AG SHOW CONTINUES TO GROW:

The 9th annual Cramer Ag Expo drew a large number of exhibitors and visitors to the Stockade at Kinetic Exhibition Park in Swift Current, Feb. 21.

The trade show was sold out with 70 companies displaying their products in 106 booths. A highlight of the expo is the Cramer Cup competition series with awards for entrants in various categories. The top five hog carcasses and other competition entries were auctioned for charity and raised $ 30,125 for different non-profit organizations. The 18 entrants in the hog carcass competition submitted 29 hogs for evaluation by contest judge Jason Care, who is the grading auditor at Manitoba Hog Grading. He was impressed with the entries and noted during his remarks that 96.5 per cent of hogs hit the maximum weight, and almost 50 per cent of the entries received the maximum index

points. The 2,780.5 kilograms (6,130 pounds) of pork from the competition were donated to different charities, representing over 8,000 single servings. The main beneficiaries of this year's donation of fresh pork are the Salvation Army branches in Swift Current, Maple Creek and Regina, Chili for Children lunch program in Regina, and Souls Harbour Rescue Mission in Regina. Below are the results from the Cramer Cup competition series and the outcome of the charity auction.

Canola winner – Bench Farms, Haylage winner – Main Centre Colony, Cereal silage winner – Golden View Colony, Hay 1 (dryland hay) winner – Haven Colony, Irrigated hay winner – Carmichael Colony.

Pie contest winner – Ida Stahl, Earview Colony (bought by

Masterfeeds, $275 donated to STARS).

Eggs competition – 1st place Abbey Colony ( bought by Masterfeeds, $500 donated to STARS), 2nd place Waldeck Colony (bought by Masterfeeds, $225 donated to Jim Pattison Children's Hospital), 3rd place Pennant Colony (bought by Masterfeeds, $125 donated to STARS).

Hog carcass competition – 1st place Earview Colony (bought by Fortified Nutrition, $5,000 donated to STARS), 2nd place Smiley Colony (bought by Standard Nutrition, $6,750 donated to Jim Pattison Children's Hospital), 3rd place Wymark Colony (bought by Matrix, $3,250 donated to STARS), 4th place Baildon Colony ( bought by Proveta Nutrition, $ 9,000 donated to Ronald McDonald House), 5th place Tompkins Colony (bought by Friesen Nutrition, $5,000 donated to HEART diving team).

A variety of commercial exhibitors attended the 9th annual Cramer Ag Expo in Swift Current, Feb. 21. Photos by Matthew Liebenberg

Joseph Stahl of Earview Colony receives the trophy and championship cup for the grand champion hog carcass from Doug Cramer.

Egg competition winner Nathan Wipf of Abbey Colony watches while auctioneer Tyler Smyth takes bids during the live auction. The eggs were sold for $500 to Masterfeeds and the money was donated to STARS.

Roger Kostron of Masterfeeds takes bids from the floor during the live auction at the 9th annual Cramer Ag Expo, Feb. 21. In the background is auctioneer Tyler Smyth.