The next time you regard a supply chain-empty shelf in a grocery store, think about what just happened at Clay-Battelle High School.
Ponder the gavel there that came down last Saturday during the 2022 North Central FFA Ham, Bacon and Egg Sale.
Kent Saul also wants you to consider the hard work involved.
This past weekend was the 73rd edition of the auction, which benefits Future Farmer of America programs at Clay-Battelle and University high schools in Monongalia County and Lincoln High in Harrison County.
Meanwhile, another event is taking place at Clay-Battelle April 30 for the FFA cause, Saul said.
It’s an informational clinic, featuring an array of people who work in the food sciences industry, from farmers to veterinarians to sales and marketing professionals.
The clinic runs from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. today.
“It’s a chance to show everyone how the industry really works,” Saul said.
Since 1949, the FFA auction has been a showcase of agrarian resourcefulness, ever-steady in the shifting soil of changing markets.
Saul, who teaches agricultural science and environmental science at Clay-Battelle, also advises his school’s FFA chapter, on top of helping organize the auction, which he’s done for several years.
Budding farmers who want to raise an animal for the auction are advised to dig in, he said.
“Seven days a week,” he said.
“No days off. The kids are out there in the rain and the snow, and when it’s hot and when it’s cold.”
Jacob Shriver, Jaydon Palmer, Karson Moore, Amber Brewer, Heaven Tennant and Travis Anderson Jr., all of Clay-Battelle and UHS, were recognized for their grand champion offerings at the sale.
Joe R. Pyle Complete Auction and Realty Service wielded the gavel for this year’s auction, which was forced online in 2020 during the height of the pandemic.
Last year’s event was also a blend of live and online, due to the same.
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