I mentioned some of this topic in another thread so if I am breaking the rules, I hope the admins will just give me a gentle slap. I can't remember every rule in the terms and conditions I agreed to.
I notice that many of our Alberta Chapter members are rural folks. Not that city folks are not allowed to care about this but it is often more of a rural thing. I grew up in the city. We moved out of Calgary about 10 years ago. Last spring I got introduced to our local 4H club - Bow Valley Beef and Multi. I was so amazed by our 4H members that I started volunteering. This year was a small comittment but I am going to committ to more next year. So, enough of my soap box, why am I posting. This weekend is 4H on Parade at the Stampede grounds. There were features on it on most of the news shows today. If you are a fan of good beef or lamb, you need to be at the livestock auction on Sunday. Lamb is before noon and beef is after noon. If you go to a store or butcher, they sell their prime cuts to restaurants. We never get to tast them for less that $20 a steak. If you come to the auction on Sunday you get to buy locally produced, organic, hand fed, antiobiotic and steroid free beef or lamb. Buy one of these steer or lambs once and you are ruined forever. Store or restaurant - not even close. PLUS you are supporting the leaders of tomorrow. The 4H motto is 'Learn to do by doing'. Does any phrase better describe this group of wrench heads? That is what we do - learn to do by doing - and then share. The 4H members are between 9 and 18 yrs old (more or less). They work darn hard all year to raise their lambs and steers and they are rightfully so, very pround of them. So, if you feel like supporting the salt of the earth kids who are going to look after us when we are old AND get some amazing food, I would encourage you to stop by the Stampede grounds on Sunday. If you would like more details about the lamb/beef sale, just ask or PM me.

 

very cool.

 

Sean... Those kids do work their butts off.. I hope the auction went well. My cousins kid got 2.95 a lb for his 4h steer.. But it was more like a pet.. walk up put a rope on it and take it anywhere. I am glad to see more folks are volunteering to help.

 

I've been looking for awhile now for a good place to buy lamb, I used to go N of Edmonton a cpl yrs back but the 2 guys I was going with are no longer in town so it's not really worth the trip by myself.
Usually we'd buy 1-2 lamb each, 20-30lbs and the farmer let us butch them ourselves.
If you know of a good place not too far from Calgary, that sell lamb/kid(young goat) let me know, we love lamb and certain family recipes while ok with veal are way better with lamb. I can't buy more than a few times/yr as the kids are picky eaters but I can certainly find more people interested in good lamb if it's priced reasonably. I know some people that love goat too, and they are excellent at cooking it, we always visit them for Christmas for their delicious Trinidadian food.
Also not sure if in Alberta colt meat is available anywhere, but if you ever have a chance, try it, and you'd "be ruined". Wouldn't mind a few colt steaks if you can find some.
Time to start the grill, guess hamburger will do for now.

 

My Grandson just sold his steer at the 4H auction. He got the highest bid at the auction. Every day he went over to his other Grandpas and hand fed him and walked him and groomed him. It is amazing how much work he did, I am very proud of him!

 

Morkable.. Thats great.. To see young folks do well and care for what they own.. I find it instills great values in the young. Care for the land and animals and they will care for you..

 

The steer in our club averaged about $2.30/lb. The lamb sale was before I got there so I am not sure what the prices were. My wife isn't too big on lamb meat (taste problems not texture) but I have heard that the prices for lamb were good too. Lots of the 4H kids in our club had lambs and steer. We paid $2.60 for the first one we got and $2.20 for the other. I think Pure Country Meats (Strathmore) is cutting it early next week so we can go pick it up late next week. We REALLY need good steak. AFter buying 4H last year, store bought just doesn't do it any more.

 

I just found out my grand son got about 3.85 per pound for his steer

 

Wow.........What are auction mark steers going for now a days??Its been many years for me...I remember when cattle prices dropped to 99 cents a pound...That was the bad years for cattle prices...

 

99 cents was last year also... cow calf pair are around 1500.00

 

Wow...And try and make a living at 99 cents a pound..The middle man makes the money while the producer gets shafted...Been like that for years..

 

The 4H steer sell for more than market steer. Remember this is about supporting a kid between 10 and 20 yrs old who worked hard every day for about 16 months and then has to sell their pet that someone is going to turn into steak. The parents at our club all agree that if for some reason there is a steer with only one person bidding on it, other parents jump in and bid until the sale price gets up to something reasonable. In fact, one of the parents went around before the sale and made sure that every kid had someone who was going to buy their steer so that no kid went home disapointed. I am happy to pay more than market price to support the kids in our local club.

 

Diesel Dave... Half the time its about having my own beef on my own table.. For a select few i even get one butcher to come out and butcher them here.. The steers are more at ease and the meat really shows it compairing them to ones that we haul in..

Tallguy Its great to see the support for these kids is still going strong...

 

thats exactly how it goes