4-H’er Mallory VanCaeseele may not have placed as well at the Ontario County Fair in Canandaigua, NY, as she would have liked with her beef cattle; however, the $8,500 – top money – garnered at the fair’s 4-H auction removed some of the sting.
Mallory could feel proud knowing that Hemdale Farms in Seneca Castle, a prestigious farm in the area, thought well enough of her project to purchase the animal for $15,000, a sum donated to 4-H, and then donated the animal back to Mallory to re-auction. The subsequent buyer was Jared Brush of Hidden Springs Farm in Mendon, NY, for $8,500, which Mallory kept.
Mallory represented Tall Pines Farm in Farmington, NY. Her family farms their own 63 acres, plus 300 rented acres, harvesting 250 acres of round bale hay and raising 35 head of Texas Longhorn and registered Simmental cattle on a feedlot. The farm also offers equipment and livestock hauling services.
Sometimes, a cow just doesn’t catch the judge’s eye.
“She did well showing the steer, but placings weren’t great,” said Eric VanCaeseele, Mallory’s father. “It’s all the judge’s opinion. But my daughter made out extremely well.”
An athlete during the school hear, Mallory devotes her summer to preparing animals for the fair. This was her first year participating in the 4-H auction. Her sister Anna doesn’t prefer helping with the animals, but does pitch in during showing season. The girls operate a small farmstand with their chickens’ eggs and in-season produce.
Eric believes that developing knowledge of the animal provides an edge in the showring, along with “putting in the time in at home, which my daughter has done,” he said. “The fruits of her labor were shown. As far as when you’re at the fair, knowing what the judges are looking for helps. Have eye contact and handle the animal without getting frustrated.”
The VanCaeseeles work with Eric’s parents, Robert and Linda, retirees who also raise about 15 head of freezer beef on their 100-acre farm in Palmyra. Between them, they sell about 30 head annually as USDA-inspected wholes, halves and quarters. Robert also raises about 20 to 25 pigs in similar fashion.
Eric works for the Ontario Co. Highway Department; his wife Kate runs an eBay-based clothing store, TallPinesApparel.
Eric believes that the key for selling quality beef starts with quality ingredients, like corn, and keeping the feed free from byproducts.
“It’s not organic, but all-natural using the minerals we get,” Eric said. “It doesn’t contain bone meal byproduct, just the minerals they need mixed in with corn.”
They also feed first and second cutting hay mixed with third cutting baleage. After six months, the cattle are weaned and after six to eight months in the feedlot, they’re ready for harvesting.
Showing at the fair “gets our name out there and puts a face to my name and brings reality to it,” Eric said. “People who go to Wegmans and buy meat don’t know where it comes from. But people who go to the fair see my kids brushing their cows and can see the full circle experience. It really drives it home where their meat comes from.
The VanCaeseele children have expressed interest in showing someday at the Wayne County Fair in Palmyra and someday the Great New York State Fair.
