Buyers give more than $500,000

CANTON, Ohio – The only thing better than winning a champion banner at the county fair is winning four. And that’s exactly how the 2007 Stark County Fair turned out for the Kline family.
Louise and L.V. Kline took the top spots with their hogs, lambs and steers. In her final year of 4-H, Louise captured both grand and reserve champion honors with her steers.
Louise’s 1,285-pound grand champion steer brought a bid of $3.75 per pound from J&J Refuse. Her reserve champion steer, which weighed in at 1,305 pounds, went to Eslich Wrecking for $2.20 per pound.
In the carcass division, fair queen Laura Bevington took the top spot. And when the bidding finished, Eslich Wrecking had purchased another winner. The company paid $3.50 pound for Bevington’s 1,050-pound grand champion carcass steer.
Mikey Estock’s 1,210-pound reserve champion carcass steer went to Paris and Washington Insurance for $3 per pound. (All carcass projects were auctioned off at the animal’s live weight.)
The 112 steers averaged $1.49 with champions, adding $215,392.25 to the sale.
It’s a record. The overall sale total had been moving toward the half-a-million dollar mark for several years and when the final animal crossed the auction block this year, buyers had sailed past previous records. With the help of Kiko Auctioneers, youth exhibitors pocketed $510,320.70 during the two-day sale Aug. 29 and Sept. 1.
Winning the grand champion hog banner was no small task this year, with a field of 252 animals competing for the title. But L.V. Kline’s 264-pound entry rose to the top and brought a bid of $10.50 per pound from Stark County Family Court Judge Dave Stucki, Stark County Family Court Judge Mike Howard, Paul Pohovey, state Rep. John Hagan, Stark County Sheriff Tim Swanson, Ed Moody and four anonymous buyers.
Amber Shoemaker’s 247-pound reserve champion hog sold for $4.50 per pound to R.L. Landscape Group.
Shoemaker also exhibited the grand champion carcass hog, which weighed in at 238 pounds. Paris and Washington Insurance paid $3 per pound for the project.
Linda and Terry Wilson, and Leo and Joyce Brahler of Wolfe Ag Services joined together to purchase Linda Brahler’s 215-pound reserve champion carcass hog for $5.50 per pound.
The hogs averaged $1.77 per pound with champions, bringing $106,508 to the sale total.
On a roll. For the fourth year in a row, Louise Kline went home with the grand champion lamb banner. This year, her 143-pound lamb garnered a bid of $4 per pound from Hagan, Stucki, Swanson, Pohovey and state Sen. Kirk Schuring.
Aaron Madzia’s 133-pound reserve champion lamb went to Smitty’s Tractor Parts for $3.50 per pound.
In the carcass lamb competition, Olivia Linder took grand champion honors. Miric Show Cattle bought her 140-pound entry for $3.50 per pound.
Paris and Washington Insurance also paid $3.50 per pound for Tara King’s 131-pound reserve champion carcass lamb.
The 66 lambs sold averaged $2.15 per pound with champions. The lamb sale added $17,949.80 to the sale.
In the wool sale, Artists’ Gallery went home with the champion and reserve champion entries. The gallery teamed up with Annette Suttle to pay $200 for Joe Rindchen’s grand champion wool. Angelo Sylvester’s reserve champion wool brought $150 from the company.
Thirteen wool entries brought $1,535 to the sale, averaging $118.08 per entry.
Dairy beef feeder exhibitor Justin Kinser is no stranger to the winner’s circle. He’s taken grand or reserve honors for the past four years with his dairy beef feeders.
Another win. This year, the judge put Kinser’s entry at the top of a 140-head show. His 665-pound grand champion calf brought $2.70 per pound from Susie Kiko.
The bid for A.J. Battershell’s 650-pound reserve champion dairy beef feeder tied the record price of $3.50 per pound. The calf went to Unkefer Equipment.
The dairy beef feeders averaged $1.66 per pound with champions and contributed $129,517.25 to the sale total.
Two buyers got together to make the winning bid on Lindsey Campbell’s grand champion cheese basket. Ramsey Hoof Trimming and Wallace Farms Feed Drive-Thru paid $1,100 for the entry.
Robert Weisgarber sold his reserve champion cheese basket to Harold’s Equipment for $350.
Eleven cheese baskets averaged $352.27 per basket with champions and added $3,875 to the sale.
After showing the reserve champion dairy meat goat in 2006, Sara Conrad moved into the top spot this year. Wallace Farms Feed Drive-Thru paid $3.75 per pound for her 96-pound grand champion.
Kara Humphrey’s 74-pound reserve champion dairy meat goat brought $1.50 per pound from Klick’s Sandwiches.
The Lundberg family fared well with their goats this year, claiming champion and reserve champion Boer goats.
Jacob Lundberg’s 74-pound grand champion Boer goat garnered a bid of $2 per pound from Pohovey, Swanson, Stucki, Hagan, Moody, Cincinnati Juvenile Court Judge Tom Lipps, Megan Todaro, Family Court Magistrate Priscilla Cunningham and Ashland County Commissioner Matt Miller.
Adam Lundberg sold his 72-pound reserve champion Boer goat to Miller for $1.10 per pound.
Thirty goats averaged $1.77 per pound with champions, adding $3,958.40 to the sale total.
Birds. The 2007 poultry sale began with a power loss that left exhibitors and buyers waiting in a dim sale arena. But the show went on and the lack of lights didn’t seem to matter to bidders.
Joshua Faverty’s grand champion turkey brought $700 from Faverty’s Haflingers. The reserve champion turkey, raised by Bryan Poynter, earned a bid of $600 from Hagan, Howard, Stucki, Stark County Probate Court Judge Dixie Park and Massillon Municipal Court Magistrate Roland Centrone.
Twenty-one turkeys averaged $244.05 per bird with champions, adding $5,125 to the sale.
Hartville Kitchen paid $1,000 for Elizabeth Duerr’s grand champion pen of chickens. Lauren Vaughan’s reserve champion pen of chickens brought $650 from Woodring’s Mars and Anstine Machining Corp.
The 106 pens of chickens averaged $190.19 per pen with champions. They added $20,160 to the overall sale.
Market rabbit exhibitor Daniel Saunier couldn’t have done much better this year. His rabbit pens took the champion and reserve champion banners.
At the top. Saunier’s grand champion rabbits brought $750 from Eric’s Lawn Care, Fitzpatrick Realty and Terry’s Truck and Trailer.
Hagan bought the reserve champion pen for $275.
Four pens of rabbits averaged $293.75 per pen with champions, bringing $1,175 to the sale.
(Reporter Janelle Skrinjar welcomes feedback by phone at 800-837-3419, ext. 22, or by e-mail at jskrinjar@farmanddairy.com.)