LaPorte Steer, Barrow Set Records
Published: Friday, July 18, 2025
The LaPorte County Fair 4-H livestock auction took place last Friday in LaPorte and had 469 lots sold that totaled $527,200. The lots included goats, poultry, swine, beef, rabbits, sheep, and 13 lots of wood-carved statues that were sold for scholarships.
Lot numbers and totals were up this year, with last year's total being $481,915 with 406 lots sold. Poultry had the largest number of lots, with 139 that totaled $40,650, which included chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese and two lots of eggs from champion-laying hens. Rabbits, with 29 pens, had the smallest number of lots, totaling $12,400.
The beef auction had 40 lots that totaled $206,400, while swine had 96 lots that totaled $136,875. Goats had 62 lots that totaled $44,850, and sheep had 90 lots that totaled $70,950. The sale of 13 wood carvings totaled $15,075.
Most notable were sales featuring the grand champion beef steer and grand champion barrow. Both were exhibited by Madison Scarborough of LaCrosse and had record sales, with the 1,441-pound beef steer selling for $15,500 ($10.76 per pound) and the 268-pound barrow selling for $17,000 ($63.42 per pound) to Kraft Auction Service.
Buyers of Scarborough's grand champion beef steer were: Tucker family, Josh and Jackie Paschen, Mike and Jenny Niksch, Barry Kessler, Shafner Tire, Neil and Debra Paschen, Wychoff Seeds, Scarborough Farms, Vern and Sherrie Schafer, Harold and Jane Parker, Linda Scarborough, Circle S Farm Solutions, Remington Seeds, Triple J Petroleum, Scarborough Excavating, Matt Schafer, Tom and Jenna Parker, Prairieland Farms/Dan and Missy Culp, Brust Farms, Glen and Darlene Schlundt, and Brandon and Sarah Gorski.
The reserve champion beef steer sold for $13,000 and weighed 1,444 pounds ($9 per pound) and was exhibited by Caroline Bolze from Walkerton. The buyer was TEB Distributing Inc./Thomas Bolze.
The grand champion dairy steer sold for $9,500 and weighed 1,590 pounds ($5.97 per pound) and was exhibited by Blake Bohling from LaCrosse. The buyers were Triple-J Mar Petroleum/Marlene Mitzner, Jeff Mitzner, and Vern and Sherrie Schafer. The reserve champion county-bred steer sold for $6,000 and weighed 1,359 pounds ($4.42 per pound) and was exhibited by Lexiann Little from LaPorte. The buyers were Nowatzke Rental Group and friends and family of Lexiann Little.
The champion carcass steer sold for $14,000 and weighed 1,278 pounds ($10.95 per pound) and was exhibited by Layke Bannwart from LaPorte. The buyer was Midwest Agri. The champion dairy steer rate of gain sold for $4,400 and weighed 1,415 pounds ($3.11 per pound) and was exhibited by Faith Minich from LaPorte. The buyers were Glen and Rebecca Minich, Farm Bureau Inc./Mark Parkman, Nancy and Mark Parkman, and M. Parkman Land LLC.
In the poultry auction, the champion carcass was sold for $250 to LaPorte County Farm Bureau Inc., and it was exhibited by Grant Krivak from Rolling Prairie. The reserve champion carcass sold for $225 to Sue King and was exhibited by Elisabeth Wireman from Kankakee Twp. One dozen eggs from the champion laying hen shown by Tucker Hindsley of LaPorte was sold for $1,000 to friends and family. One dozen eggs from the champion laying pullet was sold for $1,000 in memory of Greg Hagenow and was exhibited by Ethan Ranney from LaPorte.
The grand champion turkey was sold for $400 to CLH, CPA's and Consultants and was exhibited by Nevaeh Arthur from LaPorte. The reserve champion turkey was sold for $300 to South County Gleaner Arbor and was exhibited by Jeremiah Floyd from LaPorte. The reserve champion tom was sold for $500 and was exhibited by Grant Krivak from Rolling Prairie. The buyers were LaPorte County Ag Assn., Steve and Betsy Mrozinski, and CLH, CPA and Consultants. The reserve champion hen turkey sold for $250 to John Fritz Auction Service and was exhibited by Bryce Ensign from LaPorte.
The reserve grand champion 1-A duck sold for $175 to Steve Daube and was exhibited by Brody Hiler from North Liberty. The reserve champion 1-A duck sold for $500 to CLH, CPA and Consultants and was exhibited by Brayden Watson from LaPorte.
The grand champion 1-B duck sold for a record $2,600 and was exhibited by Dontrail Williams from LaPorte. The buyers were Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance/Jordany Smith, In Memory of Jan and Evette Rose, George and Shelby Fultz, The Floor Store/Jim Roy, 007 Rose Farms LLC and Rose Bros and Sons Inc. The reserve champion 1-B duck was sold for $100 to Bannwart Farms Inc. and was exhibited by Brody Hiler from North Liberty.
The grand champion 1-A goose sold for $875 to Tom and Jenna Parker and was exhibited by Margaret Tomich from LaPorte. The reserve champion 1-B goose was sold for $200 and was exhibited by Margaret Tomich from LaPorte. The buyers were Jackie and Jeff Thompson and LaPorte Village LLC.
