Hog time at the Sonoma County Fair

Mallory Gomes of Petaluma received $15 a pound for her Supreme Grand Champion hog at Thursday’s swine auction at the Sonoma County Fair.

The barrel Hampshire hog that Gomes named Josiah was purchased jointly by Craig Nordby of Nordby Construction, Larry Wasem of Wasem Investments and Windsor developer Richard Coombs.

Josiah weighed in at about 270 pounds, Gomes said, meaning she will receive slightly more than $4,000 for the sale. She plans to use the funds for her college education, probably to pursue a degree in health care or nursing.

Gomes, a senior at Casa Grande High, was the first person to have her hog auctioned Thursday morning at the annual auction.

This is her ninth year showing pigs and enjoys the friendly competition with the other 4H and FFA students.

“My favorite part is when I get in the ring,” Gomes said.

Last year’s auction took in about $350,000 for 322 swine. Fair officials said the auction rewards youth who work hard raising their animals and who represent the future of agriculutre in Sonoma County.

“There’s a lot of good kids,” said fair board President Ralph Bettinelli, surveying the young people around the auction ring.

The fair’s record price for a hog was $32 a pound, set in 2005.