Crow Catches $180 a Pound for Top Lamb
Published: Friday, August 22, 2025
Youths at the Calhoun County Fair raked in an impressive $777,784.90 over the course of two days last week in Marshall, with the top sale going to Lucas Crow of Marshall for his grand champion lamb.
Crow received a whopping $180 per pound last Friday for the 147-pound market animal, totaling $26,460. Buyers include Lisa Sands State Farm Insurance, Joe and Carol Kimball, Phil and Kathy Crow, Greg Crull Construction, Brubaker Construction and 515 Ventures LLC.
The reserve champion showed a 154-pound lamb and earned $8 a pound from Chris Maye Farm Bureau Insurance. The $1,232 total went to Mallory Albrecht of Marshall.
In total, 36 sheep sold, totaling $53,296.25. Other subtotals include: 102 swine, $146,023.75; 55 beef, $342,312.50; 33 starter calves, $99,495; 23 goats, $40,426; 268 poultry animals, $68,421; and 18 rabbits, $10,375. Gift baskets by each species were also sold, totaling $17,435 for both auctions. In all, 535 lots sold this year, with 193 in the large animal sale and 342 in the small animal sale. That's an increase from last year's total of 336 lots earning $756,367.15.
The grand champion hog was sold by Kyle Landis of Homer for $14 a pound. That came out to $3,920 paid for by a group of buyers for the 280-pounder. Buyers include: GreenMark Equipment-Jonesville, Nutrient, Hoffman Ag Services, MAK1 Construction, T.J. Schmidt Carnival, Schlif Precision Ag, Michigan Valley, GreenStone Farm Credit, Apex Clean Energy, Kalmbach Feed, Littlefield Livestock, Sebastian Well Drilling, Wildt Secure Properties, Dealey Chemicals and Green Energy.
Carlee Hammond of Battle Creek took home the reserve champion title, along with $6 a pound for her 277-pound hog. Buyers Jolo Farms/Beck's Hybrids and MAK Construction paid the high bid, totaling $1,662.
In the beef auction, two grand champions sold. Samia Wildt of Homer showed the top beef animal, weighing in at 1,430 pounds, and Alaina Fry of Union City took home the purple ribbon in dairy beef. Wildt earned $7 a pound ($10,010) from Chis Maye Farm Bureau Insurance. Fry's 1,620-pounder earned $4 a pound ($6,480) from Hoffman Ag Services LTD, Southern Michigan Bank & Trust, Calhoun County Farm Bureau and Jolo Farms/Beck's Hybrids.
Easton Harfst of Battle Creek sold the reserve champion beef animal to a buyer group for $5.25 a pound ($7,533.75). His Hereford weighed 1,435 pounds.
The reserve champion dairy steer was shown by Kaleb Krummrey of Burlington. It weighed in at an impressive 1,635 pounds, and Krummrey raked in $6 a pound ($9,810) from a large buyer group (see list at end of story).
Madison Krummrey, also of Burlington, showed the grand champion dairy starter calf, earning $5,000 from the following buyers: Shouldice Industrial Manufacturers &
Contractors, Michigan Rural Rehabilitation, Rocking L Stables, Hoffman Ag Services, Jarvis Farms, T.J. Schmidt Carnival, David and Darlene Knickerbocker, Hoath's Auto Parts & Garage, Swarthout Excavating, Southern Michigan Bank & Trust, Jolo Farms Beck's Hybrids, Schley & Sons Construction, Laknoll Farms, Fitzner Farms, Weavers Soft Serve, Rusty's Auto, Marshall Feed & Grain, Lighthouse Funeral & Cremation Services, Pattonview Farms, Brian Hasty Auction Co., Dave and Gina Knickerbocker, and Katz Well Drilling.
Emma Wildt, Homer, took home $7,000 with the sale of her reserve champion dairy starter calf to D&K Wildt Farms.
In goats, Ellory Albrecht of Marshall and Skylar Klingaman of Tekonsha exhibited the grand and reserve champion animals, respectively. Albrecht pocketed $3,800 from 22 buyers, and Klingaman walked away with $550 from Lisa Sands State Farm Insurance.
