Kubiszak Dominates Show Ring at Van Buren Fair
Published: Friday, July 31, 2026
Van Buren County youth livestock exhibitors earned $593,232.75 from two days of buying and selling last week in Hartford. The total includes $506,572.85 from last Thursday's large animal auction, plus another $86,659.90 from last Wednesday's small animal auction.
Last year's combined auction total was $434,428.18.
With four grand champions selling, Molly Kubiszak was a familiar face in the auction ring. She exhibited the grand champion purebred market barrow, supreme champion market wether, grand champion dairy steer and grand champion meat goat. On top of those wins, she also claimed top honors in the large animal showmanship sweepstakes for the second straight year.
Kubiszak, 14, sold the 288-pound barrow for $3.40 per pound ($970.20) to Wheatfield Grain, the 133-pound wether for $7.50 per pound ($997.50) to Derek Lietzau Insurance Group, the 1,686-pound dairy steer for $4.05 per pound ($6,828.30) to Palos Electric Co. and the meat goat for $1,067 to state Senate candidate Chris Moraites.
She credited her parents, grandparents and aunt for supporting her this year. She is the daughter of Tylor and Kristin Kubiszak of Gobles.
Carter Becraft of Cassopolis concluded his show career in a big way by exhibiting the grand champion barrow. Last Thursday, he sold the 271-pounder for $5 per pound ($1,355) to Zirk Ag Services. Carter's father, James, was on hand to do the bidding for Zirk Ag.
Carter will be a sophomore this fall at Southwest Michigan College. He is studying agricultural business and plans to become a realtor.
Freddie Craig of Decatur sold the reserve champion barrow for $3 per pound ($747) to Aric and Trisha Nesbitt. The pig weighed 253 pounds.
The supreme champion swine animal was exhibited by Tatum Streit of Lawrence. He received $4 per pound ($1,088) for the 272-pound purebred gilt. The buyer was Legacy Level Genetics.
Following Streit in the purebred gilt show was Karleigh Stamp of Decatur, who was this year's fair queen. Stamp sold her 280-pound reserve champion for $4 per pound ($1,120) to Moser Fruit Tree Sales.
With the 251-pound grand champion gilt, Amelia Snyder of Decatur earned $2.60 per pound ($660.40) from Caron Custom Homes. Charlotte Craig, also of Decatur, sold the 255-pound reserve champion gilt for $2.50 per pound ($655) to 48th Street Metal Works.
Linken Mead of Decatur brought the reserve champion purebred barrow, a 269-pounder. He received $4 per pound ($1,076) from Stambeck Show Cattle.
The grand champion swine carcass was exhibited by Charlotte Whittington of Bangor. She earned $2.50 per pound ($577.50) from High Acres Fruit Farm. The reserve champion carcass belonging to Miles Bozung, also of Bangor, brought $2.50 per pound ($600). The buyer was Hunt's Hillside U-pick and Hunt's Hillside Vineyard.
In beef, the grand champion market animal was exhibited by Hunter Conklin of Lawrence for the third year in a row. He sold the 1,474-pound steer for $4.65 per pound ($6,854.10) to the Derek Lietzau Insurance Group. Standing in second place was the reserve champion shown by Mason Hite of Paw Paw. He sold the 1,164-pound steer for $4 per pound ($5,620) to SOS LLC and D&R Sports Center.
With the reserve champion dairy steer, Taylor Alford of Decatur received $2.50 per pound ($3,937.30) from Harris ConAg. The steer weighed 1,575 pounds.
Taylor Spicher of Paw Paw sold the 1,524-pound grand champion dairy cross steer for $3.05 per pound ($4,648.20) to Pursley Custom Ag LLC. Next into the ring was Wyatt Buskirk of Paw Paw and his 1,434-pound reserve champion dairy cross steer. Red Arrow Dairy had the high bid at $3.05 per pound ($4,373.30).
Spicher returned to the ring two more times—once to sell her grand champion beef carcass, and another to sell her grand champion heavyweight dairy crossbred feeder calf. She unloaded the beef carcass for $3 per pound ($5,520) to 2 Brothers Cultivating and then sold the dairy crossbred feeder for $4.15 per pound ($2,668.45) to Quality Cylinder Services.
