BURTON, Ohio – The Geauga County Fair Junior Fair market livestock sale took a huge leap in prices this year, netting $200,647, almost $47,000 more than the total sale last year.
Prices were up for five of the 10 grand champion animals sold, and for four of the nine reserve champion animals.
Higher bids were especially strong in the small animal sale, where the record high for the grand champion rabbit jumped $10 a pound and $6 a pound for the reserve champion. The record for the grand champion duck went up $20 a pound, and the record for the grand champion chicken nearly doubled to $32.50 a pound from $17.50.
The bid for the grand champion market lamb was also double the price paid last year.
Auctioneers volunteering their time to conduct the sale were Dave Rennolds, Pete Howes, Scott Mihalic, and Mike Davis.
Rabbits. Shawn Reilly sold his 14.25-pound grand champion pen of meat rabbits to Pritt Food Concessions for $50 a pound, $10 a pound higher than last year’s price. The 12.5-pound reserve champion pen, shown by Janet Kronk was sold for $20 a pound to the Geauga County Farm Bureau, $6 a pound over last year’s price.
There were eight pens of meat rabbits sold, with two donated back to resell twice more for 4-H funds, for a total of $1,793.50, averaging $11.17 a pound with champions and $7.25 without champions.
Poultry. Mark Miller sold his 22.50-pound grand champion pen of meat chickens to Judge Diane and State Rep. Jim Grendell for $30 a pound, up from the $17.50 a pound paid last year.
The 18.25-pound reserve champion pen of chickens was shown by Rachel Sharpnack, last year’s grand champion, and sold for $25 a pound to Miraglia Fine Food and Catering. The reserve price was also up, $7.50 a pound over last year’s price.
Amanda Roach sold her 6.25-pound grand champion market duck to the Geauga County Farm Bureau for $50 a pound. The 50-pound reserve champion market, shown by Resha Dykes was sold for $30 a pound to Healthy Deposits in Middlefield.
Joan Sladek sold her 45-pound grand champion market turkey to Miraglia Fine Food and Catering for $30 a pound. The 45-pound reserve champion market turkey, shown by Laura Miller was sold for $20 a pound to Grace Geothermal.
The highest turkey price of $35 a pound was received by last year’s grand champion Joe Turos, who sold his turkey last year for $77.50 a pound.
There were 17 pens of market chickens sold, with two resales, for a total of $4,511, averaging $10.30 with champions, and $18.28 without There were 13 market ducks sold, with three resales, for a total of $1,719.14, averaging $17.44 with champions and $14.57 without champions.
The 30 market turkeys sold brought a total of $14,067.50, averaging $12.78 with champions and $11.91 without champions.
Hogs. Mark Dvorak, who showed the reserve champion market hog at the Ohio State Fair, also had the grand champion hog at the Geauga County Fair Junior Fair market auction. The 252-pound grand champion hog sold to Preston Chevrolet for $14 a pound. The 260-pound reserve champion hog, shown by Andy Spear was sold for $11 a pound to Structural Concepts of Madison.
There were 82 hogs sold, with two resales, for a total of $69,367, averaging $3.41 with champions and $3.19 without champions.
Goats. Jessica Klingemier repeated with the grand champion market goat, and this year brought her brother Joe along.
Jessica sold her 96-pound grand champion market goat to Kinetico Inc. for $7 a pound, the same price she received last year. The 81-pound reserve champion market goat, shown by her brother, Joe Klingemier, was sold for $5.75 a pound to Tom and Tina Mooney of T&T Cleaning Service.
There were eight market goats sold, with one resale, for a total of $1,842.75, averaging $2.75 with champions and $1.71 without champions.
Market lambs. Bradley and Patricia Calkins took control of the market lamb category of the market auction. Bradley, repeating as grand champion, sold his 130-pound grand champion market lamb to Green Acres Tavern for $12.50 a pound, more than twice the $6 he received for his grand champion last year.
Patricia, repeating as reserve champion, sold her 12.50-pound reserve champion market lamb for $5 a pound to Preston Chevrolet, $1 less than she got for her reserve champion last year.
Patricia also had the grand champion pen of two lambs, weighing 136 and 140 pounds, moving up from reserve champion pen last year. She sold the two lambs for $4 a pound to Kinetico Inc.
The reserve champion pen of lambs, weighing 124 and 128 pounds, was shown by J. R. Marx, who had the grand champion pen last year. It was bought for $2.25 a pound by Ron Vesely of ARVEE Roofing.
There were 46 lambs sold, with one resale, for a total of $15,183.50, averaging $2.78 with champions and $2.51 without champions.
Beef. Only one veal calf was sold. The 245-pound grand champion was shown by D.J. Gilkerson, and sold for $2.50 a pound to Junction Auto Sales, for a total of $612.50.
In the market steer auction brother and sister Danielle and Jeff Jernejcic had the top animals.
Danielle, who showed the reserve champion market steer last year, had the grand champion in this year’s auction.
She sold the 1,365-pound grand champion steer for a near record $8.50 a pound to a buying group composed of Ronyak Brothers Paving Company, Arms Trucking, and Winters and Lewis Excavating.
It was a long and closely considered bidding process, as auctioneers Scott Mihalic, at the podium, and Mike Davis, huddling with bidders on the floor, urged the bid upwards by 10 cents a pound at a time.
But the price didn’t quite reach the $9 a pound record set last year. Middlefield Banking Company finally let it go, and then return to buy the reserve champion steer, shown by Jeff Jernejcic. The 1,250-pound reserve champion sold for $5 a pound.
There were 45 sold for a total of $91,550.50, averaging $1.60 with champions and $1.37 without champions.
