Farm show sales benefit scholarships

HARRISBURG, Pa. – Topping the sale of champions at the 2007 Pennsylvania Farm Show was the grand champion junior market steer, selling for $18,000.
Hoss’s Steak and Sea House purchased the 1,275-pound champion, owned by Shannon Braman from Bedford.
The champions and reserve champions of the four livestock species – beef, swine, goats and sheep – totaled $41,900, benefiting junior farm show exhibitors.
The second-highest seller was the grand champion junior market swine, exhibited by Scotty Gardner, of Brownsville, Fayette County. The 270-pound crossbred sold to Hatfield Quality Meats for $5,700.
Jacob Logan from Irwin, Westmoreland County, sold his 1,300-pound crossbred reserve champion junior market steer to Hoss’s Steak and Sea House for $3,700.
Record set. A new record was set this year when the grand champion junior market goat topped the previous species record at $2,900. The buyer, New Holland Sales Stables, placed the top bid on the 89-pound crossbred owned by Drew Romesburg of Berlin, Somerset County.
New Holland Sales Stables broke their previous goat record of $2,700, set in 2005.
Following closely behind the champion, the 89-pound reserve champion goat, exhibited by Samantha Adams of Bedford, sold for $2,600 to Westfield Insurance.
Hoss’s Steak and Sea House also purchased the reserve grand champion junior market swine. Colton Zundel from New Alexandria, Westmoreland County, raised the 257-pound crossbred hog that sold for $3,000.
The grand champion junior market lamb brought $4,200 from a bid by Lebanon Valley Farmers Bank and Fulton Bank, Lebanon Valley Livestock Auction, and Bell & Evans Natural Chicken.
Derek Adams of Bedford took top honors with his 142-pound crossbred lamb. The 145-pound reserve champion, a Hampshire owned by Chandler Carey from Montoursville, Lycoming County, sold for $2,300 to Fulton Bank & Kessler’s Inc.
Scholarships. 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, 27 scholarships were awarded, totaling $94,500.