Leonidas Youth Wins Grand in Centreville
Published: Friday, October 2, 2026
Receipts from the livestock auction at last week's St. Joseph County Grange Fair totaled $555,252.35. That's down approximately $30,100 from last year's sale.
Regan Noga of Leonidas led the way in the beef sale. She earned $5 per pound ($6,700) for her grand champion steer, which weighed 1,340 pounds. The high bid came from Iron Circle Services and Affinity Custom Molding.
Standing in the reserve champion position was Conner Doehring of Mendon and his 1,205-pound steer. He received $4 per pound ($4,820) from Midlink Logistics.
Luke Frost of Fulton exhibited the grand champion beef carcass. He sold the 1,240-pound carcass for $5.75 per pound ($7,130) to Swarthout Excavating and Frostland Farms. Exhibiting the reserve champion beef carcass, Jasper Johnson of Sturgis earned $3 per pound ($4,905) from J.L. Milling for the 1,635-pound carcass.
In beef feeders, Cooper Stears of Jones was a big winner. He raked in $4.75 per pound ($2,113.75) for his 445-pound grand champion calf. The buyer was Rich Baker Farms and Riverside Apple Farm. Makayla Williams of Marcellus was next with her reserve champion beef feeder. The 525-pound calf sold for $3.50 per pound ($1,837.50) to Sturgis Bank & Trust.
In dairy feeders, Kolten Long of Mendon sold his 670-pound grand champion for $4 per pound ($2,680) to Nutrien Ag. The reserve champion dairy feeder steer brought $3.25 per pound ($2,031.25) for Ayla Kruger of Marcellus. The buyer of the 625-pound steer was Randy and Rose Chupp.
The grand champion dairy market steer was shown by Case Frisbie of Colon. The 1,770-pound steer fetched $3 per pound ($5,310) from Advanced Farm Supply, Midlink Logistics and Schrader Real Estate & Auction. Next was Eleena Kelley of Sturgis and her 1,775-pound reserve champion dairy steer. Advanced Farm Supply had the high bid at $2.30 per pound ($4,082.50).
In market hogs, the supreme champion was exhibited by Benjamin O'Connell of Colon. His 282-pound crossbred gilt was purchased by Shouldice Brothers and Finkey Farms for $13 per pound ($3,666).
Mason Trattles of Burr Oak auctioned his reserve champion market hog, weighing 264 pounds, for $14 per pound ($3,696) to Mark and Katlyn Batten, Bontrager Feed, Davis & Davis Insurance, GreenStone Farm Credit Services, Trattles Livestock and Wana Feed Service.
Jade Sechler of Sturgis received $4 per pound ($964) for the grand champion swine carcass. Chad Wolff was the buyer. Standing in the reserve champion position was Luke Byler of Sturgis. He earned $2 per pound ($480) from Lester and Helen Quimby.
In sheep, Kennedy Mosher of Sturgis auctioned her 139-pound grand champion market wether for $5.50 per pound ($764.50) to Lester and Helen Quimby. The reserve champion wether belonging to Levi Kruger of Marcellus sold for $4 per pound ($564) to Koviack Irrigation and Farm Services. The lamb weighed 141 pounds.
The grand champion market ewe, weighing 125 pounds, was exhibited by Paisley Cupp of Mendon. The lamb fetched $8 per pound ($1,000) from Midlink Logistics. Next in the ring was Taylor Trattles of Colon and his 144-pound reserve champion market ewe. He received $11.50 per pound ($1,656) from Advanced Farm Supply, the law firm of Bird, Scheske, Reed, Beemer and George, GreenStone Farm Credit Services, Kalmbach Feed, Edon Farmer's Co-op, Trattles Farm and Wana Feed Service.
Mosher returned to the ring to sell her grand champion lamb carcass. Burnips Equipment bid $6 per pound ($642) for the 107-pounder. Branch Henderson of Sturgis sold the 126-pound reserve champion lamb carcass for $6.50 per pound ($819) to Chupp Insurance Agency and Rodney D. Chupp.
In the gallon of milk sale, 4-H dairy exhibitors raised donations totaling $13,570 to fund activities throughout the year. This year's supreme champion dairy cow was shown by Jagger Bruce.
Emma Campbell of Leonidas led off the goat sale with her grand champion carcass exhibit. She received $500 from Burnips Equipment of Three Rivers. Next was the reserve champion goat carcass shown by Cooper Stears of Jones. Stears earned $400 from Beverly Larkin and Elizabeth Weston.
The grand champion meat-type goat was exhibited by Paityn Hutchison, a final-year 4-H'er from Sturgis. She sold the goat for $1,600 to Evan and Courtney Hutchison, Nancy Nusbaum and Backroad Trucking. Next was Paityn's brother, Trig, who showed the reserve champion meat goat. He received $1,000 from the same buyers plus Sturgis Bank & Trust and Guy Bailey Farms.
Another winner in the goat show was Isaac Smith of Burr Oak. He sold his grand champion dairy wether for $800 to the Dale Ultz Farm. Richard Wise of Sturgis sold his reserve champion dairy wether for $400 to Bogen Concrete and the law firm of Bird, Scheske, Reed, Beemer and George.
In the chicken sale, Nele Strasen, a foreign exchange student living in Sturgis, sold the grand champion market chicken for $1,000. Her supporters included her host family, Matt and Katie Holden and their daughters Miley and Makenna, along with the American Federation of State and County Municipal Employees, Mark Pratt, Sturgis Bank & Trust, Meyers Automotive, Backroad Trucking and Better Home Goods.
Matthew Byler of Sturgis sold the reserve champion market chicken, receiving $300 from Bird, Scheske, Reed, Beemer and George.
The best of show egg layer was exhibited by Adalyn Pasch of Schoolcraft. She sold her eggs for $700 to Keystone Co-op, Landis Farms, and Ron and Angie Landis.
O'Connell was the first to appear in the turkey sale, earning $700 from Finkey Farms, Pine Ridge Farm Services, N-Tech Enterprises and Swarthout Excavating for the grand champion. The reserve champion turkey was shown by Garrison Bunning of Sturgis. Red Barn Greenhouse had a high bid of $400.
For the price of $1,200, the grand champion market rabbit belonging to Nevaeh Prichard of Centreville was purchased by A.W. Ayres Insurance. Cassidy Robbins of Constantine sold the reserve champion rabbit for $900 to K&D Carriage and the Wieas family.
Auction subtotals, by species, include: 96 crossbred hogs, $76,555.20; 18 purebred hogs, $14,195.40; 22 dairy feeder steers, $51,368.75; 10 beef steers, $49,270; 59 lambs, $39,437.25; two beef feeder calves, $3,951.25; 38 meat goats, $22,757.10; 40 dairy wethers, $15,616.40; 135 chickens, $49,550; 18 turkeys, $7,250; 50 market rabbits (kindled), $26,725; 78 market rabbits (purchased), 41,050; and 1 gallon of milk, $13,570.
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