New for the 2012 Cass County Fair is a market heifer class. The heifers will be shown separate from the steers but will compete in the Grand Champion Drive with the Beef Market steers.
The maximum weight for market animals will be 1,600 pounds in order to sell in the auction starting in 2012. For the 2012 Cass County Fair, exhibitors may show two market beef animals, and both may sell through the livestock auction.
Market animals must be owned and in the possession of the exhibitor no later than Dec. 1 of the current year. All market steers and heifers are to be tagged and weighed at the mandatory validation on Dec. 3, 2011, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Cass County Fairgrounds. Again this year there will be a $10 exhibitor fee due at validation.
Enter the fairgrounds through the south gate off of M-60 on First Street and line up along the back of the track, steers will be weighed on the west end of the horse barn at the northeast end of the track. A validation form will be submitted for each exhibitor. Weight recorded during validation will be the starting weight for all market animals for the rate-of-gain competition. Exhibitors wishing to enter the Cass County Beef Market Steer Born and Raised competition will be required to submit an entry form during validation.
Forms are available at the MSU Extension office or on the website at http://msu.casscountymi.org/4HYouth/4HDocumentsandForms.aspx.
For more information contact the Michigan State University Extension  office at 445-4438; 120 N. Broadway, Suite 209 in Cassopolis.