Kosciusko Co. 4-H Auction Raises $211,077
Published: Friday, July 31, 2020
The 2020 Kosciusko County 4-H livestock auction, held online July 13-16, raised a total of $211,077.
In contrast to previous years, this year's auction did not involve the sale of any 4-H animals. Instead, 4-H'ers collected premiums from buyers and were responsible for marketing their own animals.
Also, fewer animals were offered for sale this year, as 4-H'ers were allowed to sell only one lot versus two in prior years. The 2020 auction featured 264 lots compared to 472 in 2019.
Despite the different format, the average premium paid to 4-H'ers this year, $799.53, was higher than last year's average of $729.10.
The 2020 livestock auction featured 32 beef steers, 20 dairy lots, 20 dairy calf feeder steers, six dairy steers, 48 goats, 60 poultry, six rabbits, 17 sheep and 52 swine.
In the sale of the grand champion beef steer, Allie Ayers of Warsaw earned $3,935 from a large buyer group that includes the following: Jared Haughee, J.C. Barry Ostrom, Kirk Trabert, Clunette Elevator, Terry and Karen Templin family, Polk Equipment, Deatsman Grain Farm, Steven and Sarah Hall, W.R. Hall Insurance, Lake City Bank, Dennis Polk Equipment, Ernie and Rachel Burbrink, Brian Zehring family, Tippy View Lawn Care LLC, Cory Colman family, Leesburg Mighty Farmers 4-H club, Matthew Welte, Paragon Medical, Martin Brumbaugh family, Larry and Kay Kammerer, Everest Excavating LLC, Nubb Lowry, Tom Farms, GreenMark Equipment, New Paris Tractor Parts, Sally Bailey/Coldwell Banker, Ferguson Farms Inc., TTG Equipment, Christopher Polk, Tim Polk family, Angie Jarrett, Fred Lechlitner family, Leesburg Lions Dairy Bar, Horizon Bank, Yagel Grain, and Joel and Karla Shepherd.
Jackson Templin, a 10-year 4-H'er of Leesburg, sold the reserve champion beef steer for $3,275. His supporters included: Milford Helping Hands 4-H club, John and Kelly Heckaman, Steve Tucker, Jared Haughee, Farm Credit Mid-America, Bishop Farms, Renea Messmore, Scott and Jenny Nelson family, Ed and Tamara Boggs family, Polk Equipment, Greg and Kassi Rowland family, Turtle Top, Lake City Bank, Good Excavating, Redline Equipment, Marc and Jodi Beer family, Tippy View Lawn Care LLC, Cory Colman family, Randy and Sonja Hesser family, Paragon Medical, Jared and Molly Templin, Martin Brumbaugh family, Daniel A. and Kari Knepper, Everest Excavating LLC, Matt and Christi Sausaman, Tom Farms, Crossroads Bank, Monteith Tire of Warsaw, Dan and Loni O'Hara, Dental Solutions, Anthony Roth, GreenMark Equipment, Sally Bailey/Coldwell Banker, David Sands, Edward Jones Investment, Christopher Polk, Ayers family, Tim Polk family, Louis Dreyfus Commodities, Angie Jarrett, Ashley Armstrong, Brian Wuthrich, Fred Lechlitner family, Randy Beer and Pioneer Seed, Jay and Linda Haughee, Horizon Bank, and Joel and Karla Shepherd.
The grand champion Holstein exhibited by Logan Hollar of Milford fetched $2,425 from the following: Milford Helping Hands 4-H club, John and Kelly Heckaman, Interra Credit Union, Clunette Elevator, Polk Equipment, Deatsman Grain Farm, Kosciusko County 4-H Dairy Supporters, Redline Equipment, Jason Lecount family, Jeff and Jodie Roose family, Lee and Sandy Beer family, Beer Dairy Inc., GreenMark Equipment, Mitch and Jaime Hollar, Christopher Polk and Horizon Bank.
In the dairy calf feeder steer sale, Cohen Tom of Leesburg sold the reserve champion calf for $1,935. The buyer group included: Brent and Renea Messmore Family, Turtle Top, Lake City Bank, Leesburg Mighty Farmers 4-H club, Randy and Sonja Hesser family, Daniel A. and Kari Knepper, Matt and Christi Sausaman, Tom Farms, Amanda Tom, John and Kelly Heckaman, Dental Solutions, GreenMark Equipment, Jason Wood, Christopher Polk, Leesburg Lions Dairy Bar and Horizon Bank.
