Several honored at livestock meeting
By Sam Atkins
Published in News on February 24, 2004 1:58 PM
The Wayne County Livestock Development Association recognized several award winners, reflected on the past year and discussed what is ahead at its 56th annual meeting at the Wayne Center on Monday.
Susan Sauls received the 2003 Wayne County Outstanding Livestock Producer Award for her "continuous support of youth livestock education and development in the county."
News-Argus/Sam Atkins
Susan Sauls won the 2003 Wayne County Outstanding Livestock Producer Award and R. Charles Aycock accepted the Service Award at the Wayne County Livestock Development AssociationÍs annual meeting on Monday.
She has been in livestock production in the Grantham community for 13 years, maintaining a quality sheep herd and raising lambs for young people to show in livestock projects, said Eileen Coite, livestock extension agent.
Ms. Sauls has raised 71 lambs for livestock shows and breeding stock since 1998 and the animals have been supplied to herds as far away as Indiana and Maine.
She has served on the swine commodity committee of the association for several years and has helped in the planning and preparation of the county's Junior Livestock Show and Sale and the junior market hog show at the Wayne Regional Agricultural Fair, added Ms. Coite.
Ms. Sauls has been an active 4-H leader in the county for nearly 20 years and provides a complete educational workshop on market lambs and breeding ewes each spring at her farm for the 4-H livestock judging team, she added.
During the meeting, R. Charles Aycock accepted the Service Award for his years of dedication and loyalty to the association. Aycock lives in Pikeville and has been an association board member since 1992. He was named second vice-president in 1998 and has been first vice-president since 1999, said Curtis Shivar, association president.
He has also served on the fair committee, Junior Livestock Show and Sale committee, the association's executive and planning committee and has been a supporter of and buyer in the show and sale for many years, added Shivar.
Milton Ingram, fair manager, gave a report on this year's successful fair. The Wayne fair won the Image Award for the best fair in 2003. It competed against 48 agricultural fairs in the state. Ingram said it has won the award 10 times since 1977, which is more than any other fair in the state.
It won the Commissioner of Agriculture Award for the second consecutive year for the best Goodness Grows exhibit in the state. The exhibit was prepared by Ingram's wife, Sandra. Along with a plaque, the fair was awarded a $750 check, which will be used for new additions or repairs in the coming years.
Ingram was the recipient of the 2003 Holmes-McBride Memorial Award, which is presented to an individual for dedicated service to the fair industry. He has been the fair manager for 19 years and has been active in the N.C. Association of Agricultural Fairs by serving on its board of directors for eight years.
He has been president and vice president of the association, chairman of several committees and conducted many workshops at the annual conventions and conferences. He is also active in the international association.
The fair was presented with three large trophies for winning three of the categories at the 2003 N.C. State Fair showcase of county fairs.
The Teach 4-H Club won the youth exhibit category; Rachel Rawls won the adult flower and floral design category; and Caroline Finch won the youth baked goods category. They each received premium checks and their trophies will be kept at the county fairgrounds.
The fair also won first place for agricultural participation, meaning it had more and better agricultural exhibits than any other in the state.
The association's board of directors has upgraded its priority list of what it will concentrate on for this year's fair, which will run from Sept. 30 through Oct. 9.
The show and sale had 70 youth that participated and raised a total of $40,000 through animal sales, showmanship premiums and other awards. Much of the money will go towards a college education, said Ms. Coite.
In his president's report, Curtis Shivar touched on several of the association's successes in 2003. He believes last year's fair was the most successful one ever.
He said the year began with the association moving into a new office at the fairgrounds. It provides a place for the board to meet and enables the fair staff to have more room to operate during the event. The board has spent over $1 million dollars for fairground improvements in the last 17 years, added Shivar.
He ended by expressing how agriculture and livestock production in the county has changed and will continue to change. The county is the fourth leading agricultural county in the state and the latest data shows livestock and poultry gross farm sales at $197 million. This represents 77 percent of the total gross farm sales. Years ago, total field crop sales exceeded total livestock and poultry.
Livestock association scholarships were awarded to the following high school students:
*Matthew Neighbors of Rosewood High School received a $1,200 scholarship to attend Wayne Community College.
*John Tart III of Southern Wayne High School received a $2,400 scholarship to attend N.C. State University.
Jimmy Sasser, who served on the association's board for eight years, and Karen Cox, who served for four years, both received a certificate of appreciation.
The association's 2004 officers are Curtis Shivar, president; R. Charles Aycock, first vice-president; Ashley Glover, second vice-president; and Eddie Pitzer, secretary-treasurer.
Billy Ray Thomas and Roy Outlaw were elected to serve four-year terms ending in 2008 on the association's board of directors. Michael Williams was elected to serve a two-year term ending in 2006.
The standing committee chairs are Ashley Glover -- cattle; Billy Ray Thomas -- horse; Jim (Barb) Williamson -- poultry; Mike Williams -- swine; and Milton Ingram -- fair.
The nominating committee is Brian Mitchell, chairman, Mike Williams and Tony Ballance.