NH 4-H Livestock Auction is back at the Hopkinton Fair - September 7th
The NH 4-H Livestock Auction is looking forward to its return at the Hopkinton Fair on Monday, September 7th. Twenty-four 4-H youth from across New Hampshire have been raising market beef, swine, goats, lamb, and new for 2026; broiler chickens and meat rabbits, to fill the freezers of local buyers. Anyone from the public is invited to attend the auction and bid on market-ready animals. The 4-H members who participate in the livestock auction are passionate about raising livestock but also providing high quality food to their communities.
For 2026, 2 beef steers, 19 lambs, 7 goats, and 11 market hogs will be auctioned live. 6 lots of broiler chickens, and 8 lots of meat rabbits will also be available (these lots are sold as a pair, and processed in advance of the auction). The show begins at 10:00am, for buyers to see all of the animals, and the sale will begin at 12:00pm. All buyers are encouraged to also attend a luncheon in between the show and sale to speak to the 4-H members and Livestock Auction committee members about the animals and the buying process.
The event itself is the final culmination of a 4-H market project. Work for the auction starts long before September in the springtime. 4-H members select their market projects and begin raising and training them for the show and sale. Throughout the summer, the 4-H members keep diligent records to track the animal’s weight gain, record feed rations, and analyze expenses to help ensure the animal is market- ready in time for September, and that they have a profitable outcome. The youth sellers also work closely with 4-H volunteers along the way who share their expertise in raising livestock with them.
The NH 4-H Livestock Auction serves as an opportunity for anyone looking to purchase food that was raised close to home in New Hampshire. At the fair, the 4-H members are happy to answer questions about how their animals were raised, the feed they were given, and the time and dedication they put into raising a quality food product. Additionally, the auction has two on-site processors available to transport animals to their facilities with open processing appointments. Lemay and Son’s LLC is a USDA inspected processor, and Bator’s Farm is a local processor from New Ipswich.
Anyone interested in purchasing an animal can complete a request to receive a pass to the fair on the day of the auction to live bid on an animal. Anyone unable to attend in person can place a pre-bid prior to the event.
For questions about the event, contact Hannah Majewski, NH 4-H Animal Science Field Specialist.
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