Benton Franklin Fair’s market stock auction brings in $855,000

This year’s market stock auction at the Benton Franklin Fair & Rodeo brought in about $855,000.

More than 550 kids from Benton and Franklin counties and the Columbia School District in Burbank participated, selling steer, goats, lambs and pigs after spending months raising the animals.

The kids keep the money from the sales, said Lance Dever, president of the fair’s market stock committee.

“A lot of the money goes into college funds and things like that,” he said. “They learn responsibility. A lot of good lessons are learned through this.”

About $7,000 also was raised for livestock barn and facility improvements at the fairgrounds, Dever said.

The fair was set to end its five-day run on Saturday.

This story was originally published August 27, 2016 at 8:11 PM with the headline "Benton Franklin Fair’s market stock auction brings in $855,000."