BAZETTA, Ohio – Livestock auction clerks greeted some registering bidders by name at the 2007 Trumbull County Fair, directed them to the breezy auction barn, and told them to dig in to a buffet of refreshments offered by 4-H’ers and their parents.
Those bidders weren’t necessarily those who spent the most money or who bought the most projects at last year’s fair.
They’re simply the lifeblood of the auction, the people who come back year after year to bid up prices in support of the county’s 4-H members.
Most every winning bidder for a grand or reserve champion livestock project at this year’s fair was a repeat bidder, including Gustavus Hardwoods, who took home a whopping six grand or reserve champion projects.
Overall sale receipts totaled $209,070.70.
Small animals. Repeat winner Jon Brzyscz of North Bloomfield led off the livestock auction with his 12.5-pound grand champion pen of market rabbits. Kim and Diesel Williams and Mildred Peterson bid $16 per pound for the champions, up $3 per pound from last year’s champion bid. Last year, Brzyscz raked in $21 per pound for his reserve champion pen.
Kaitlin List of Bristolville showed the 13.2-pound reserve champion pen, and earned a $7-per-pound bid from Amie Crowder of Crowder Klingensmith Feed and Supply in Leavittsburg.
Four pens of market rabbits totaled $395, averaging $102.60 with champions and $98.75 without.
Ducks and geese. This year’s fair saw the addition of the market goose project to the sale bill.
Two exhibitors showed four geese, with Erika Dulka showing the 9.9-pound grand champion. Paul Brickner of Willoughby paid $35 per pound for her project. Thomas Almasy showed the 10.1-pound reserve champion, which earned a $20-per-pound bid from Gustavus Hardwoods.
The four market geese brought $877, averaging $219.25 with champions and $164.25 without.
In its third year, the market duck project attracted four exhibitors. Morgan Rice moved up one spot from last year to stand as grand champion this year. Her 7.8-pound project brought $55 per pound from Gustavus Hardwoods, up from last year’s $50-per-pound bid.
Rice also showed the 7.4-pound reserve champion, which fetched $50 per pound from the Strimbu Memorial Fund.
Six market ducks totaled $1,321.50, averaging $220.25 with champions and $130.63 without.
Turkeys and chickens. Traditional poultry projects paid off, too, with Elizabeth Williams earning $16 per pound for her 34.2-pound grand champion pen of market chickens. Her buyer was Richard Houk of Green & Golden Farm.
Michael Marshall, who has shown grand champions in the past, came out in the reserve champion standing this year. His 31.4-pound pen brought $10 per pound from Paul Ahrens of Alcon Mechanical.
Jason Lipps’ 42.1-pound grand champion turkey ruffled its feathers and offered a show during bidding. Gustavus Hardwoods came out on top, paying $11 per pound for the bird.
The Spithalers of Gustavus Hardwoods also bought the reserve champion from Ben Meridith. His turkey weighed 39.2 pounds and earned $8 per pound.
Ten pens of market chickens totaled $2,711.30, averaging $271.13 with champions and $231.26 without.
Seventeen turkeys totaled $3,136.85, averaging $184.52 with champions and $157.34 without.
Goats and lambs. An unconfirmed record was set during the goat and lamb sale.
Madison Rice’s 64-pound grand champion carcass lamb brought a whopping $17 per pound, well above last year’s $7.50. The winning bidder was Joe Kerola of PI&I Trucking in Masury.
The reserve champion lamb carcass, raised by Shelby List and weighing in at 65 pounds, earned $8.50 per pound from Don Barzak of The Barzak Agency.
Three 4-H’ers showed carcass goats, with top honors going to Daniel Parker. Parker sold his 31-pound carcass for $4 per pound to Judge Larry Turner.
Sean Offerdahl sold his 32-pound reserve champion for $3 per pound to Mahan Packing.
Kirsten Hacker dominated live lamb judging, with her two projects standing in the top two spots.
Her 125-pound black lamb, the overall champion, brought $4 per pound from Gustavus Hardwoods. Her 131-pound reserve champ brought $4.10, also from Gustavus Hardwoods.
Two lambs further down the sale order brought more than the champion. Madison Rice earned bids of $5 and $4.90 per pound for her projects.
