DOVER, Ohio – The 4-H dairy products auction held during the 2002 Tuscarawas County Fair brought in a record $54,700, topping all the other sales held during the 16 years since the sale began.
The donations after the sale brought the total up to $57,540.
Glenn Burket of Dover purchased the first basket for a record $4,300. It had been a tradition at each sale for Burket to buy the first basket since the sale began.
However, in 1999, Burket and his company, Flex Technologies of Midvale, Mt. Eaton and Baltic, left the auction scene, feeling it was time to challenge other supporters and made private donations instead.
This year, Burket told auction organizers he wanted to revive the auction and help to bring it to another record.
Last year’s auction brought in about $48,700.
High bids. Bids didn’t fall below $900 until the last seven baskets for this year’s event. Each of the top six baskets included about $75 worth of dairy product gift certificates and dairy products and a wood cherry lamp resembling a milk can.
Dutch Valley Woodworking, Inc. designed and built the lamps. Each basket represented one of the top six dairy breeds.
R.J. Wright & Sons, BP Oil at New Philadelphia bought the second basket for $4,000 and Mako’s Market Basket and Pharmacy of Uhrichsville paid $3,000 for the third.
Carolina Stair Supply of Uhrichsville paid $3,300 for the fourth basket and Kimble Company of Dover bought the fifth basket for $3,200. Smith Dairy paid $3,000 for the last of the top six baskets.
Youth support. Michele Specht, a junior fair dairy committee member, said that although the dairy industry is feeling pressure from high grain prices and low returns on milk, area farmers and businesses didn’t let that stop them.
“These people love to come here and support the 80 dairy kids,” she said.
“It’s tough financially for dairy farmers now but these people supported our kids.”
Specht said the auction has helped increase the number of members involved and the quality of the projects brought to the fair.
About 40 percent of the money raised will be used to continue educational programs for the youths. The rest is divided among the participants.
