Cass Livestock Exhibitors Rake in $761,568
Published: Friday, August 14, 2026
Cass County (Mich.) livestock exhibitors earned $761,568.84 last week in Cassopolis. The total includes $565,871.45 generated from last Thursday's large animal auction and $195,871.45 raised in last Saturday's small animal auction.
This year's auction featured 647 lots, compared to 584 last year.
This year's auction total was down 2% over the 2025 auction.
Leading off the sale was Jackson Whitmyer of Cassopolis, a repeat winner in the market hog show. He also was the champion swine showman this year. Last Thursday, sold his 275-pound grand champion market hog for $10.75 per pound ($2,956.25) to Butch Bender and Klett Contracting Co.
Whitmyer also showed the reserve champion market hog, a 244-pound barrow that brought $2 per pound ($488). The buyers were Integra Ag and Chuck Wimberly Auto Group.
Though not a grand or reserve champion, the third overall hog captured a top price of $50 per pound ($13,250) for Ella Boulanger, a final-year 4-H'er from Cassopolis. Her crossbred gilt weighed 281 pounds and was purchased by a support group and RPS Service.
In the beef auction, Hadley High of Decatur unloaded her 1,425-pound grand champion beef steer and champion purebred steer for $4 per pound ($5,700). The high bid came from Klein Seed Sales.
Hadley's brother, Hudson, had the reserve champion steer, which brought $3.50 per pound ($4,445) from Keystone Co-op and Ag Revolution. The steer weighed 1,270 pounds.
Evan Kniss of Niles sold the 1,667-pound grand champion dairy steer for $2.50 per pound ($4,167.50) to Randy Bowman of R&R Builders. The 1,209-pound reserve champion dairy steer was exhibited by Merrill Adams of Dowagiac. She received $3 per pound ($3,627) from Terry Sonnevil of Decatur.
In the dairy feeder auction, Kaden Sparks of Marcellus sold his 650-pound grand champion dairy feeder calf for $4.30 per pound ($2,795) to Olivia and Mallory Hayden of Cassopolis. Next in the ring was the reserve champion dairy feeder calf shown by Mason Devries of Vandalia. He received $4.10 per pound ($2,562.50) from Southwestern Michigan College for the 625-pound calf.
In the sheep auction, the grand champion market lamb was exhibited by Kaden Asmus of Marcellus. Ed Asmus of Koontz-Wagner Services paid $16 per pound ($2,320) for the 145-pound Hampshire. Madelyn Osbeck of Schoolcraft sold the reserve champion market lamb for $8 per pound ($1,176) to Kay and Jeff Klein. The lamb weighed 147 pounds.
In the gallon of milk auction, Cass County dairy exhibitors raised $13,395 to support the 4-H dairy program. This year's grand champion Jersey was exhibited by Mason Preston of Dowagiac.
Species subtotals, with average per-pound prices in parentheses, were: 48 beef steers, $211,708.70 ($3.42); 125 hogs, $168,557.50 ($5.14); 42 dairy feeder calves, $111,449.50 ($4.87); 40 lambs, $60,760.75 ($11.65); and one gallon of milk, $13,395.
Small Animal Auction
In last Saturday's small animal auction, Ryan Wymer of Vandalia received $1,000 for the grand champion meat goat. The high bid came from Platinum Shelton Livestock and Koontz-Wagner Services. Mason DeVries returned to sell the reserve champion meat goat. He earned $600 from Hibshman Screw Machine.
Haley White of Dowagiac sold the grand champion dairy wether for $475 to Sheriff Richard Behnke and Sheriff Clint Roach. For the price of $525, Ezekiel Pegura of Edwardsburg sold the reserve champion dairy wether to Terry Farms.
The grand champion crossbred dairy wether belonging to Taylor Gurley of Dowagiac brought $425 to R.B. Trucking of Granger. Adrian Sedlar of Cassopolis sold the reserve champion crossbred dairy wether for $2,000 to a buyer group.
In poultry, the champion goose was exhibited by Bexley Hunsberger of Dowagiac. He sold the goose for $2,000 to Matthew and Lauren Wilds, Bement family, Quality Masonry Inc., Deubner family and Mcdonald Underground.
Landon Leach of Cassopolis led the way in the chicken sale, earning $500 from Chuck Wimberly Auto
Group Ford and GMC for the champion broiler. Cassopolis' Emma Carlisle sold the reserve champion market broiler for $450 to Tone's Trucking Inc., Jeff and Lisa Withers and Justyn and Alycia Withers.
Another Cassopolis youth, Colton Sobieski, sold the champion roaster for $2,000 to Leach Farms, Steve and Tina Tucker, Tone's Trucking Inc. and Flory Line Construction. Lane Leach of Cassopolis exhibited the reserve champion roaster and received $650 from Leach Farms.
Landon Leach returned to sell his champion heavyweight bird. Leach Farms and Flory Line Construction were the high bidders at $1,000. Brynley Sollway of Cassopolis sold the reserve champion heavyweight bird for $500 to Joe and Angie Sobieski.
Vandalia's Mason Boyer received $450 for the champion tom turkey. The buyers were Bement family and Elk Park Feed Store. Mackenzie Boyer, also of Vandalia, sold the reserve champion tom for $300 to R.B. Trucking.
Kaizley McCoy of Dowagiac sold the champion hen turkey for $300 to Prime Property Care. The reserve champion hen shown by Knox McCoy of Dowagiac fetched $325 from Joe and Angie Sobieski of Cassopolis.
Mackenzie Schuur of Marcellus sold the champion duck for $350 to Ed and Angie Asmus, Koontz-Wagner Services and Platinum Shelton Livestock. Next was Zachary Wiggins of Dowagiac with his reserve champion duck. He received $225 from Paul and Caitlin Kent of Palm Beach Garde, Fla.
In rabbits, the grand champion roaster was exhibited by Madalyn Hodge of White Pigeon. She earned $475 from Top Dog Lawn Care LLC and Wrightway Wigglebutts. Kimberlyn Goodrich of Marcellus sold the reserve champion roaster for $2,100 to Ora Sherman.
Vicksburg's Mallory Stoughton auctioned off her champion fryer for $550 to Southwestern Michigan College. Lillian Ralph of Niles sold the reserve champion fryer for $400 to Janko Concrete of Niles.
Species subtotals, with average prices per lot in parenthesis, were: 81 goats, $54,274 ($670.05); 164 rabbit pens, $71,601.39 ($436.59); 70 chicken pens, $36,970 ($528.14); 21 turkeys, $10,844 ($516.38); 53 ducks, $18,908 ($356.75); one goose, $2,050; and one dozen eggs, $1,050.
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