Another record year in Portage Co.

RANDOLPH, Ohio – Once again, the Portage County Fair’s junior market livestock sale reached a new height, this time with a record $251,755 receipt total.
Steer prices, however, didn’t fare as well at the Aug. 28 sale.
But that didn’t faze Cristin Day. After her brother, Terry, won champion steer three out of the last four years, she was ready to take over that honor herself. She got her chance this year.
Although Day’s 1,321-pound animal didn’t break the $5.50-a-pound record her brother set last year, she still got $3.25 a pound for her champion animal from Moser Construction.
Paul Adelman Trucking stepped up to support Joey Adelman with a $2.25-a-pound price for his 1,315-pound reserve champion steer.
Fifteen-year-old Tim Wyszynski is only in his second year showing steers but already took the grand champion carcass title. Robert Sly paid $3.50 a pound for the 792-pound carcass.
On the other hand, Katy Shircliff knows her way around the winner’s circle, whether it’s with steers or lambs. Her 828-pound reserve champion steer carcass brought in $3.75 a pound from Bob and Terry Doty and Bishop Construction.
Shircliff also had the project champion steer.
Seventy-nine steers sold for $143,505.05, averaging $1.43 a pound with champions and $1.36 without.
Other breed champions included: 1. Mitchell Kisamore and 2. Stevie Jo Adelman, Hereford; 1. Kenny Shircliff and 2. Katy Shircliff, Angus; 1. Kristen Shircliff and 2. Jessica Heater, dairy; Tom Wise, Shorthorn; 1. Naomi Pirogowicz and 2. Tierney Ruehr, other breeds.
One of each. Steve Miner kept 4-H’ers’ pockets full all afternoon. Miner’s businesses, Mine “R” Farm and Miner’s Bishop Tractor, took home goat, lamb and hog champions.
First, he picked up the 88-pound champion goat for $550, down $300 from last year. Shannon Gallagher exhibited the animal.
Lance Utt’s 95-pound reserve champion brought in $375 from Leppo Rents and Bobcat. This bid was also down from last year, by $100.
Goat numbers were down, too, with just three being sold. They added $1,150 to the sale total and averaged $383.33 with champions and $225 without.
Up and down for hogs. Although grand and reserve prices were down in the hog sale, the grand champion carcass set a record that the reserve champion carcass matched.
Both sold for $7 a pound, beating last year’s prices by $2 a pound.
First, Tyler Neal sold his 170-pound champion carcass to Jim Silver, who is running for judge, and Lou Dudek, who is running for county recorder.
Ron Marhofer Chevrolet then paid the same price for Tony Hermann’s 160-pound reserve champion carcass.
T.J. Knapp proved 4-H’ers don’t have to pay a lot of money to have a grand champion hog. The 15-year-old from Suffield bought his at an auction in Kidron.
His boss, Dave Duma of Duma Meats, paid $5.75 a pound for the 270-pound champion.
Miner Bishop’s Tractor bought its second champion of the day, Tim Wyszynski’s 263-pound reserve champion hog, for $6 a pound. That price was down from last year’s $11 record.
Katy Shircliff had the champion project hog.
The hog sale totaled $69,231, with 153 animals sold. Averages were $1.77 with champions and $1.67 without.
More lambs. Thompson Lawn Care Inc. and Miner’s Bishop Tractor paid $7.50 a pound for the 144-pound champion lamb exhibited by Josiah Pirogowicz. That bid dropped $5 a pound from last year.
The 146-pound reserve champion lamb, however, jumped to $7.75 a pound, up $1.25 a pound from last year. Duane and Debbie Severt were the buyers filling exhibitor Amanda Smith’s pockets.
Madison Moore’s 65-pound grand champion carcass stole the lamb show with a $12-a-pound bid from Moore Well Service – doubling last year’s winning price.
Bids stayed high for Katy Shircliff’s 73-pound reserve carcass. Portage County Commissioner Chuck Keiper, candidate-for-judge Leigh Herington and Commissioner Chris Smeiles more than doubled last year’s reserve carcass price to $9.50 a pound.
Shircliff also had the champion project lamb.
Lamb numbers were up to 48, compared to 35 last year. The sale total hit $13,423.95, averaging $2.12 with champions and $1.65 without.
‘Best chicken sale.’ Auctioneer John Kiko called the chicken sale one of the best he’s seen.
Seventy-four chicken pens totaled $14,505 and averaged $183.61 with champions and $181.32 without. Those averages jumped about $50 each from last year, with the same number of chickens being sold.
Portage County Farm Bureau kicked off the sale by setting a record. Its bid of $950 for Charlie Kuchenbecker’s 25.25-pound champion pen beat the $875 record it set in 2001.
Thompson Lawn Care Inc. kept the bids high with a $500 bid for Shelby Tomlinson’s 25-pound reserve champion chicken pen. That price beat last year’s by $200.
Record turkeys. Chickens weren’t the only birds with records, though.
Tyler Phelps once again had the champion turkey, this time a 41.5-pound bird. Staples Plumbing of Mantua kept its paddle raised until it beat the $675 record. And then kept it up.
John Kiko’s gavel fell at $1,000 for the champion.
Hyde’s Automotive bought the reserve champion turkey again this year, this time paying $425 for Leonard Roosa’s 32.5-pound bird.
Thirty-five turkeys sold for $6,475, averaging $179.86 with champions and $148.53 without. Last year, 20 more turkeys sold, however the total was just $100 more.
Rabbits, ducks. Portage County Rabbit Breeders claimed another record with its $775 bid for Alesha Wise’s champion rabbit pen. This beat the record set two years ago by $25.
Dale Graves took his usual spot in the winners’ circle with his reserve champion rabbit pen, which sold for $325 to Pettigrew Feed and Hardware.
Seven rabbits added $2,000 to the overall sale total, averaging $200 with champions and $112.50 without.
Ducks were back on the auction block after a year off last fair.
Lee Ann Gaskins received $225 for her 8.5-pound champion duck from Jack Groselle. Gaskins’ 7-pound reserve champion also brought in $225, this time from Ahrens Club Pigs.
Averages were $133.18 with champions and $90.56 without. The total for nine ducks was $1,465.
Scholarship fund. Portage Community Bank donated $250 to the scholarship fund, and Geiss Corporation donated $500.
Through buyers who donated the animals back for resale, another $5,700 was added to the scholarship fund.
These $500 scholarships are available to market livestock exhibitors in Portage County. Students in any continuing education program can apply for the scholarships yearly.
Kiko Auctioneers volunteered its services.
(Reporter Kristy Hebert welcomes feedback by phone at 800-837-3419 or by e-mail at khebert@farmanddairy.com.)