$4,000 Raised for Uncle Jimmy
Published: Friday, August 28, 2026
Tears flowed freely at the Berrien County Youth Fair last Friday in Berrien Springs during the goat auction, as bids came in for Galien youth Andrew Pastryk.
As Pastryk entered the ring, he announced that 100% of the money earned would go to help his uncle, Jimmy, who is in the hospital, battling pancreatic cancer.
"He's always been one to put others before himself no matter his state," Pastryk said. "He's always been a huge supporter here."
Pastryk reported that Jimmy has been in the hospital for a large part of the year, and asked community members to keep him in their thoughts and prayers. The community responded by bidding a total of $62.50 a pound for his champion lightweight Boer goat, which comes out to approximately $4,000.
The goat was part of the large animal auction, which raked in $549,674.90. Together, the large and small animal auctions raised $674,312.48 with 859 lots. That's over $60,000 more than last year's auction, which featured 848 lots and earned $614,255.52.
Drew George stepped into the auction ring with the grand champion market lamb to start the sheep auction and walked away with $20 a pound ($3,040) for his 152-pound wether. The Niles youth was supported by the Drew George Buyer Group, Mimi Barwick, Grandpa and Grandma George, Grandpa Durm, McClain Show Stock, Masten Machinery, Jeffrey and Tim George, GreenStone Farm Credit Services and Country Heritage Credit Union.
The reserve champion was shown by Kylie Brunke of Eau Claire. She earned $42.50 per pound ($6,502.50) for her wether, which weighed in at 153 pounds. Buyers include: the Brunke Girls Support Buyer Group, R.A. Mort Supply Co., Dale Jasper Farms, Nyes Auto Tech & Tire, Country Heritage Credit Union, Slowik Refrigeration, Ott Insurance, Hein Electric, Ed and Linda Brunke, Art Brunke, Modsanco Sanitation, Robert Brunke Plumbing and Douglass Hoerr.
Earning $12 a pound for her grand champion, Claire Dargus of Buchanan showed the overall market hog. The Duroc weighed 290 pounds, bringing in a total of $3,655 after add-ons.
Buyers included: the Claire Swine Support Group, Kelly Dargus, Brookside Labs/Luke Baker, Vern and Vickie Herter, Wilbur Ellis/Grace Meachum, Zak Kretchman/Agrigold Seed, the Totzke Girls/Brook and Ella, Hein Electric/Ron, Jim and Steve Hein, Brandt Co./Chane Richey, Meadow View Farms/Brian Totzke, Wuthrich Show Stock/Brian Wuthrich, Andrew and Emily Foster, Mark Farm Supply/Joe Blair, Doug Wildt/Beck's Hybrids and Ag Chemical Solutions, Seifert's Service/Ken, Steve and Mark and Karen Seifert, Stan and Debby Warda, and Keystone Cooperative.
Brady Schau of Berrien Springs sold the reserve champion market hog. It weighed 285 pounds and was purchased for $30 a pound ($8,550). Buyers include: Oldenburg & Sons Excavating, Brady Schau Buyer's Group No. 783, Schmaltz Farms, Dale Jasper Farms, All in the Bucket, Great Aunt Cindy Birk, Bill and Roberta Wagner, Ameriprise Financial McCourt & Associates, Jeff and Sonda Wagner, Ron and Margaret Cowles, Berrien Beverage Burros, Uncle Bob and Grandma Peggy Schau, Sheryl and Rick McKell, Chris Martin family, Erin and Scott Allan, and Cathleen and Pete Bottini.
Earning $6.50 per pound ($9,977.50), Brycen Marsh of Galien auctioned off his grand champion market steer to the Brycen Steer Buyer Group. Group members include: Payne Farm Drainage, Hahn Auctioneers, A&L Seed LLC/Dairyland, Murdocks Glass, Strefling Grain, GreenStone Farm Credit Services, Kara Marsh, Dale Seyfred/Pioneer Seed/ Andrew Doepker Associate, Bob Mischke Farms and Marsh Farm Trucking LLC. The crossbred steer weighed 1,535 pounds.
Brooklyn Schlipp of St. Joseph showed the reserve champion and earned $5 a pound ($7,025) from Mark Farm Supply for the 1,405-pound Chianina steer.
In goats, two grand champions and two reserve champions were represented in the auction. Reid Baker of Buchanan walked away $535 richer after the sale of his grand champion dairy wether. AEP - Cook Nuclear made the high bid. The reserve champion was shown by Adyson Baker of Buchanan, who sold it to Armstrong Construction for $522.50.
The top two meat goats were shown by Megan Brunke and Malayna Klug, both of Eau Claire.
Brunke earned $6,440 for the grand champion from a group of 11 buyers. Supporters include: the Brunke Girls Support Buyer Group, R.A. Mort Supply Co., Dale Jasper Farms, Myes Auto Tech & Tire, Country Heritage Credit Union, Slowik Refrigeration, Ott Insurance, Hein Electric, Ed and Linda Brunke, Art Brunke, Modsanco Sanitation, Douglas Hoerr and Robert Brunke Plumbing. Klug took home $410 after the sale of the reserve champion to Southwestern Michigan College.
