Wrapping up the fair season for northern Indiana was the DeKalb County livestock 4-H auction that took place last Friday. The sale totaled $267,041.32 on 238 lots, up from last year's sale total of $180,340.07 on 252 lots.
In the beef sale, Kalyn Heffley of Union Twp. sold the grand champion and earned $3,000 ($2.36 per pound) from Squier Pallets. The reserve steer was sold by Colton Close of Grant Twp. for $4,600 ($3.98 per pound) to Friends and Family of Colton Close.
On six lots of beef, $14,273 was raised.
Cole Kelham of Butler Twp. sold the grand champion barrow for $1,900 ($7.42 per pound) to the Friends and Family of Cole Kelham group. The reserve was shown by Keegan McComb and did not sell.
In all, 69 head of hogs sold for $51,746.
The grand champion dairy steer was sold by Ethan Strong of Newville Twp. He earned $2,150 ($1.35 per pound) from Strong Farms LLC and Garrett Landel of Green Plains Riga. The grand champion dairy feeder was sold by Mackenzie Smyth of Franklin Twp. She earned a record-breaking price of $4,600 ($8.94 per pound) from Smyth Farms.
A total of nine dairy steers and 19 dairy feeder steers sold for a combined total of $31,842.
The grand champion lamb was sold by Cole Kelham of Butler Twp. and did not sell. The reserve was sold by Rowan Tinker of Wilmington Twp. for $1,750 ($12.41 per pound) to the Friends and Family of Rowan Tinker and Auburn Family Moose Center.
On 20 head of sheep, $13,950 was raised.
In the goat auction, Hannah Yoder of Spencer Twp. sold the grand champion dairy wether for $1,200 to C. Yoder and Sons Farms. The reserve was sold by Curtis Martin of Richland Twp. for $900 to the Friends and Family of Curtis Martin group.
Molly Holman of Spence Twp. sold the grand champion meat wether for $3,700 to the Friends and Family of Molly Holman group. The reserve was sold by Mykah McCray for $1,100 to the Friends and Family of Mykah McCray group.
Sixty-three lots of goats sold for $47,450.
Smithfield Twp.'s Jaxen Brand sold the grand champion dairy milk for a record-breaking price of $2,500 to Squier Pallets. The reserve dairy milk was sold by Logen Brand, also of Smithfield Twp., for $1,800 to the Friends and Family of Logen Brand group.
Seven lots of dairy products sold for $10,705.
Ryan Depew of Jackson Twp. sold the grand champion roaster rabbit for $1,200 to the Friends and Family of Ryan DePew group. The reserve roaster was sold by Nate Fillenwarth of Grant Twp. for $1,100 to Squier Pallets. The grand champion stewer rabbit was sold by Gracelyn McConnell of Jackson Twp. for $200 to Signature Construction.
A total of $18,090 was earned on 33 lots of rabbits.
Selling first in the poultry auction was Mia DePriest of Franklin Twp. with her grand champion commercial bird. She sold the bird for $550 to Wible Realty. The reserve was sold by Griffin Barkhaus of Jackson Twp. for $400 to Milan
Center Feed and Grain.
Twenty-seven lots of poultry were sold for $11,200.
In other sales, a summer judging item was sold for $500 and purchased by DeKalb Recovery. The Pink Panther was sold for $1,150 to Washler Garbage and Recycling. A padded chair was sold for $150 to Pranger Enterprises, and the horse and pony item was sold for $1,300 to Milan Center Feed and Grain.