Kniss Leads the Cassopolis Dairy Beef Sale
Published: Friday, August 11, 2023
Evan Kniss of Niles showed the grand and reserve champion dairy market steers at the Cass County Fair auction in Cassopolis. Paying $4 a pound ($5,980) for the 1,495-pound grand champion were Jason Bemtzer of Bemtzer Inc., Mike Breisch of Hartford Glass and Tom Hill of Hill Excavating. Christianson Industries bought the reserve champion for $2.25 per pound ($3,060). Add-ons totaled $100.
Cass County youths sold a total of 821 lots for $726,511.62 last Thursday. In 2022, 688 lots sold for $698,630.40.
Brianna Stockwell of Dowagiac sold the top dairy feeder calf and the top market hog. She earned a total of $5,301.50 between the two, with the dairy feeder calf selling for $2.75 per pound ($2,285 after add-ons) to Wayne High, and her barrow to Butch Bender, the Hartsell family, Community Mills and Rena and Gabriel Tone for $10.50 per pound ($3,016.50 after add-ons). The Holstein weighed 545 pounds and the barrow weighed 273 pounds.
The reserve champion dairy feeder calf was sold by Faith Tharp of Niles for $2.50 per pound. Buying the 535-pound calf was Hartford Glass Buyers Club.
Jena Bradley of Cassopolis received $4 per pound ($2,000) from Hibshman Screw Machine of Union, Mich. and Shane Harris for her 1,250-pound grand champion beef steer. After add-ons, she earned a total of $5,000. In the reserve spot was Kyla Sparks of Marcellus, who earned $2.35 per pound in the sale of her 1,195-pound reserve champion. After add-ons, she accrued a total of $6,808.25. Buying was Wayne High of High Farms.
As the auction continued, prices went up. Andy Valler of Crystal Flash bought the grand champion market lamb from Katherine Gregory of Edwardsburg, paying $9.50 per pound ($1,301.50) for the 137-pound wether. The reserve champion was sold by Ella Boulanger of Cassopolis for a whopping $11 per pound ($1,474). The ewe weighed 134 pounds.
The dairy club entered the ring with a gallon of milk and a representative cow. The milk was auctioned off for a total of $13,640 to a buyer group (see list at end of story). After add-ons, the amount reached $14,060 for the club members, who split the price based on their 2023 achievements. Showing the supreme cow was Colton Cady of Decatur.
Finishing out the sale was the swine auction, which Stockwell led. The runnerup hog was Jackson Whitmyer's 248-pound gilt. The Cassopolis youth sold his reserve champion hog to Mike and Tabi Pollard for $4.50 per pound ($1,116).
A total of 296 lots of large animals sold, bringing in $525,156.15. Subtotals by species are: 72 dairy feeders, $113,023.75; 57 beef steers and dairy beef, $198,809.50; 42 lambs, $40,952.90; 1 lot of dairy, $14,060; and 124 swine, $158,310.
In the small animal auction, 525 lots sold for a total of $173,455.47. Subtotals by species include: 74 goats, $42,310; 224 rabbits, $82,465; 103 chickens, $31,000.16; 38 turkeys, $16, 340; 82 ducks, $26,865; 3 geese, $875.31; and one dozen eggs, $1,500.
Madison Marshall of Lawton received $225 from Elk Park Feed Store for her grand champion dairy goat. The reserve champion was sold by Kniss to R&R Builders for $250. The grand champion meat goat belonged to Niles' Elaine Starr. It sold to Hartsell Promotions for $500. Adam Starr brought in $550 with his sale of the reserve champion to Cass Auto Supply and Chad Geoit.
Dowagiac's Cheyenne Wilson sold her champion fryer to the Everett Smith family, Mengel's Watercress Farm, Amanda Wilson and Walther Farms for $1,100. Grace Maynard of Edwardsburg sold the runnerup to B&Q Machine Inc. for $700.
The grand and reserve champion roasters were auctioned off by Emma Caudill of Marcellus and Noah Hartline of Cassopolis, respectively. Clipper Creations and Suseland Belgians paid $1,050 for Caudill's rabbit, and Hartline gained $1,025 from Forever Young LLC and an add-on.
In poultry, the champion market broiler was sold by Seth Newland of Cassopolis. Platinum Club Lambs bought it for $400. Circle Federal Credit Union won the bid for Lenah Borsman's reserve champion. The Dowagiac youth earned $200.
Landon Leach of Cassopolis gained $525 from the sale of his champion market roaster to Porky's. Abigail Baker of St. Joseph, Mich. sold the reserve champion for $225 to the friends and family of Connor and Abigail Baker.
A buyer group (see list) won the winning bid of $1,300 for the champion market heavyweight chicken. After add-ons, Brynley Solloway of Cassopolis walked away with $1,850. Leach sold the runnerup bird to Caruso's and Creations by Cassie for $375. An add-on bumped his earnings to $400.
