When the gavel dropped on the final animal sold during the Allegan County Fair's annual youth livestock auction last Wednesday, a total of $621,407.80 had been handed to area youth in exchange for the project animals they raised during the previous 12 months.
While total sale revenue was off from the 2015 total by $40,593, this year's auction ranks third highest in the past 20 years, falling $55,718 from the 2014 record of $677,125.
Five hundred seventy-two head in 355 lots moved through the sale ring compared to 2015 when 527 animals comprised 340 lots in the sale.
The gallon of milk basket, representing the dairy cow champions, set a new record amount of $17,375, with money still coming in to the pool. Each grand champion winner receives 10 percent of the proceeds, while 10 percent is earmarked for countywide dairy programming and the balance is split between remaining exhibitors in the dairy project area. A & B Farms was the high bidder, contributing the initial $3,500 to the final tally.
Two outdoor furniture items made from recycled pallets were sold for $900, which will be added to the Make the Match for Allegan 4-H capital drive for long-term program sustainability. The county goal of $50,000 in three years will be matched dollar for dollar if achieved.
Seventy-six head of finished beef steers netted a total of $113,568. A nine-member support group purchased Plainwell's Connor Meert's 1,312-pound grand champion steer for $9 per pound, a total of $11,808. Her sponsors included Breckenridge Insurance, Drozd Seeds, GreenMark Equipment, Green Valley Ag, Greenstone Farm Credit Services, Hamilton Distributing, Koviak Irrigation, Midway Chevrolet and Ridderman Oil.
Bryce Jipping of Hamilton sold his 1,374-pound reserve champion steer to Green Valley Ag for $3 per pound.
Laura Buist of Wayland sold her grand champion dairy beef steer to A & B Farms of Holland. Her 1,399-pound Holstein steer brought $1.70 per pound, bagging $2,378 for her work. Katrina Tucker brought the reserve champion entry, selling her 1,562-pound steer to CHS in Hamilton also for $1.70 per pound.
Twin sisters Anabelle and Isabelle Modreske of Wayland earned grand and reserve champion beef carcass accolades respectively earlier this summer. Annabelle sold the 777-pound carcass to Woodhams Equipment, while Isabelle sold her 896-pound carcass to Global Concepts. Both girls received $4.25 per pound.
Dairy starter calf grand champion was exhibited by Katrina Tucker of Wayland and purchased by Farmers Co-op Elevator of Hudsonville for $2.50 per pound
Her 574-pound calf brought a total of $1,435. Joseph Ludlam of Hopkins exhibited the reserve championselling his 532-pound calf to Crystal Flash for $1.50 per pound. Twenty-eight entries were presented in a project area that sees continued growth.
The largest species sales total was hogs, with $261,805 from 149 lots and 274 hogs.
Alyssa Jipping and Joelle Boeskool, both of Hamilton, drove the grand and reserve champion gilts in the final drive. Jipping's 301-pound gilt was purchased by MD Farm Supply and JBS Unlimited for $7 per pound and a total of $2,107. Boeskool's 274-pound hog was purchased by Macatawa Bank for $5 per pound. Brother and sister Brett and Kacie Veen of Hamilton earned grand and reserve champion barrows respectively. Brett's 280-pound hog was purchased by Farm Bureau Insurance, Mark Hop Agency for $4 per pound, and a total of $1,120. Waanders Concrete bought Kacie's hog for $4.50 per pound.
Wyatt Modreske of Wayland sold his grand champion carcass hog to C-Conn for $5 per pound. Rachel Weber of Hudson Corners Livestock earned reserve champion carcass honors.
Forty-five lots with 75 head of lambs brought $38,278. Bailey Couch of Hopkins and Mary Mulder led the grand champion market wether, and ewe, respectively. Couch's wether was purchased by Crystal Flash for $6.50 per pound. The 137-pound lamb grossed $890 for Couch.
Mulder's 135-pound ewe was purchased by A & B Farms for $6.55 per pound, a total of $884.
Caleb Tucker of Wayland showed his 144-pound reserve champion wether, which was purchased by United Bank for $5 per pound. Elizabeth Williams of Allegan sold her reserve champion ewe to BK Show Stock for $5.25 per pound. The lamb weighed 129 pounds.
Hannah Sikkema of Wayland sold her grand champion lamb carcass weighing 77-pounds to State Farm Insurance for $5 per pound. Samantha Ludlam of Hopkins sold her 65-pound lamb carcass to Burnips Equipment for $5.50 per pound.
Poultry returned to this year's fair after a one-year suspension due to avian flu concerns. Numbers were low, with only five lots of chickens and nine turkey lots, totaling 28 birds. Sara Velderman of Wayland sold her grand champion chicken pen to Allegan Veterinary Clinic. The 32-pound lot sold for $14 per pound, a total of $453. Todd Henley of Hopkins sold his 21.8 pound pair of reserve champion roasters to VanderKolk Auction and Appraisal for $19 per pound.
Rachel Weber's grand champion turkey lot was purchased by A & B Farms. Her pen weighed 50.8 pounds and sold for $9 per pound, a total of $457. Weber is from Dorr. The reserve champion pen was exhibited by Samuel Sprik of Hamilton and sold to Dr. Ken and Diane Main of Allegan for $7 per pound. The pen weighed 65.2 pounds.
Sam Geerling of Hamilton owned the grand champion rabbit pen. His pen weighing 12.6 pounds sold to Bunker Hill Chill and Grill for $15 per pound. Sam took home a check for $189. Rachel Boerman, also of Hamilton, exhibited the reserve champion rabbit pen and sold it to Pickle Street Veterinary Clinic.
Goat exhibits were divided into two categories-—dairy and meat goats. In the dairy wether category, Amanda Green of Hopkins exhibited the grand champion, and Nicole Damveld of Wayland exhibited reserve champion. Green's 73-pound goat was purchased by Drozd Seed for $11 per pound, a total of $803. Damveld's 78-pound lamb was purchased by New Salem Corn Maze for $8 per pound.
Siblings Tyler and Logan Williams of Allegan exhibited the grand and reserve champion meat goat wethers, respectively. Both lots were purchased by A & B Farms. Tyler's 96-pound Boer goat sold for $8 per pound, a total of $768. Logan's 105-pound wether brought $7 per pound. Samantha Modreske's grand champion goat carcass weighing 49 pounds was purchased by Jake's Ag Supply for $6 per pound and a total of $294. Modreske is from Wayland.
Baleigh Schricker of Hopkins sold her reserve champion goat carcass weighing 39 pounds to Pickle Street Veterinary Clinic for $7.50. A total of 15 goats were sold during the sale.