Kristen Lewis topped the market goat competition. Her 77-pounder brought $4 per pound from Wilde Horses Feed and Supply.
Sean Offerdahl’s 72-pound reserve champion brought $2.50 per pound from Trumbull County Farm Bureau.
Rate-of-gain winner for the goat projects went to Kristen Lewis. Rate-of-gain for lambs went to Charlie Buber.
Thirty lambs totaled $8,852.40, averaging $295.08 with champions and $279.12 without.
Sixteen carcass lambs totaled $4,221, averaging $263.82 with champions and $184.32 without.
Nine market goats totaled $1,380.75, averaging $153.42 with champions and $127.54 without.
Three carcass goats totaled $314.50, averaging $104.84 with champions and $94.50 without.
Dairy projects. Interest in the dairy beef steer project in the county continues to dwindle, with only two exhibitors showing projects this year.
Shannon Montgomery’s 1,308-pound grand champion Guernsey steer brought $2 per pound from Willow Knoll Farm Trailer Sales, and her brother Daniel’s 1,366-pound reserve champion brought $1.20 per pound from LaFarge Corp.
Dairy feeder numbers are staying high, though, with 31 feeder calves in this year’s show. Taking the top spot was Hannah Trumbull’s 614-pound calf. Bob Giancola of B&B Jerseys paid $1.30 per pound for the project.
Lindsey Barto showed the 615-pound reserve champion, which went to Jones Processing for $1.30 per pound.
A handful of calves lower in the sale order brought higher bids, with the highest bid topping $1.55 per pound for a Guernsey steer shown by Nina Baumgartner.
Four dairy beef steers totaled $6,310.30, averaging $1,577.59 with champions and $1,027.55 without.
Thirty-one dairy feeders totaled $17,098.20, averaging $551.56 with champions and $534.50 without.
Steers. Bids came fast and furious during the steer and beef carcass auction.
Siblings Janice and Stewart Campbell showed the top two beef carcasses, with Janice’s 718-pound carcass bringing $3.10 per pound and Stewart’s 777-pounder bringing $2.85.
Winning bidders were Ainsley Oil on the grand champion and Miller Ammonia Service on the reserve.
Ninth in the sale order, Josh Mureson of Bristol earned the highest bid on all carcasses sold at $3.60 per pound.
Siblings were also at it in the live market steer competition. But Ryan and Alison Bell, who have battled back and forth for top spots in the steer contests for the last handful of years, only managed the top spot in this year’s contest.
Alison Bell’s 1,357-pound steer brought $2.30 per pound from perennial buyer Gibson Governor Insurance.
Newcomer Zack Zuga sold his 1,317-pound reserve champion for $2 per pound to Dr. James LaPolla and Larry Garett Livestock.
Champions in the rate-of-gain contest were Anthony Gardner and Kore Bitner. Outstanding project winners were Cassie Calhoun, senior; Emily Culp, intermediate; and Sydney Calhoun, junior.
Forty-five steers totaled $82,571.40, averaging $1,834.92 with champions and $1,786.43 without.
Fifteen beef carcasses totaled $28,162.15, averaging $1,877.48 with champions and $1,824.78 without.
Hogs. Emily Robinson took grand champion honors with both her carcass hog and market hog projects.
Her 204-pound carcass hog brought $3.25 per pound, and her 280-pound champion live hog brought $3.75 per pound, both from Valewood Electric.
The reserve champion carcass hog, with a hanging weight of 195 pounds, was exhibited by Ben Kaiser and sold for $2.75 per pound to Gibson Governor Insurance.
Alison Bell showed the reserve champion market hog and earned $3.60 per pound from county engineer candidate Randy Smith.
The 99 market hogs sold for $38,367.25, averaging $387.55 with champions and $374.80 without.
Twenty-six carcass hogs sold for $13,351.10, averaging $513.51 with champions and $506.33 without.
Volunteers. Auctioneers who volunteered their time for the sale were Tim Hunt, Mike Davis and Pete Howe. Ringmen who assisted were Nub Owens, Bill Passek and Eric Campbell.
(Reporter Andrea Zippay welcomes feedback by phone at 800-837-3419 or by e-mail at azippay@farmanddairy.com.)
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