Farm Show champs bring big bucks

HARRISBURG, Pa. – Washington County 4-H’er Lexie Matthews, cashed in her grand champion Junior Market Steer, selling for $15,000 during the Sale of Champions at the 2008 Pennsylvania Farm Show Jan. 8.
Hoss’s Steak and Sea House, a long-time farm show supporter, purchased the 1,360-pound champion.
Grand total. The annual Sale of Champions caps off the youth market livestock shows at the farm show. The champions and reserve champions of the four livestock species – beef, swine, goats and sheep – totaled $39,100, benefiting junior exhibitors.
The second-highest seller was the reserve grand champion Junior Market Steer, exhibited by Hannah Zundel, of New Alexandria, Westmoreland County. The 1,340-pound crossbred sold to Bell & Evans Poultry for $5,200.
Swine sale. In the swine sale, Sarah Kasanicky from Leechburg, Armstrong County, sold her 256-pound Yorkshire grand champion Junior Market Swine to Hatfield Quality Meats, Inc., for $4,500.
Reserve champion Junior Market Swine, owned by Hannah Zundel of New Alexandria, Westmoreland County was also purchased by Hatfield Quality Meats, Inc., along with Eat n’ Park Restaurants, a first-year buyer at the Sale of Champions. The 268-pound porker sold for $3,000.
Lamb sale. Following closely behind the swine and beef champions, the 140-pound grand champion Junior Market Lamb, exhibited by Bailey Young of Williamsport, sold for $3,000 to New Holland Sales Stables, Inc.
A buyer’s trio of Fulton Bank, Bell and Evans Poultry, and Lebanon Valley Auction Co. purchased the grand champion Junior Market Goat. Chad Menges from New Oxford, York County, raised the 80-pound crossbred goat that sold for $2,900.
The reserve grand champion Junior Market Lamb brought $2,800 from a bid by Fulton Bank and Kessler Meats, Inc. Sarah Farley of West Hazelton, Somerset County, took the top honor with her 129-pound crossbred lamb.
The 92-pound reserve champion Junior Market Goat, a crossbred owned by Drew Romesburg from Berlin, Somerset County, sold for $2,700 to Hoss’s Steak and Sea House.
Where the money goes. Money generated from the market auctions is used to help fund the Farm Show Scholarship Program. At least 1 percent of the gross sale receipts from each animal sold is contributed to the fund. This year, 25 scholarships were awarded, totaling $87,500.