Adair County 4-H and FFA members tagged 228 pigs as part of the countywide tagging. These pigs are now eligible to exhibit at the 2008 Adair County Fair. The county fair swine show is slated for Friday, July 25. Organizers reported 40 youth identified pigs. The number of head tagged is exactly the same as last year.
Besides tagging pigs, volunteers weighed 61 entries for the annual performance contest sponsored by the Adair County Pork Producers. Entries in the performance contest are placed on lean gain per day on test which takes into account both the rate of gain and carcass merit. Carcass merit is determined using ultrasound.
Volunteers responsible for tagging and weighing pigs included Mike Cooley, Ed Hansen, and Donna Wallace, Orient; Ralph Lents, Menlo; Craig, Tucker and Tessa Mittag, and Tom Walter, Prescott; Tom Doud, Stuart; and David Schwartz, and Steve and Paul Feick, Fontanelle.
Youth tagging pigs included: Mikel and Megan Feick, Paul and Laura Feick, Luke Meisenheimer, Kassadee Nelson, Kody Kokemiller, Alex Welsch, and Dean Frank, Fontanelle; Kyle and Zach Jorgensen, Andrew and Matthew Noland, Adair; Gunnar, Logan and Zoey Dinkla, Casey; Josh Irlmeier, Adair; Kristyn Thompson and Matthew Evans, Bridgewater; Zack and Bailee Huddleson, P. J. Frederick, Emily and Joey Huntington, Dawna, Mark, and Patrick Cooley, Julie Metzger and Jordan Tridle, Orient; Jackie Metzger, Brandon Geib, Sidney Hohertz, Joceline Holliday, Savannah Ruby, and Adam Johnston, Greenfield; Katie Lents, Menlo; Joanna Blomquist, Stuart; Ashley West, Tom Walter and Tucker Mittag, Prescott.
All swine exhibitors must participate in a special Food Safety Quality Assurance class to be eligible to sell their pigs at the Adair County Fair. One class was offered in March and an additional class has been scheduled for Monday, April 28 at 7 p.m. at the Extension office.
4-H memberships for the current year will be accepted up to May 15. Members interested in exhibiting animals still have time to sign-up for and identify sheep, meat goats, breeding beef, cow-calf pairs, bucket calves, cats, dogs, horses, rabbits, and poultry. For more information on how to join 4-H, contact the Adair County Extension Office 641-743-8412 or 1-800-ISUE 399.