The grand champion duck was sold by Mason Pike of Dowagiac for $1,100. Buyers include: Mason Pike's buyer group, Fedore Veterinary Services, Diamond Lake Day Care, Robert Pike and the Caleb Steensma family. Showing the reserve champion was Mikayla Williams of Cassopolis. Elk Park Feed Store bought the bird for $275.
Kaizley and Kaysen McCoy of Dowagiac exhibited the grand and reserve tom turkeys, respectively. Kaizely earned $750 from buyers John and Alisha McCoy, Tina's Styling Salon, Pat Dunifin and Bonita Checkley. She also sold the reserve champion hen, which sold to Preston Bartow for $300. Kaysen sold his turkey for $350 to Prime Property Care.
Logan Hetchler of White Pigeon exhibited the grand champion goose. It sold for $350 to Preston Bartow, Soil Production Solutions and Fish Head Farms. R.B. Trucking won the bid for the reserve champion with $325. Archer Mosher of Marcellus showed the waterfowl.
The grand champion hen turkey was shown by Stockwell, who raked in $4,000 from the Brianna Stockwell support group.
The poultry club's dozen eggs sold for $1,500 to Porky's and U.S. Business Systems.
Buyer Groups
Dairy club buyer group: Burnips Equipment Co. Three Rivers/Gail Vonderkolk, Peterson Farm, Envision Automotive/Davin Strickcund, Brett and Bailey Bowman, Sephanie and Brody Knepple, Hill Excavation Inc./Tom Hill, Bauer Farm/Richard Bauer, Jerry and Julie Bement family, Decatur Feed/Ed Craig, We Got Milk/Randy Cady, Korey and Jenni Bloss, Crystal Flash/Harold Cody, H&H Feed and Grain, Matt and Brooke Osbeck, Pikeview Belgians/Steve and Amy Pike, Diamond Lake Day Care/Lesley Steensma, Ben and Sheri Baker, Green Hay Farms/ John Green, Marty and Amanda Smego, GreenMark Equipment Union/Dennis Dominiak, Co-Alliance, Hartford Glass Buyers Club/Mike Breisch, James Hershberger and family, Soil Production Solutions/Collin and Nick Dussel, Clover Machinery Movers/Alex Wilson, Hahn Auction Inc., Grabemeyer Farm, Andy Ausra Farms/ Andy and Kristin Ausra, Paul and Kathy Sweitzer, Greenstone Farm Credit Service, Daniel and Hailey Robson, Burt and Heidi Westphal, Taylor and Cole Menck, Fashion Gurlz/Rebecca Luthringer, Your Space Storage/Chad Luthringer, Berrybrook Farms/Joe Hassle, Zach Lock, MAKG'S/Nicki and Bubba Williams, Conklin Famrs, Michael Freeman, Robert Pike, Sierra Carpenter, Christianson Industries/Mickey Thomas, Edd's Supplies Inc., B&G Farms, Bob Hawkins, Wendy and James Davis, Blake Hartsell, Kurt and Sarah Hurtsell, Ed and Kelly Reed, Hershbergers Happy Acres/Dan Hershberger, Bentzer Inc./Jason Bentzer, Midwest Energy and Communications/Lori Ruff, Karter and Kaleigh Isabell, Andrew and Cali Hershberger, Josh Westphal family, Kris Sweitzer, Hillside Farms/RJ and Samantha Lee and Katie and Cody Stick, High Farms/Wayne High, Walther Farms, Monets Photography/Monet Schrader, Jake's Country Meats, K&M Machine Fabricating/Emily McCloughlin, Kelsey Lake Farms/Kevin Hershberger, Waldschmidt Family Farms, LLC/Kevin and Elizabeth Waldschmidt, Fedore Veterinary Services/Garry Fedore, Dave and Monica Majewski, Greg's Dock Service/Greg Peters, Rutherford Rentals/Paul Rutherford, Cass Construction/Adam Dahlgren, Pineview Farms/Robert Franz, Brenda Wagner, Ausra Equipment and Supply Co., Kyle and Tiffany Majewski family, Cameron Hayden, Preston Bartow, Ausra Farms/Terry Ausra, Kieth and Karen Hartsell, Quality Masonry/Gene and Deb Deubner, Scott's Pig Roast/Scott Shugars, Isabel's Outdoor Lawncare/Isabel Karter, J. Becraft Family Cattle/Jim Becraft, Edgewood Farms/Lori Whitmyer, Joe and Angie Sobieski, Kirkdorfer Farms/Cameron Mendenhall, Porky's, Matthew and Lauren Wilds, Gold Coast Sales/Andy Ausra and Patty Waldschmidt
Brynley Solloway buyer group: Marc File Farms/Marcus File, Porky's, Bonita Checkley, Pat Dunifin, Diamond Lake Day Care/Lesley Steensma, Tina's Styling Salon/Tina and Gary Solloway, Joe Sobieski, Boulanger Farms/Brand and Erca Boulanger, U.S. Business Systems/Tim Hulett
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