What the Lawrence County Junior Fair Livestock Sale Is
The Junior Fair Livestock Sale is where Lawrence County 4-H and FFA exhibitors sell the market animals they raised for the year, and where local businesses and families buy them. It is held on the final day of the Lawrence County Fair, which in 2026 ran Monday, July 13 through Saturday, July 18. The most recent sale was Saturday, July 18, 2026. It is run by the Lawrence County Livestock Sale Committee with OSU Extension Lawrence County and the county 4-H office.
What Is Sold and in What Order
Market animals are sold by the head, in this order: rabbits, lambs, goats, hogs, steers, then poultry (turkeys and chickens). Every market animal is terminal. It goes to a designated livestock yard or harvesting facility and cannot go back to the exhibitor, and animals load out directly from the sale ring with no changes. Champion pictures are allowed before the exhibitor leaves the ring.
Ways to Buy
| Option | How it works |
|---|---|
| Resale | Buy the animal and send it to resale at the livestock market. You pay the difference between the auction price and the posted resale value. Example: a $1,500 lamb with a $260 resale value costs the buyer $1,240. There is no resale value for rabbits or chickens. |
| Process for your own use | Buy hogs, lambs, goats, steers or turkeys and have the meat processed for personal use, paying the full bid amount. Rabbits and chickens are excluded because no local harvester is available. |
Grand and Reserve champions must go to a state-inspected facility, as required by the Ohio Department of Agriculture, and stay there until they pass inspection and the meat is released. Buyers of a champion name one buyer to pay for the meat, and the remaining cost is split equally among all buyers.
Processors named for the sale are AW Meat House (Argillite, KY), Opell Meats (Catlettsburg, KY), Patriot Meats (Ona, WV) and R&C Packing (Bidwell, OH). AW Meat House takes turkeys as well as beef, sheep, swine and goats.
How It Works: The Timeline
- Pre-register as a buyer online at go.osu.edu/lawcobuyer (recommended). You can then track purchases live and pay online. New buyers who do not know a buyer ID can leave the field blank.
- After registering you receive an email from FairEntry with a sign-in link.
- On Saturday, July 18, buyer check-in and registration ran 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. at the Check-In Table or Buyer Registration Table, where you pick up your buyer number. Buyers who registered in 2025 do not need a new account but should check in to confirm contact details.
- Bid during the sale in the order above.
- Pay by Friday, July 31.
Payment
- Preferred: pay on sale day by check, cash or credit card. Credit cards carry about a 3 percent processing fee.
- Online payment is available through the pre-registration system.
- Final deadline: July 31.
- Make checks payable to, and mail them to, Lawrence County Livestock Sale Committee, PO Box 722, Ironton, OH 45638.
Fill the Freezer
Buyers and exhibitors can donate meat through the Lawrence County Community Foundation's Fill the Freezer program.
Where
The sale is held at the Lawrence County Fair in the Proctorville area. A 2026 buyer letter is available for download from the OSU Extension Lawrence County 4-H page.
Questions
Do I have to take the animal home?
No. Choose resale and the animal goes to the livestock market; you pay only the difference.
Can I buy a rabbit or chicken for meat?
No. Rabbits and chickens are excluded from processing because no local harvester is available.
Can I pay by card?
Yes, with about a 3 percent fee.
Who do I call?
OSU Extension Lawrence County, 111 South 4th Street, Ironton, 740-533-4322.
Official Links
- Lawrence County Junior Fair Sale: buyer registration, options and payment
- Lawrence County Fair: OSU Extension Lawrence County
Ohio County Fairs and Junior Livestock Shows: The Essentials
Ohio's 2026 fair season listed 94 county and independent fairs plus the Ohio State Fair, running from the Paulding County Fair on June 6 to the Fairfield County Fair ending October 17, per Spectrum News.
State fair
The Ohio State Fair ran July 29 to August 9 in Columbus, and its preliminary livestock schedule put the Sale of Champions on August 9.
Rules and dates
Statewide, market animal exhibitors must finish Quality Assurance at least 45 days before the show, and leasing market animals is not allowed, per the livestock rules overview. Ownership and tagging dates vary by county. Lucas County, for example, set a January 1 ownership date for market beef, per its livestock rules.
Next steps
Ask your county Extension office or FFA advisor for your fair book, tagging dates and sale rules. Weights and entry limits differ by fair, and Pickaway County, for instance, caps exhibitors at 10 animals with no more than 5 market animals. Put QA, tagging and registration dates on one calendar the day you receive them.
Read the full guide: Ohio County Fairs and Junior Livestock Shows
Other Upcoming Events Nearby
- Lawrence County Fair
Fair week for Lawrence County is based in Proctorville, drawing local exhibitors and visitors. Held each year; the most recent dates were July 13-18, 2026.
Proctorville, OH Official event details - Wayne County 4-H Recognition Banquet
Annual banquet honoring Wayne County 4-H members and volunteers, held Nov. 12, 2026 in the Event Center at the fairgrounds.
- Ohio Farm Bureau Annual Meeting
The 107th Ohio Farm Bureau Annual Meeting brought members to downtown Columbus for two days. Held each year; the most recent dates were December 11-12, 2025.
- Wayne County 4-H Beef Weigh-In
Market beef project members weigh in at the Coliseum on the Wayne County fairgrounds; Jan. 24 was the weather makeup date. Held each year; the most recent date was Jan. 10, 2026.
Wooster, OH Official event details - Shelby County 4-H Market Beef Weigh-In and Tagging
Market cattle weigh-in and tagging for Shelby County junior fair exhibitors at the fairgrounds, with a Jan. 25 makeup date for bad weather. Held each year; the most recent date was Jan. 11, 2026.
Sidney, OH Official event details
Listing checked Nov. 11, 2026 against this source. Details can change; confirm with the organizer.