Ag Alert Aug 25, 2021

Dixie Fire shuts down fair, but not livestock auction ByKevinHecteman

ple and just the compassion that they had in raising more money for the kids, it was just neat. It would give you goosebumps if youwere there.” MeganNeer, theauction’s chairwoman, saidshewas “super thankful for all thekids that stayed strong with this.” She said that whenthe fairwas canceled, those involved forged ahead. “We still need to help teach these kids that when there’s a roadblock, it’s not the end,” Neer said. Overcoming the road- block, she added, took “many nights, manyphonecalls trying to, at the lastmin- ute, get stuff going for that.” In the end, all but oneor twoof the fam- iliesmade it to Sierraville for the auction. “Theyfollowedthrough,”Neersaidof the

4-H students. “They showed up at the sale over there in a tent and some new white shirts that theybought atWalmart, and just showed what people do and howwe can stillmoveonand live. Itwas really special.” The auction grossed about $519,000— and led tomore support for aDixieFire re- lief fund.Neer saidFiveMarysFarmsoutof Fort Jones in Siskiyou County came to the auction with the intention of supporting IndianValleystudentswho losthomesand animals to the fire. Five Marys resold its auction purchases and donated the funds toDixie Fire relief efforts. Other donations were made to the Clayton Floyd Neer 4-H Steer, Swine, Sheep andGoat Loan fund, Neer said. “It was truly just amazing what they did

ourfamilies,ourcommunitiesandourlands from the increasing threat of fire” Interior SecretaryDebHaaland said ina statement. Unrelated to federal actions, theunion rep- resenting fire crews in California recently reached a tentative agreement toboost the pay of Cal Fire firefighters. An agreement withthestatewouldgivethema2.5%salary hike—on topof recently restoredpay. In2020, state firefighters tookaone-year, 7.5%pay cut. It expired July 1. for these kids,” Neer said. “You just can’t even describe it, really. It melted all their hearts, and it was verymuch respected.” Roberti’s daughter Kristin, the Sierra Valley 4-H president, showed a steer at the event. “We would like to thank volunteers and sponsors for coming togetheronsuchshort noticetohostthelivestockshoweventformy fellow4-HandFFAexhibitorsaswellasmy- self,”theyoungerRobertisaidinastatement. “It was a phenomenal experience for all the kids,” Jane Roberti said, “just to be able tosee their friendsandto interactwith ones whowere affected.” (Kevin Hecteman i s an ass i stant editor of Ag Alert. He may be contacted at khecteman@cfbf.com.)

The massive Dixie Fire canceled the Plumas Sierra County Fair. But the live- stockauctionwent aheadanyway—thanks to some very determined people. “Don’t tell a group of individuals up here that you can’t do something,” said Jane Roberti, a longtime Plumas-Sierra CountyFarmBureaumemberwhoserved as the hastily rearranged event’s advertis- ing coordinator. The junior livestock show and auction, scheduled for Aug. 11-15, had appeared doomed after the fair was forced to cancel its scheduledAug. 19-22 run inQuincy on account of the second-largest wildfire in California’s recorded history. But the sale committee and several volunteers banded together to come up with an alternative, “because we need- ed to make it happen for our exhibitors,” Roberti said. The event was moved to the Sierraville Roping Club Grounds in Sierraville to al- low 4-H and FFA exhibitors the chance to showand sell their animals. The show took place Aug. 13-14, with theauctionbeingheldthemorningofAug. 15. In all, 93 lots were sold, Roberti said, and the buyers were generous. A couple of lambs sold for $100per pound, she said, while a goat fetched $200 per pound. “One lot was a pig that perished in the fire,” Roberti said. “The generosity of peo-

Federal, state fire crews getting pay hikes Thousands of federal firefighters, in- cluding many battling extreme heat and catastrophic wildfires in the West, are about to get a pay raise to $15 anhour. In June, President Bidencalled their pay “unacceptable.” Now firefighters will see pay increases by Aug. 24.

The raises will be retroactive to June 30 forwildland firefighters. Temporary front- line fire crewmembers will receive $1,300 awards, andpermanentwildfirepersonnel will get bonuses equal to10%of their base pay over sixmonths. “Thebravemenandwomenonthefront- linesdeservefairpayfortheirworktoprotect

The raises will go to 11,300 firefighters with the U.S. Forest Service and another 3,500with theDepartment of the Interior. Most federal firefighters are hired at wages of less than $13 an hour—lower than the minimum wage in California andWashington.

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