The reserve grand champion commercial broiler was sold for $275 to Gamble Dairy Consulting and was exhibited by Josie Gamble from Rolling Prairie. The reserve champion broiler was sold for $200 to Circle R Mechanical and was exhibited by Abigail Gamble from Rolling Prairie. The reserve champion roaster sold for $300 to The Floor Store/Jim Roy and was exhibited by Natalie Kirk from Fish Lake.
In the swine auction, the reserve grand champion barrow was sold for $6,950 and weighed 280 pounds ($24.82 per pound) and was exhibited by Chase Rosenbaum from LaPorte. The buyers were Triple J-Mar Petroleum/Marlene Mitzner, family and friends of Chase Rosenbaum, LaCrosse Merchants, Friends of 4-H/Vern Schafer and First Source Bank.
The grand champion market lamb sold for $2,000 and weighed 144 pounds ($13.89 per pound) and was exhibited by Isabella Spence from LaPorte. The buyers were Grandma and Grandpa and Noveroske's and Galena Spring Farm. The 155-pound reserve champion market lamb sold for $1,100 ($7.10 per pound) and was exhibited by Rebecca Tuholski from LaPorte. The buyer was Lestinsky Auctioneers—Hanna Auction Yard.
The grand champion pen of two lambs sold for a total of $2,100 and weighed a combined 249 pounds ($8.43 per pound) and was exhibited by Emmet Szuba from Rolling Prairie. The buyers were Hayco Construction Inc., Horizon Bank/Jamie Oberle and Sunset Septic and Excavating. The champion carcass lamb sold for $3,100 and weighed 98 pounds ($31.63 per pound—hanging weight) and was exhibited by Isabelle Emerich from LaPorte. The buyers were Clear Sky Heating and Cooling, Jer-Elm Trucking/Doc Youngblood, C&T Residential Solutions and Rock River Ranch. The reserve champion carcass lamb was sold for $1,950 and weighed 123 pounds ($15.85 per pound) and was exhibited by Ian Wood from LaPorte. The buyers were Oak Knoll Vet Clinic/Dr. Aarie Szuba, Mitzner Meats and friends of Ian Wood.
In the goat auction, Jilian Conrad from LaPorte exhibited the champion dairy goat milk. She sold it for $1,800 to friends of Jillian Conrad. The grand champion Boer wether sold for $900 and weighed 101 pounds ($8.91 per pound) and was exhibited by James Mark from LaPorte. The buyer was Mark's Farm Market and Greenhouses. The reserve champion Boer wether sold for $1,650 and weighed 68 pounds ($24.26 per pound) and was exhibited by Isabelle Spence from LaPorte. The buyers were Kraft Auction Service, Isabelle Spence Buyers Group and Horizon Bank/Jamie Oberle.
The champion dairy wether sold for $500 and weighed 63 pounds ($7.94 per pound) and was exhibited by Sophie Keehn from Rolling Prairie. The buyer was CLH, CPA and Consultants. The reserve dairy wether sold for $2,100 and weighed 70 pounds ($30 per pound) and was exhibited by Zoe Pressel from Wanatah. The buyers were friends of Zoe Pressel and Pressel Farms. The reserve champion Nigerian dwarf goat sold for $250 and weighed 22 pounds ($11.36 per pound) and was exhibited by Zofia Dwornik from LaPorte. The buyer was CLH, CPA and Consultants. The reserve champion Pygmy wether sold for $2,000 and weighed 23 pounds ($86.96 per pound) and was exhibited by Hannah Freitag from New Carlisle.
The grand champion carcass rabbit sold for $575 to Garner Construction Inc. and was exhibited by Peyton Swanson from Knox. The reserve champion carcass rabbit sold for $475 to Horizon Bank/Jamie Oberle, Blackrock Real Estate and Goosehead Insurance/Zach Coulter and was exhibited by Benjamin Stacy from LaPorte.
The grand champion meat pen sold for $225 to Sider Fabrication and was exhibited by Landon Swanson from Knox. The reserve champion meat pen sold for $2,000 to supporters of Lane Tibbs and was exhibited by Lane Tibbs from LaPorte.
The grand champion roaster sold for $800 to Mueller family, in honor of George Mueller Jr., LaCrosse Merchants and Friends of 4-H/ Vern Schafer and Jenna Beecher and was exhibited by Keeley Beecher from LaPorte. The reserve champion roaster rabbit sold for $400 to F.A.T Showpigs/Floyd Thomas and 4-H Rabbit Concession Stand and was exhibited by Domynique Rozinski from LaPorte.
The grand champion stewer rabbit sold for $225 to the Mueller family, in honor of George Mueller Jr., and was exhibited by Megan Kleine from LaPorte. The reserve champion stewer rabbit was sold for $500 to New Durham Estates/Gary Fath and was exhibited by Noelle Fath from Westville.
During the sheep auction, one of Hannah Freitag's lambs sold for a total of $3,500, and all the proceeds went to the Lucas Bradshaw Fund. Bradshaw is a 4-H and FFA member in St. Joseph County and suffered a severe brain injury in a bus accident on May 8. The New Prairie baseball team was on its way to a game when the bus Lucas and his teammates were riding in was struck by a box truck. There were seven players and two coaches injured in the accident.
As the sale for Hannah's lamb had come to an end, an opportunity for donation was made for any buyers who wished to do so. The donations were worth $100 each, with 44 buyers raising their number. This added an additional $4,400 to the Lucas Bradshaw Fund.
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