Although the overall number of pies were down this year, the Central Missouri Ag Club’s annual Pie Auction nonetheless raised $43,100 for agriculture student scholarships Saturday night.

 

Central Missouri Ag Club Ag Committee President Danny Young said the purpose of the annual event is to “basically support agriculture and support youth in agriculture, because if not for the youth and the next generation, farming is going to die,” Young said prior to the start of Saturday night’s event, held at the Pork Palace on the Missouri State Fairgrounds.

 

“So you gotta help them go to college, get scholarships, so we’re basically raising money for scholarships to more kids to stay in the agricultural field,” Young told KSIS.

 

He noted that admission proceeds from the pie auction don’t really cover much more than the meal. It’s the auction of homemade specialty pies that bring in the big bucks.

 

“We don’t try to make a lot on the meal. The auction is really where we make our money,” Young explained.

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Most pies brought an average top bid of between $800 and $1100.

 

Each entrant made two identical pies, one of which had a slice removed prior to the event for judging purposes.

Lance Gerken & Glen Larue were the auctioneers for the pie auction.

 

Over 250 people attended the pie auction.

 

Skyline Elementary students created ag-themed artwork as placemats for the event.

 

Erica Petersen, senior vice president in charge of business development at Central Bank of Sedalia, talked about how Central Bank consistently supports local agriculture.

 

“Central Bank is a sponsor of the Pie Auction, so we get to carry the pies around during the auction, so everybody can see them up close & personal, and see if they really do want to make that bid on that pie or not,” Petersen said.

 

“This event is so vital to our community, supporting youth in agriculture. That’s what we’re here for … teaching that next generation … and being part of that is wonderful,” Petersen stressed.

 

Dr. Doug Kiburz was the featured performer Saturday night, singing and accompanied by Nathan Benscoter on acoustic guitar.

 

Young noted that the next big event for the Central Mo Ag Club is the annual Ag Expo, scheduled for Feb. 7-8 at the Mathewson Exhibition Center and Lowell Mohler Joint Assembly Building on the Missouri State Fairgrounds.

 

Admission is free for the two-day event, which will feature ag-related vendors from all over mid-Missouri.

 

Central Bank will be serving hundreds of hot dogs to those attending, Petersen noted, and is one the major sponsors of that event as well.

 

In the top photo:  Haleigh Mullins, Commercial Banking and Marketing Specialist for Central Bank of Sedalia, displays one of numerous pies up for auction at the Central Mo Ag Club's Pie Auction, held Jan. 25 at the Pork Palace on the Missouri State Fairgrounds.

Pie Auction

Central Mo Ag Club fund-raiser

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