CORTLAND, Ohio – The midways were empty and the rides and concessions were shut down hours ago, but a scant crowd of buyers and 10 Trumbull County 4-H members managed to wait it out past midnight to buy or sell the last of the county’s market livestock projects July 13.
The county’s sale of more than 300 animals in 12 project areas ran more than 8 hours, but in the end, sale totals topped $159,000.
New project. With more empty seats than filled ones in the sale barn, a smiling and optimistic Jennifer Andrella of Newton Falls led her grand champion dairy steer through the sale ring and netted a winning bid of $1.40 a pound from veterinarian Tim Matlock, represented by Susan Montgomery.
Andrella also won outstanding project honors.
In the county’s first year with dairy steers, the reserve champion, raised by Kylie Robertson of Bristolville, brought 60 cents a pound from Meloni’s Market in Vernon, represented by Ed Meloni.
Ten dairy steers sold for $5,847.60, averaging 65 cents a pound with champions and 56 cents a pound without.
Amy Brown of Bristolville worked her way into the grand champion dairy feeder position, a spot held since 1999 by Elizabeth Boorn of Bristolville.
Montgomery Dairy Farm in Newton Falls kept up its four-year streak of buying the grand champion dairy feeder when Susan Montgomery bought Brown’s 516-pound calf for $1.35 a pound.
Brown was also winner of the ribbon for outstanding feeder project.
Gary Offerdahl of Hubbard raised the 490-pound reserve champion dairy feeder and sold it to Jim Vins of North Side Farms of Orwell for $1.05 a pound.
Twenty-seven dairy feeders sold for $11,748.75, averaging 91 cents a pound with champions and 89 cents a pound without.
Beef projects. In her final try at the purple circle, Charity Golembiowski of Farmdale grabbed grand champion steer honors and sold her 1,223-pound project animal for $1.50 a pound to Cortland Showcase of Floors.
Emily Whitlatch of Fowler repeated last year’s trip to the sale ring with a reserve champion steer.
This year’s 1,252-pound steer topped last year’s reserve champion bid by a nickel and Golembiowski’s 2002 champion by a dime, bringing $1.60 a pound from LaFarge Sand and Gravel in Lordstown.
Joe Papp of Bristol won the rate of gain trophy with his 1438-pound steer.
Fifty-four steers sold for $63,947.25, averaging 96 cents a pound with champions and 94 cents a pound without.
Brother-sister team Tara and Todd Barnett of North Bloomfield pulled a switch in placing this time around in the beef carcass competition.
Tara Barnett moved up to the grand champion spot with her 752-pound beef carcass, which sold for $2 a pound to Carl W. Hall Funeral Home in Warren.
Todd Barnett fell one spot from last year’s win to reserve champion with his 767-pound carcass, which sold for $1.75 a pound to W.I. Miller and Sons of Farmdale.
Leigh Harnett of Kinsman grabbed the rate of gain trophy for her 824-pound carcass steer.
Fifteen beef carcasses sold for $19,284.35, averaging $1.68 a pound with champions and $1.66 without.
Rabbits and chickens. Jonathan Brzyscz of Bloomfield added another grand champion market rabbit trophy to his collection, a repeat of last year’s performance. This year’s 12.5-pound pen of three sold for $14 a pound to Mildred Peterson.
Sean Offendahl of Hubbard sold his 9.3-pound reserve champion pen of rabbits for $5.50 a pound to Amos Farm and Pet Feed of Bristolville.
Three pens of rabbits sold for $265.53, averaging $7.67 a pound with champions and $4.50 without.
Michael Marshall of Fowler sold his 29-pound pen of grand champion market chickens for $16 a pound to Richard Houk of Green & Golden Farm in Newton Falls.
The 20-pound reserve champion pen, raised by Garret Smith of Leavittsburg, sold to auctioneer Mike Davis of West Farmington for $7.50 a pound.
Turkeys. Houk again raised his bidder’s card high to take Aaron Pospisil’s 36.5-pound grand champion turkey for $17 a pound for Green & Golden Farm. Pospisil showed last year’s champion, and both the grand and reserve champions in 2000.
Pospisil also won outstanding market exhibitor honors in the junior category, and Brian Casper of Lordstown took overall outstanding market poultry exhibitor honors.
North Bloomfield’s Katie Wellman took the reserve champion turkey banner and sold her 36.5-pound bird for $13 a pound to King Brothers Feed and Supply of Bristolville.
Sixteen pens of chickens sold for $1,738.50, averaging $4.47 a pound with champions and $3 without.
Ten turkeys sold for $1,837.25, averaging $5.50 a pound with champions and $3.13 without.
Goats. Bidding started up again after stalling around $2.50 a pound for this year’s grand champion market goat. In the end, junior fair queen Stefanie Duda sold her 62-pound wether for $4.50 a pound to Frank Phillips of Mecca Cones and Coneys.
Trumbull County Farm Bureau took home the buyer’s banner when the gavel hit the block for the reserve champion market goat. Jennifer Snider of Hartford raised the 53-pound goat, which sold for $3 a pound.
Seven goats sold for $828, averaging $2.21 a pound with champions and $1.60 without.
Sheep. It may be a hard task to repeat next time around for Kaitlynn List, a first-year 4-H member from Mecca who raised the grand champion carcass lamb. The 62-pound carcass sold for $7 a pound to Trumbull County Recorder Diana Marchese.
Chris Diehl of Gustavus sold his 56-pound reserve champion carcass lamb for $4.75 a pound to Meloni’s Market in Vernon.
After being ousted from either championship last year, 1999 and 2000 champion Drew Turner of Fowler returned to the grand champion market lamb spot with his 123-pounder. This year’s champion was purchased by Williams IGA for $7.10 a pound, represented by his father, Kevin Turner.
Last year’s champion, Jennifer Bell, dropped to reserve placing with her 114-pound lamb, which sold for $4.50 a pound to LaFarge Sand and Gravel of Lordstown.
Brian Benton of North Bloomfield took rate of gain honors with his 98-pound lamb.
Nineteen lambs sold for $5,449.40, averaging $2.50 a pound with champions and $2.11 without.
Eight lamb carcasses sold for $1,620.75, averaging $3.56 a pound with champions and $2.79 without.
Hogs. Jennifer Bell moved into the winner’s circle with her 185-pound champion carcass hog. The carcass sold for $4.50 a pound to Meloni’s Market in Vernon.
Elizabeth Boorn of Bristolville sold her 210-pound reserve champion carcass for $3.25 a pound to Klingensmith Crowder Feed of Leavittsburg.
Second-year 4-H’er Emily Whitlatch returned to the sale ring, this time with her grand champion market hog. The 271-pound bluebutt sold for $4.35 a pound to Amos’ Farm and Pet Feed of Bristolville.
Brad Harnett of Kinsman sold his 251-pound reserve champion hog for $2 a pound to Gateway Farm Freezer Meats of Greenville, Pa.
Whitlatch won junior outstanding pork project honors; Harnett, intermediate honors; and Elizabeth Boorn took the senior division.
Ryan Bell of Johnston won intermediate showmanship and Brittany Plott of Johnston won junior showmanship.
Forty-seven hog carcasses sold for $16,611.20, averaging $1.75 a pound with champions and $1.66 without.
One hundred hogs sold for $30,190.55, averaging $1.21 a pound with champions and $1.17 without.
(You can contact Andrea Myers at 1-800-837-3419, ext. 22, or by e-mail at amyers@farmanddairy.com.)
