Branch Auction Exceeds $351,000
Published: Friday, August 16, 2019
Branch County junior livestock exhibitors earned $351,567.83 during county fair last week in Coldwater. The total from last Friday's large animal auction was $231,304.26, while small animal exhibitors raked in $118,663.57 during last Thursday's event.
The total was down over $50,000 from last year's effort of $405,354.
Katrina Howe of Athens was first in the beef auction, selling her 1,275-pound steer for $4.55 per pound ($5,800) to Ceres Solutions, Greenstone Farm Credit Services, Pine Ridge Farm Services Inc., Athens Auto Supply, AcMoody Farms, Hoath Auto, Larry Yoder and Yoder Family Farms.
Aden Hathaway of Coldwater sold the reserve champion beef steer for $4.75 per pound ($6,100). Buyers included Ceres Solutions, Wonders Repair and Fabrication, Pine Ridge Farm Services Inc., Janet Hathaway, MWI, IDEXX and Elanco. The steer weighed 1,285 pounds.
The grand champion dairy steer was exhibited by Elly Brewer of Quincy. The 1,484-pound steer was auctioned for $1.68 per pound ($2,500) to N.G. Michael Construction, Bear and Karen Ratkowski, Century Bank and Trust, Shipshewana Livestock, Haylett Auto and RV, Bracy Ag Services, Bronson Veterinary Service, Brewer Refrigeration Air Conditioning and Heating, M&K Plumbing and Heating, Mark Harwell Trucking, Strawberry Ridge Farm, Brian and Kelly Mainstone family, Barrows Farms/Kalmbach Feeds, Central Grace Farms, Penta Equipment of Ontario Canada, and A. Paul and Krisann Dygert.
Matthew Gipple of Coldwater was next with the reserve champion dairy steer. The 1,479-pound animal brought $1.62 per pound ($2,400) from Hook Farms, Dairyland Seed/Sherman Farms, Dove Ag Services Inc., Orland Community Elevator, McCurley Farms, Bucklin Farms, Farmer's Cabinet Shop, and Jerry and Jill Bucklin.
Beef and dairy beef led the way in last Friday's large animal auction, bringing in $90,256.59.
Alexa Graham and her older brother Cyrus, both of East Leroy, claimed the top awards in the swine show. Alexa showed the 269-pound grand champion market hog and sold it for $2,100 ($7.81 per pound) to Roberts Barn Equipment, Eastman and Kathryn McFadden, Albright Swine Farms, Shiery Farms, Bronson Veterinary Service, Swift and Skidmore Grain, Dunks Farm, Ceres Solutions, Pridgeon Farms, Fischer Vet Clinic, Haylett Auto and RV, Pullen Show Supplies LLC, Pine Ridge Farm Services Inc., Mark Harwell Trucking, Crystal Flash Energy, Dove Ag Services Inc., Butler Body Shop LLC, AcMoody Farms and Greenstone Farm Credit Services.
With the reserve champion market hog, Cyrus Graham earned $4.83 per pound ($1,250) from Dunks Farm, Ceres Solutions, Mark Harwell Trucking, CMG Farms, Pullen Show Supplies LLC, Shiery Animal Clinic, and Kincaid Auto and Truck Repair. Cyrus' hog weighed $259 pounds.
The swine auction generated $81,973.67 in receipts.
In sheep, Kade Shiery of Camden earned $14.29 per pound ($2,000) from the sale of his grand champion market lamb. Two buyers, Shiery Animal Clinic and AcMoody Farms, purchased the 140-pounder.
The reserve champion lamb was exhibited by Cameron Converse of Union City. The 131-pound wether was purchased for an impressive $40.46 per pound ($5,300). Buyers included Greenstone Farm Credit Services, McDonnall Harvestor and Parts, P&M Precision Planting Services, Ceres Solutions, B&M Crop Consulting, Jacks Food Pride Grocery, Courtesy Car and Truck, Warner Oil, Custom Agri Services, Scott Fair Agency/Farm Bureau Insurance, Mark Harwell Trucking, The Andersons of Reading, Albion and White Pigeon, Dove Ag Services, Pine Ridge Farm Services Inc., Vita Plus, Dally Tire, Solutions Tool and Gage, and Complete Industrial Services.
Receipts from the sheep sale amounted to $28,419.25.
For the second year in a row, Payton Hines of Quincy showed the grand champion meat goat. She earned $1,500 from Bob and Treva Hines, Hunt's Concrete Construction and Boer Goat, Keith Berry Farms, Wildt Farms Beck Seeds, Edward Jones/Jay Wright, Fischer Vet Clinic, and Schrader family/Schrader Livestock.
