The DeKalb County Free Fall Fair wrapped up Indiana's fair season on Sept. 30. The 4-H livestock auction earned $180,340.07 on 252 lots. Last year's auction saw a total of $311,336.32 on the same number of lots.
Briar Munsey of Wilmington Twp. set a new record in the swine auction with his grand champion barrow. He sold his 266-pound barrow for $4,700 ($17.66 per pound) to the Friends and Family of Briar Munsey support group. The reserve was not sold.
Eighty head of swine sold for $57,548.33.
The grand champion dairy beef steer weighed 1,623 pounds and was sold by Ethan Strong of Concord Twp. for $3,330 ($2.05 per pound) and was purchased by the Friends and Family of Ethan Strong support group. The reserve dairy steer did not sell. Peyton Stout of Smithfield Twp. sold the 587-pound grand champion dairy feeder for $2,325 ($3.96 per pound) to the Friends and Family of Peyton Stout buyer's group. The reserve did not sell.
Dairy beef sales contributed $34,310 to the livestock auction on 29 lots.
In the lamb sale, Cole Kelham of Butler Twp. sold the top 143-pound lamb for $1,550 (10.83 per pound) to Bruce Scranage. The 166-pound reserve lamb was sold by Smithfield Twp.'s Jensen Snyder for $1,000 ($6.02 per pound) to Community State Bank.
A total of $9,345 was earned on 13 sheep lots.
Exhibiting the grand champion beef steer was Ross Brumbaugh. He did not sell his steer and plans to exhibit it at the National Western Stock Show in Denver, Colo. The reserve was exhibited by Redmin Brumbaugh and also did not sell.
Receipts from 14 head of beef cattle added up to $16,641.67.
Dairy milk sales were led by Logen Brand of Smithfield Twp. with his grand champion Brown Swiss cow. He sold his milk for $2,380 to the Friends and Family of Logen Brand support group.
Seven lots of dairy were sold for $6,475.
The top dairy goat wether was exhibited and sold by Hannah Yoder of Spence Twp. Her goat sold for $1,325 to C Yoder and Sons Farm. The grand champion meat wether was sold by Amarra Nester of Fairfield Twp. for $2,150. Her buyers were part of the Friends and Family of Amarra Nester support group.
Goat sales added up to $36,060.07 on 57 head.
In poultry sales, Brooklyn Barkhaus of Jackson Twp. led the way selling her grand champion commercial poultry for $425 to Trademark Title. The reserve did not sell.
Twenty-three lots of poultry sold for $5,905.
Jackson Twp.'s Ryan Depew started the rabbit sale with his grand champion roaster rabbit. He sold the rabbit for a record-breaking price of $1,400 to the Friends and Family of Ryan DePew support group. The reserve roaster was sold by Addison Freed of Union Twp. for $425 to Wible Realty.
The champion stewer rabbit was sold by Kennedy Smyth of Franklin Twp. for $855 to Smyth Farms. The reserve stewer was sold by Catherine York for $350 to Fairfield Twp. Auction.
Twenty-six lots of rabbits sold for $12,735.
Other items that were sold during the auction were a Horse and Pony club item that raised $500 for the club and a padded chair was sold for $125. A pink panther was sold for $200 and benefited the 4-H council and a summer judging item was sold for $450.