Livestock Auction ends fair on high note

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

Although the Van Wert County economy remains stagnant and the Van Wert County itself has been struggling financially, none of that mattered to those who support the Junior Fair Livestock Auction. This year’s edition of the annual livestock sale saw a record price paid for a dairy feeder calf, while the overall premium paid out also set an all-time-high mark for the auction.

Crestview vocational agricultural instructor and FFA advisor Paul Pohlman called this year’s auction results “fantastic,” and noted the support provided by local organizations and businesses is a testament to the viability of the Junior Fair program.

The sale is where Junior Fair livestock exhibitors are rewarded for all the hard work they put into caring for their animals throughout the year.

This year’s auction premium totaled approximately $137,187, an increase of more than $12,000 over last year’s sale results and $11,000 more than the previous record of $125,300 set in 2009. What’s more, this year’s record total was paid out on eight fewer animals than was exhibited the past two years. This year’s sale included 348 animals, while 356 animals were sold in both 2010 and 2009. The fewest animals sold in the past decade was in 2008, when only 331 animals went on the auction block.

That results in a total per-animal price of $394.22, more than $44 higher than it was last year. The $394.22 is also higher than the previous per-animal high mark of $354.57 set back in 2008.

To compare this year’s figures to those a decade ago, in 2001 a total of 456 animals were sold for a total price of $97,450, a total of $213.71

As usual, the sale of the symbolic gallon of milk began this year’s livestock auction. This year, a total of $2,725 was paid by a consortium that included US Bank, Nancy and Jerry Rismiller, the Farm Focus Committee, Eljer Farm/Rhoades Family, Junior Fair Booster Club, Dwight High, Kenn-Feld, Sugar Lane Dairy, Raabe Ford, Statewide Ford, Leland Smith, Wells Fargo Bank, The Vann Wert County Foundation, Van Wert County Hospital, Van Wert Federal Savings Bank, Ag Credit, Sycamore Ice Cream, Edward Jones/Tim Stoller, Gina Dairy, First Federal Savings & Loan Association, Wolfe Ridge Farm, Hempfling Dairy, D&D Ingredients, Kaverman, Gibby’s Photo Express, Hall Lumber, Bee Gee Realty and Farm Credit.

Another consortium (click here for members) contributed $4,160.32 and also purchased two steers that will be donated to local food banks after the meat is processed at Ebel’s.

Broken down by animal category, this year’s sale results are as follows:

Swine were once again the most prolific animal sold, with 111 hogs sold for a total of $43,955, or an average of $395.99 apiece.

The next largest sale total was for 43 dairy feeder calves that sold for a total of $23,200, or an average of $539.53 per animal. That total was skewed a bit, though by the record $5,500 price paid for Matt Allmandinger’s grand champion feeder calf. The calf was purchased by a consortium that included Shultz, Steyer & Huber, Seth Kohnen Farms, Farm Credit Services, Bambauer Fertilizer, Statewide Ford and Gary Siebert Farms.

Other animal unit totals include a total of $13,225 paid for 38 turkeys, an average of $277.60 apiece; $6,800 paid for 16 goats, an average of $425 apiece; a total of $17,250 paid for a total of 28 steers, an average of $626.07 apiece; 67 rabbits were sold for a total of $18,300, an average of $273.13 apiece; 13 sheep sold for a total of $6,175, an average of $475; 21 chickens were sold for a total of $5,457, an average of $259.86 apiece.

In addition to the premium, a total of $79,765.73 was paid as the value of the meat on the animals sold, bringing the total exhibitors received to $216,952.73.