Blue skies bring buyers to Ashland County Fair

WOOSTER, Ohio – In any given year the weather for the Ashland County Fair has a lot of variation – ranging from cold and wet to wet and hot, but this year, sunshine, blue skies and warm temperatures made the fair above average from exhibitors and visitors alike.
As a result, businesses and community members turned out to show support for the county’s 4-H and FFA members participating in the two-day junior fair livestock auction.
Goats. Day one of the auction got under way with the sale of Jared Keets’ 80-pound dairy market goat, which was purchased by Heffelfinger Meats for $7.25 per pound, while Reisinger Hay and Straw bid $5 per pound for Melanie Fitch’s 87-pound reserve champion dairy market goat.
Thiel Replacement Systems, Beaver Creek Boar Goats and Johnson’s Body Shop teamed up to bid $19 per pound for Jake Jones’ 99-pound champion meat goat. Paige King sold her 92-pound reserve champion meat goat to A-1 Septic Tank Cleaning Service, Don and Sue Boerwinkle, Nancy Mishler/First Merit, Andy White, Auctioneer and American General Insurance for $12 per pound.
Rabbits. Kirkview Veterinary Clinic bid $400 for Kristen Deter’s champion pen of rabbits, while 1st Choice Truck and Trailer was in the second spot with a bid of $300 for Jessica Hoover’s reserve champion pen of rabbits.
Turkeys. Mark Wertz Construction had the top bid of $400 for Kyle Vogler’s champion turkey, while Mac Driving School had the top bid of $175 for Eric Pickering’s reserve champion turkey.
1st Choice Mechanical topped the bidding at $625 for Hannah Fulk’s champion pen of broilers, Dr. Stephen Torski bid $425 for Michael Bradley’s reserve champion pen of broilers.
Steer. Dr. John Peck and Dr. Stephen Torski teamed up to bid $4 per pound for Mike Sloan’s 1,337-pound champion market steer, with Hammett Asphalt Paving bidding $3.25 per pound for Kelsey Litton’s 1,316-pound reserve champion market steer.
Turk Brothers Meats, represented by Roy Turk and son, Kevin, bid $1.85 per pound for Colton Hickey’s 1,309-pound champion Ashland County born and raised steer.
Lambs. Torski got the second day of the livestock sale under way with the top bid of $14 per pound for Heath Gray’s 135-pound champion market lamb, while John Peck had the top bid of $7 per pound for Adam Heffelfinger’s 130-pound reserve champion market lamb.
Hogs. Sorella’s II bid $15 per pound for Seth Ebert’s 271-pound champion market hog. Hannah Fulk’s 255-pound reserve champion market hog was purchased by Simonson Construction and Guenther Mechanical for $7 per pound.
The two-day sale concluded with Geyer Hawkins’ bid of $4.25 per pound for Stetson Bryson’s 1,219-pound champion baby beef steer, while Morris Sign Studio bid $3 per pound for Bobby Neer’s 1161-pound reserve champion baby beef steer.
Remembrance. The dairy products auction, which benefits dairy exhibitors at the Ashland County Junior Fair, took on a somber note as a long time supporter, Larry White, was remembered for his help, kindness and support of the dairy industry in Ashland County.
White was a regular contributor to the auction, donating many handcrafted wood items to sell to benefit the junior fair dairy exhibitors.
Two of his previous donations were donated back to the sale and resold with a hall tree donated by Dr. John Knox and Dr. Fred Gingerich selling for $850 to Harpsters and a wooden clock consigned by Lisa Kerr and Scott Knoll selling for $725 to Country Road Vet Services.
Proceeds from the dairy products auction totaled $13,820.