Two special lots were also sold during the large animal auction.
Milk from the grand champion dairy cow was sold in support of the dairy club, and was featured by the grand champion exhibitor, Jack Elliot of Baroda. A total of $5,405 was donated by buyers (see list at end of story).
A quart of goat's milk was sold to support the grand champion milking doe exhibitor, Emeliah Teachworth, also of Baroda. She earned $800 from the Champion Goat Milk Supporters group.
The swine sale led the auction with 164 hogs earning $283,311.57. The sale also featured 29 beef, earning $176,483.25; 34 sheep, earning $39,883.83; and 57 goats, earning $42,866.25.
The small animal sale was held on Thursday morning, featuring rabbits, turkeys and chickens.
The rabbit sale was led by Lane Luther and Lincoln Sobralski. Luther, of Three Oaks, showed the grand champion single fryer and sold it to HRP Construction/Matt Cain and Patton Farms. They paid $275 for the rabbit. Sobralski, of Benton Harbor, earned $1,350 with the sale of his grand champion pen of rabbits. Buyers included: Grabemeyer Farms, Lora Gnodtke-Freehling, Mark Farm Supply, Mark and Deanna Sobralski, Whirlpool Corporation and Robert and Chelsey Sobralski-Cole.
Kyra Kreiger, Coloma, took home the banner for the reserve champion single fryer. The rabbit was sold to Black Arsenal for $525 at the auction. JK Cardz purchased the reserve champion pen of rabbits, exhibited by Riley Kehrer of Buchanan, for $500.
A group of 13 buyers combined efforts to purchase the grand champion market turkey from Jonathan Necas of Three Oaks. They paid $900 for the hen. Buyers include: Rochelle Necas, Chad, Jo and Brad Schau, Colleen Kugler, Ryan and Gretchen Arnt, Dinges Fall Harvest, Mark Farm Supply, Dale Seyfred/Pioneer Seed/Andrew Doepker Associate, D&J Auto Parts & Hardware LLC, Jim, Kirstin, Anna and Emily Howell, Hein Electric, Whirlpool Corporation, Rev Excavating/Bob and Savannah DeVries, and Great Lakes Electric Maintenance.
Paige Lies, Stevensville, sold the reserve champion. Brumfield Farm paid $350 for her bird.
Also sold during the small animal auction was a basket of eggs. The eggs came from Jessie Schwark's grand champion laying chickens and supports the poultry layers project. The Galien youth raked in $425 from RC Boers.
The grand champion market chickens were exhibited by Archer Sarratore of Benton Harbor. He sold it to his grandparents for $400. Landon Ransbottom, Buchanan, won the title for the reserve champion market chickens, which he sold to AEP—Cook Nuclear for $150.
In total, 248 rabbits brought in $53,204.33; 107 turkeys brought in $25,850; and $148 chickens earned $32,225. Also represented during the auction were 68 still exhibits, which earned $12,625, and one fundraising lot, which brought in $158.25.
Buyer Group
Grand Champion Gallon of Milk Buyers: Milk Buyer's Group, Brunke-Geiger Heating & Cooling, Katelyn Koebel, Twin Maple Orchard & Adventure Farm, D&J Auto Parts & Hardware LLC, Milt and Terri Sluder, Jerry and Trish Vigansky, Jerrold and Kim Wojahn family, Soos Insurance Agency/Todd Soos, Jason, Susan, Tyler and Charlie Ewalt, Rodney Roberts, Berrien Quick Lube, Sheriff Chuck Heit and retired Sheriff Paul Bailey, Mark Farm Supply, Payne Farm Drainage, Pike Funeral Home, GreenStone Farm Credit Services, Duane Paturalski, Nick Totzke Farms, Creative Coatings & Liners, Julie, Olivia and Jack Elliot, Ned Totzke, Grandma and Grandpa Lozmack, Al and Kristine Shuler family, Fresh Décor Pro Hardware, Smaxtec, Pat, Teri, Marissa and Natalie Freehling, Heritage Family Farms/ the Totzkes, RGB Painting, Baroda Valley Farms, Shelly Weich, Whirlpool Corporation, All In Farms, Dan and Val Stacey, Skorupa Farms, Rev Excavating/Bob and Savannah De Vries, Jason, Susan, Tyler and Charlie Ewalt, Dargus Ag LLC, Berrien County Farm Bureau, G.L. Wasko & Sons Trucking, Sierra Carpenter, Jeff And Elaine Starbuck, Herman Albanelli, Brandon, Camille, Ashley Stacey, He Hauls LLC, Kerlikowski Farms, Julie Legault, Wagner Family Farm, Scott and Beth McFarland, Gregg Borr and Ashley Downey, Kevin Young, Dale and Lena Young, GreenStone Farm Credit Services, Kaminski Farms Meats, A&L Seed LLC/Dairyland and Country Heritage Credit Union
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