Albrecht's buyers include Carrie and Steve Benham, T.J. Schmidt Carnival, D&L Farms, Heisler Livestock, Evan Leach/Beck's Hybrids, Tommy Miller, CDKW Consulting LLC, Ethan and Megan Bossard, Tire City Auto Repair, Wildt Farms/Caleb and Marley, Marshall Feed & Grain, Marhsall Hardware, Foutain Automotive, Ace Hardware, Miller Financial, D. Knight Designs, Jacob Wasikowski, Crystal Flash, Greenstone Farm Credit Services, Hoffman AG Services, Cris Maye Farm Bureau Insurance and Catie Boring.
The poultry sale featured 14 grand and reserve champions.
Vivian Murphy of Marshall received $975 from Harvey Construction for her grand champion broilers and $700 from Walters-Dimmick Petroleum for her grand champion hen turkey. Her sister, Victoria, gained $1,350 from Keep & Martinson Inc. for her grand champion roasters, $550 from Walters-Dimmick Petroleum for her grand champion tom turkey and $600 for her reserve champion hen turkey from Southern Michigan Bank & Trust and Crystal Flash. Veronica Murphy sold the grand champion Cornish hens to Koenig Construction for $1,600.
Another big winner in the poultry sale was Ta'Lieah Fuller of Battle Creek. She pocketed $825 from Zuhowski Farms, Southside Veterinary Clinic and Beadle Lake Large Animal for her reserve champion roasters; $500 from Gabriel Bean Farm Bureau Insurance for her reserve champion market geese; and $700 from Weedy Acres and Athens AG Center/Colden Harvest Seed for her reserve champion tom turkey.
Matalynn Ellsworth of Battle Creek showed the grand champion market geese and grand champion market ducks, earning $200 each from Medler Insurance Agency and Underhill Agency, respectively.
Kyrell King of Marshall showed the reserve champion broilers, which sold to State Sen. Thomas Albert for $525. Georgianna Schmidt of Albion had the reserve champion Cornish hens and sold them to John Sullivan for $1,600. Wyatt Zencker of Battle Creek exhibited the reserve champion market ducks, receiving a $200 bid from Shrontz Trucking.
Jacob Fisher of Albion and Nyveha Bently of Hillsdale won big in the rabbit sale. Fisher sold the grand champion rabbit pen for $450 to Stults Farms and the reserve champion fryer to S&W Livestock for $300. Bently took home reserve champion in both the stewer and roaster categories, earning $350 from Chris Maye Farm Bureau Insurance and $500 from Jen Faulk, respectively. Jameson Albrecht of Marshall showed the reserve champion rabbit pen, earning $950 from Matt Haylett Homes.
The grand champion rabbit stewer was shown by Arianna Swafford of Homer. Chris Maye Farm Bureau Insurance made the high bid of $500. Lilly Ann Bently of Hillsdale won first place in the roaster show, earning $375 from T.J. Schmidt Carnival for her grand champion.
Buyer Group
Reserve champion dairy steer: McManus Farms, Michigan Rural Rehabilitation, Chris Maye Agency, Hoffman AG Services LTD, Myers Farm LLC, Jolo Farms Beck's Hybrids, Avery Oil & Propane, T.J. Scmidt Carnival, Laknoll Farm LLC, Hoath's Auto Parts & Garage, Dibble's Ag Spreading, Reichow Farms, David and Darlene Knickerbocker, Evan Leach, Wildt Farms, Washburn Concessions, Marshall Feed & Grain, Tuffy Auto Service Center, Southern Michigan Bank & Trust, Boshears Ford, Doors Unlimited Inc., Dave and Gina Knickerbocker, Beadle Lake Veterinary Clinic, Meemic Insurance - The Redman Agency, The Pretzel Wagon, Mead Family Farm, Levi Carr, Weavers Soft Serve, AcMoody Farms, Van Machine, Carr Farms, Athens Ag Center, The Salem Workshop, Countryside Veterinary, Dan's Market – Quincy, Grandma and Grandpa Hempsted, Dan and Andrea Knickerbocker, J&J Oakdale Large Animal Clinic, and GreenMark Equipment.
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