In rabbits, Ariel Ross of South Whitley auctioned her grand champion meat pen for $1,550. The buyers were: Jake Furbee, Robert Wilson, Laura Ross and Horizon Bank.
The reserve champion rabbit meat pen belonging to Erin McKee of Silver Lake brought $1,000 from the following buyers: Judith Stofleth, Turtle Top, Linda McKee, Kathy Lokotar, Choretime/Brock CTB, Jennifer Metzger, Morgan Vervynckt, Lloyd Shroyer, Crossroads Bank, Dan McKee, Jestina Schultz and Horizon Bank. McKee is a 10-year 4-H member.
In goats, Ethan Moore, a 10-year 4-H member from Warsaw, sold his grand champion dairy market wether for $1,020. The buyer group included: Roger Studebaker, Bishop Farms, Turtle Top, Ot Schroeder/State Farm Insurance, Sharon Sommers, Choretime/Brock CTB, Lloyd Shroyer, Casey Pequignot, Crossroads Bank, Christopher Polk, John Camden Construction and Camden Polled Herefords, Horizon Bank and Kathy Rodgers.
Another 10-year 4-H member, Katherine Juillerat of Larwill, sold the grand champion market chickens for $675 to Zella Hatfield, Polk Equipment, Turtle Top, Dennis Polk Equipment, Lloyd Shroyer, Crossroads Bank, Tim Polk family and Horizon Bank.
In a normal year, one of the auction highlights would be the sale of kisses from the 4-H king and queen. This year, 4-H queen Brittany Duncan of Silver Lake didn't sell a kiss, but she did raise $450 for the 4-H rabbit barn. Donors were: Kassi Rowland, Glen Zorn, Kathy Lokotar, Echoes of the Past, Tom Farms, Christopher Polk, Louis Dreyfus Commodities, Linda Duncan and Horizon Bank.
Likewise, 4-H king Justin Beer of Milford generated $1,735 for the 4-H dairy barn. His buyer group included: Milford Helping Hands 4-H club, Steve Tucker, John Zimmerman Farms, Troy and Briana Wuthrich, Farm Credit Mid-America, Kassi Rowland, W.R. Hall Insurance, Beer's Lawn Installation, Marc and Jodi Beer family, Tippy View Lawn Care LLC, Schlipf Precision Ag, Lee and Sandy Beer family, Kayla Templin, Daniel A. and Kari Knepper, Tom Farms, Beer Dairy Inc., Christopher Polk, Horizon Bank, Bob and Barb Beer, Lamar and Carla Mullet family, and Rick and Dawn Dotterer.
Kendra Kline of Claypool sold the grand champion market turkey for $1,310 to: James Schmidt, Leesburg Mighty Farmers 4-H club, Duane Kline, Randy and Sonja Hesser family, Christopher Polk, Leesburg Lions Dairy Bar and Horizon Bank.
Cora Ransbottom, also of Claypool, auctioned off the grand champion market ducks for $1,550. The buyer group included the following: J.C. Barry Ostrom, Polk Equipment, Lake City Bank, CFS Milford, Choretime/Brock CTB, Monteith Tire of Warsaw, Claypool Lions Club, GreenMark Equipment, TTG Equipment , Christopher Polk, Louis Dreyfus Commodities, Horizon Bank, and Dan and Eileen Ransbottom.
Some exhibitors chose not to participate in the online auction for various reasons. Some plan to exhibit their animals at the state 4-H showcase in August. Those include: the grand and reserve champion barrows shown by Landon Bewley of Silver Lake, the grand and reserve champion market lambs exhibited by Jordyn Leininger of Pierceton, the grand champion dairy calf feeder steer and reserve champion dairy steer shown by Justin Beer, and the grand champion dairy steer belonging to Jared Beer of Milford.
Other animals not selling include: the grand champion Guernsey cow exhibited by Kylie Evans of Warsaw, goat milk from the grand champion senior doe shown by Ethan Moore, and the grand champion specialty goat exhibited by Airyana Bradley of Leesburg.
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