SALEM, Ohio – Another fair season is over and almost $5 million later, it’s time to look at how 4-H’ers in the Farm and Dairy’s 30-county coverage area fared at this year’s junior livestock sales.
Although Farm and Dairy staff and correspondents stayed late into the night at many long sales, there were also many fairs across Ohio, western Pennsylvania and northern West Virginia not covered in our paper.
The 30 counties that were covered had a net sale total that hit almost $5 million -that’s almost a $1-million growth since two years ago.
After three months of weekly fair coverage saturating the pages of Farm and Dairy and pictures of 4-H’ers smiling by their champion animals, let’s relax, take a step back and see how this fair season turned out.
Times a-changin’? Since the last time Farm and Dairy reported area fair totals two years ago, not much has changed, however, several totals were up from 2000.
Wayne, Stark, Tuscarawas and Holmes counties still finished at the top of the overall sales reported to Farm and Dairy, but newcomer Medina County edged the previous fourth-placed Holmes County down to fifth.
Wayne County again reported the highest total, $408,472.90, and finished more than $50,000 ahead of the second highest total, which was Stark County, $354,590.77.
Falling almost $110,000 behind Stark County but still having the third overall total was Tuscarawas County with $242,689.75.
Medina County’s $240,902 sale broke into the top five fair totals in the area, and not far behind was Holmes County with $240,442.
Highest animal. Once again, Washington County, Pa., was a hot bed for a bidding war on a champion lamb. This year it was Nicole Chadwick’s grand champ, which finally sold for $69 a pound.
This bid may sound unbelievable to many 4-H’ers and buyers, however, it is still less than the bid for the county’s 2000 reserve champ. That record-smashing market lamb went for $72 a pound.
Not too far behind Washington County’s high lamb bid was Wayne County’s champion. Kirstie Dravenstott’s Wayne County record-setting champion lamb sold for $51 a pound.
Hog heaven. Wayne County continued to be recognized this year for having top-selling grand champion hogs. This year’s top seller went for $36 a pound, beating the county’s highest hog from last year by $6 a pound.
Garrett Worth was the champion’s exhibitor.
Other high bids for hogs were Coshocton County, $13.50; Guernsey County, $12; and Geauga County, $12.
Ten dollars was a popular bid with Ashland, Fayette (Pa.), Columbiana, Butler (Pa.) and Washington (Pa.) counties, each having $10-a-pound grand champion market hogs.
Lamb luxury. After Washington County’s $69 bid and Wayne County’s $51 bid, other grand champion market lamb bids reported in Farm and Dairy included Guernsey County, $19; Fayette County, Pa., $17; Tuscarawas County, $15; and Ashland County, $15.
Top-selling reserve champion lambs, from counties that reported reserve champs, were Holmes County, $13.50; Tuscarawas, $11; Lawrence County, Pa., $10.50; Harrison County, $10; and Warren County, Pa., $9.
Steer sales. The top-selling grand champion steer was from Columbiana County. Alexis Thomas’ steer sold for $12 a pound.
Rounding off other top-selling steer champions were Geauga County, $9; Wayne County, $8.25; Canfield Fair, $8.25; and Jefferson County, $6.
The highest bid for a reserve champion steer outdid all but the top-selling grand champion. Amy Turos’ reserve champ sold for $9.50 in Geauga County.
Other high bids for reserve champions included Columbiana County, $5; Wayne County, $4.50; Canfield Fair, $4; and Coshocton County, $3.25.
Averages. The averages of champion and reserve champion sales reported in the Farm and Dairy for the 2002 junior fair market sales are:
Grand champion steers: high, $12; low, $1.50; average price $4.39.
Reserve champion steers: high, $9.50; low, $1.48; average price $2.86.
Grand champion hogs: high, $36; low, $1.55; average price $7.73.
Reserve champion hogs: high, $11; low, $1.38; average price $4.41.
Grand champion lambs: high, $69; low, $2.65; average price $12.75.
Reserve champion lambs: high, $13.50; low, $1.50; average price $6.60.