Alford sold the reserve champion beef carcass for $3 per pound ($4,869) to Hood Farms LLC and auctioned off the reserve champion heavyweight dairy feeder for $3.50 per pound ($1,925) to the Santa Group.
Tessa Spicher of Paw Paw raked in $3.05 per pound ($4,468.20) for her reserve champion heavyweight dairy crossbred calf. The buyer was Pursley Custom Ag LLC.
The grand champion lightweight dairy feeder calf was exhibited by Harley Gladysz of Gobles. He earned $3.75 per pound ($1,541.25) from Dodson Timber. The reserve champion lightweight dairy feeder belonging to Whittington brought $4.10 per pound ($1,295.60) from Wheatfield Grain.
Shane Olney of South Haven sold the reserve champion lightweight dairy crossbred feeder calf for $4.25 per pound ($1,876.75) to Pickle Street Veterinary Service.
In sheep, the 115-pound grand champion market ewe fetched $7.40 per pound ($851) and was exhibited by Charlotte Craig. The high bid came from Craig Family Livestock. Owen Hamre of Lawrence sold the 136-pound reserve champion ewe for $4.50 per pound ($612) to his family.
With the 125-pound reserve champion wether, Freddie Craig earned $5 per pound ($625) from friends and family.
In carcass sales, Cale Hostetler of Lawrence sold the grand champion carcass lamb for $3.25 per pound ($416) to Scott Flick Concrete Construction. Payton Hunt of Lawton auctioned his reserve champion lamb carcass for $3.25 per pound ($416) to Hunt's Hillside U-Pick and Hunt's Hillside Vineyard LLC.
Dairy youth exhibitors raised $9,100 in donations for the 4-H dairy program. This year's grand champion heifer was exhibited by Brooklyn Valentine of Bangor.
In last Wednesday's small animal auction, Natalie Reidenbach of Mattawan sold the reserve champion meat goat for $510 to Lakefront Roofing & Construction.
Mason Hill of Paw Paw exhibited the grand champion dairy wether. He sold it for $607.60 to Hard Rocks Farm. Owen Murphy-Dubay of Bangor earned $401.80 from Warren Sell for his reserve champion dairy wether.
Reidenbach exhibited the grand champion dairy crossbred goat, earning $678.36 from Curtis Farms. She also sold the reserve champion goat carcass for $258.75 to Brent Kneeshaw.
Timothy Reidenbach, also of Mattawan, sold the reserve champion dairy crossbred goat for $510 to Lawton Pellet Service. Timothy also sold the grand champion goat carcass for $408 to Elizabeth Waldmann.
The grand champion turkey was exhibited by Anthony Koshar of Lawrence. He received $300 from Lakefront Roofing & Construction and Quality Cylinder Service LLC. Standing in the reserve spot was Konner Koshar, also of Lawrence, who sold his turkey for $300 to Fleetwood Heating & Cooling, Quality Cylinder Service LLC and the Koshar family.
In market waterfowl, Allyanna Rose of Mattawan exhibited the grand champion. She sold it for $200 to Hostetler Crazy Acres. Olivia Johnson of South Haven auctioned her reserve champion waterfowl for $400 to Ed and Anna Johnson.
A group of buyers paid $300 for the grand champion chicken, exhibited by Sydney Raseman of Kalamazoo. The buyer list included Double Trouble Farms, Jarred Dykstra and Bridgett Bush, Lakefront Roofing & Construction, and Ron and Kandy Dixon.
Kaleigh Smith of Lawton also received $300 for her reserve champion chicken. The high bid came from Jessica Szkody of Michigan Lifestyle Properties.
The grand champion eggs belonging to Collin Marsh of Dowagiac brought $100 from Olivia Moore and Sonta. Konner Koshar sold the reserve champion eggs for $100 to the Poultry Superintendent and Sonta.
In rabbits, Colton Zuroske of Bangor sold the grand champion for $1,050 to McPike Investments LLC. Blake Pillar of Kalamazoo received $825 from Pillar Surplus for the reserve champion.
Subtotals, by species, include: 201 hogs, $167,199.45; 44 beef steers, $192,324; 27 dairy feeder calves, $50,434.95; 54 lambs, $40,760.25; 11 crossbred feeder calves, $26,195.95; 11 beef feeders, $20,558.95; and one gallon of milk, $9,100.
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