The reserve champion meat goat was exhibited by Carter Pish of Bronson. He received $1,500 from Superior Auto, Great Lakes Sire Service, Brad and Sara Stroble, Wana Feeds, J. Richard Colbeck, Michael Sickels and Pish Meat Goats.
The grand champion dairy breed goat, shown by Bailey Miller of Coldwater, was sold for $300 to Swift and Skidmore. The reserve champion dairy wether was exhibited by Olivia Davenport of Coldwater and was auctioned for $500 to Parrish Excavating Inc.
The goat auction raised $18,054.75.
Youth dairy exhibitors appeared in the auction ring to raise money for educational activities and to cover the cost of attending dairy judging contests. The donations amounted to $12,600. Kaylee Kriser exhibited the grand champion Holstein and supreme champion dairy cow at this year's fair. Other champion exhibitors were: Hannah Metzger, Jersey; Hayley Wineland, Ayrshire and AOB (any other breed); Andrew Dunn, Guernsey; and Hope Shilling, Brown Swiss.
The highest selling animal in last Thursday's small animal auction was the grand champion dairy starter calf exhibited by Ryan Murphy of Coldwater. Murphy Farms had the high bid at $2,500. The reserve champion starter calf was shown by Bryson Cox and sold for $1,000 to Calvery Supply Intergrated.
The starter calf auction generated $91,895.22.
Skylar Danbury sold his grand champion ducks for $200 to Gray Well Service. The reserve champion ducks, exhibited by Paige Wineland, sold for $100 to Super Vac Air Duct Cleaning and Wilcor Electric.
Garret Gruner auctioned his grand champion market geese for $500 to Carole Connin. The reserve champion geese were shown by Colyn Blair and sold for $175 to Emily and C.J. Lawhorn.
Makiya Feltner of Union City claimed grand champion in Cornish chickens. She sold her pen for $200 to Matt Haylett Homes. The reserve champion Cornish chickens belonging to Christion Clark sold for $200 to Gray Well Service LLC.
Ethin Clark received $200 from Haylett Auto and RV for the grand champion roaster chickens. Aley Wonders of Bronson was next with the reserve champion roasters. They fetched $900 from Wonders Repair and Fab, George and Thelma Wonders, Control Concepts, Jan's GPS Soil Sampling, Van Vorst Farms, Stroh Farm Supply, Michael's Lawn Service, Slone Show Stock, Bear and Karen Ratkowski, Richard and Sue Losinski, Angela and Derek Wonders, Bronson Rotary and Great Lakes Sire Service.
The grand champion broiler chickens were shown by Dreden Feltner of Union City. He sold the birds for $200 to Ceres Solutions. Conner Sarles brought the reserve champion broilers and sold them for $200 to Haylett Auto and RV.
In turkeys, the grand champion belonging to Jacob Kunkle was auctioned for $650 to Randy and Teresa Kunkle, John Shilling, Jan and Heather White, SMB&T, Shipshewana Livestock, Century Bank and Trust, Strawberry Ridge Farm, Ed Marsh, Darin and Angela Higbee, Tractor Supply Co., Shilling Farms, Ted Goshorn, Pell's Tire Service, Coldwater Orthodontics, and The Andersons of Reading, Albion and White Pigeon.
Joshua Smith sold the reserve champion turkeys for $300 to Central Grace Farms.
Overall, the sale of ducks, geese, chickens and turkeys generated $16,303.25.
In rabbits, Caitlin Plank of Hillsdale sold her grand champion single fryer for $200 to the Branch County Fair board. The reserve champion fryer, exhibited by Peyton Green, brought $200 from Don Stiverson.
Emma Porter of Coldwater sold the grand champion pen of fryers for $275 to Jeni's Daycare. The reserve champion pen belonging to Hanna Smith brought $175 from New Media Productions.
The grand champion single roaster was shown by MaKenzie Blatter and sold for $250 to Val's Veggies. For $150, Peyton Proctor sold her reserve champion roaster to State Rep. Eric Leutheuser.
The grand champion stewer rabbit was exhibited by Aley Wonders of Bronson. She earned $1,100 from Moody and Crew LLC, Tyson and Lisa Franks, George and Thelma Wonders, Control Concept, Bear and Karen Ratkowski, Kold Kreek Farm, Curt Albright Farms, Van Vorst Farms, Michael's Lawn Service, Slone Show Stock, Wonders Repair and Fab, Ayers Insurance/Tyler Losinski, and Bella Vista Golf Course.
Elyse Shedd received $300 for the reserve champion stewer. The buyer was Grey Well Service LLC.
The rabbit auctioned contributed $10,227.60.
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