lamb Sheep Sale following a sheep show of sale animals. Breeds represented included Southdown, Suffolk, Natural Colored, Dorset, Shropshire, Corriedale, Katahdin, Lincoln, and Montdale, as well as two young male Alpaca animals. High selling ewe lamb was a Katahdin consigned by Bruce and Wendy Reinman of Guini Ridge Farm in Union, ME selling for $425. They also had the top selling ram lamb for $350. High selling market lamb owned by Phil and Lisa Webster of Northstar Farm in Windham, ME brought $280.

Youth and Other

Each livestock club held youth shows for type classes and fitting and showmanship. There were also multi specie events including a judging contest, quiz bowl, and educational clinics. New this year was a Youth Cook Off with various 4-H clubs and members demonstrating how to prepare meat and cook it for their particular livestock choice. This was a great success.
Also part of the exhibition were demonstrations and displays from fiber to clothing for Alpaca and Cashmere Goat animals as well as fur to clothing from rabbits.

Rounding out the Expo was a commercial trade show, livestock dinner, and a Beef Quality Assurance certification class.