HERMISTON — When the Umatilla County Fair’s livestock judging and Youth Livestock Auction moved online, the community’s support followed.

The auction raised $488,311 in direct sales for area youths, but by the time all of the bump and add-on donations come in, auction coordinator Marie Linnell estimates the auction’s total will settle around $510,000. Although that’s a lower total than the record-breaking totals of the past couple of years, she said, the number of animals being auctioned off was also smaller, at 208 lots compared with 265 in 2019.

“Overall, it went very well,” she said.

Linnell said some businesses that have been heavily impacted by the pandemic were — understandably — not able to commit as much money to buying an animal, but there were other businesses that were able to step up and give more than usual.

Some people placed bids online, but others simply let the auction committee know what they were looking for and gave the committee the power of proxy to bid for them.

“That’s huge that they just trusted us with their money,” Linnell said.

She said it was “bittersweet” watching children and teens show up at the fairgrounds all dressed up in their show clothes, only to drop their animals off for weighing instead of spending the week with them.

“Nobody really complained,” she said. “They knew we were doing the best we could do, and that was kind of the tone for the whole week.”

Hermiston School District broadcast the livestock judging live on its YouTube channel, and Linnell said that was a hit. Extended family were able to watch from out of town, and she heard that one veterinary clinic had the livestream running in its waiting room.

“One family told me it was like watching a football game, and they were cheering the whole time,” she said.

Tanner Meads, a Hermiston FFA student, said it was “a little different” experience this year just showing up, getting his steer weighed, and then being done for the week.

“It was quick,” he said.

Still, he said before the auction that he would be watching it online to see how it went.

Fair Manager Angie McNalley said she was, as always, impressed by the amount of support the community showed during the auction, even though this year many area businesses are struggling financially.

She said she understood it was frustrating for people as plans kept changing to accommodate new rules from the state, but she was grateful for people’s patience.

“I just want to thank everyone for hanging in there with us,” she said.

McNalley said the fair board, committees, 4-H, FFA and other stakeholders were all focused on being able to still provide an experience for area students, and she is proud of what they were able to accomplish under the circumstances.

“We did the most we could with what little we were allowed to do,” she said.

She said the livestream online of the judging was so popular that the fair plans to bring it back in future years.

“There are things we discovered this year that we should have been doing all along, and that was one of them,” she said. “We really want to grow that piece.”

Usually, the fair uses revenue from concerts, booth rentals, ticket sales and more as seed money for the next year’s fair, and while the fair had lower expenses this year, McNalley said they will still need community support to jumpstart the 2021 event, whatever it looks like. People can find information about donations on the Umatilla County Fair website at umatillacountyfair.net.

They can also find information there about add-on and bump money for the auction, which allows people to add on to a specific animal’s price or put money in a “bump” pool that will be used to bring up the price of the animals that sold for the lowest amounts at the auction. Those donations will be accepted until Aug. 25.

Linnell said about half the steers and almost all of the hogs from the auction “went custom,” meaning they will be processed by local butchers and the meat handed over to the winning bidder. Eastern Oregon Mobile Slaughter, Follet’s Meat and Mike’s Mobile Slaughter usually block out the week after the fair just for processing animals purchased at the auction, she said.

“In today’s world, people want to know where their food comes from,” she said. “They’re going to put that in their family’s freezer.”

The money from the sale of each animal goes to the student who raised the animal, to use as they see fit. This year, Les Schwab of Hermiston and Pendleton donated a $50 add-on to every animal sold, and Beef Northwest added $50 onto every steer.

Market Swine Grand Champion: Broc Erickson (purchased by Elmer’s Irrigation)

Market Swine Reserve Grand Champion: Lydia Vander Stelt (purchased by AgriNorthwest)

Market Rabbit Grand Champion: Kaitlynn Bombela-Post (purchased by Mid-Columbia Producers)

Market Steer Grand Champion: Alyson Terry (purchased by Helena Chemical)

Market Steer Reserve Grand Champion: Blake Betz (purchased by Simplot Grower Solutions)

Market Turkey Grand Champion: Carter Keys (purchased by Les Schwab Hermiston/Pendleton)

Market Turkey Reserve Grand Champion: Tanner Miller (purchased by Gregory Smith & Company)

Market Goat Grand Champion: Kelli Nelson (purchased by Threemile Canyon Farms)

Market Goat Reserve Grand Champion: Quinn Duff (purchased by Copeland Show Calves)

Market Sheep Grand Champion: Michael Rosselle (purchased by Nutrien Ag Solutions)

Market Sheep Reserve Grand Champion: Gavin Bolen (purchased by Bank of Eastern Oregon)