Bids are booming for Knox County Fair youth

MOUNT VERNON, Ohio – In order to speed the auction day along, the Knox County junior fair had a sale of champions in the morning, followed by a two-ring sale running simultaneously.
The junior fair sale tally was $374,783.47 for the 547 projects sold. Each junior fair exhibitor is allowed to show an unlimited amount of animals. However, they are only able to sell one animal, unless the exhibitor receives grand or reserve champion in more than one species.
A total of $4,400 was raised in the dairy product sale for the junior dairy exhibitors to divide. The funds were donated by several area companies and individuals.
Dairy. During the sale of champions, Anevin Tharp of Danville sold her grand champion dairy market feeder for $2.50 per pound to Kroger Sav-On. The champion calf weighed 582 pounds.
The reserve champion dairy market feeder, exhibited by Amanda Burke of Mount Vernon, received $3.50 per pound for her calf weighing 511 pounds. The buyer was Mohican Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation.
The remaining 57 dairy market feeders sold for an average price per pound of $1.52.
Lanning’s Meats paid the top bid of $2.35 to Elizabeth Looney of Gambier for her grand champion dairy steer, which weighed 1,359 pounds.
Small’s Sand and Gravel paid $2 per pound to Linsey Howell of Danville for her reserve champion dairy steer, which weighed 1,597 pounds.
The rest of the 24 dairy steers sold for an average price of $1 per pound.
Beef. In the beef steer division, Brandon Gaddis of Fredericktown, exhibited the 1,344-pound grand champion steer, which sold for $3 per pound to Beheler Excavating.
Ohio Rental purchased the 1,325-pound reserve champion steer from Stacie Smith of Fredericktown for $2 a pound.
The 25 remaining beef steers sold for an average price of $1.42 per pound.
Poultry. The grand champion broilers were sold by Chris Goodwin of Mount Vernon for a total of $750 to Central Ohio Farmer Co-op.
The reserve champion broilers were purchased by Killbuck Savings Bank for $600 from Derek Walters of Howard.
The remaining 57 broilers sold for an average price of $301 per pen of three.
In the turkey sale, the champion tom raised by Anesha Tharp of Danville sold for $800 to Huffs Fine Jewelry. Cody Hunt of Bladensburg sold his reserve champion tom turkey to Ohio Heritage Bank for the bid of $675.
The average price of the remaining 13 turkeys was $303 per bird.
Goats. First-Knox National Bank purchased the 81-pound champion wether goat from Madison Banbury of Danville for $10 per pound. Adena Corporation also paid $10 per pound for the reserve champion goat, weighing 72 pounds, that was shown by Mariah Lybarger of Mount Vernon.
The sale average of the other 47 market goats was $5.29 per pound.
Rabbits. The grand champion pen of three rabbit fryers, shown by Lauren Harvey of Mount Vernon, sold for $850 to CES Credit Union. Andy Rieman of Mount Vernon sold his reserve champion rabbits to Ohio Asphalt for $800.
The 19 other lots sold for an average of $297 per pen.
Hogs and lambs. The grand champion market hog was exhibited by Alyssa Iverson of Howard. Her 273-pound entry sold for $6.75 per pound to Heating and Cooling Products.
Curtis Carpenter of Bellville sold his 270-pound reserve champion for $6.25 per pound to buyer Jagger Development.
The remaining 226 hogs sold for $2.33 per pound.
In the lamb sale, the Banbury twin sisters of Danville made a repeat performance. The champion market lamb was exhibited by Taylor Banbury. Her 136-pound lamb sold for $6.50 to Kenyon College and AVI Food Systems.
Madison Banbury’s reserve champion lamb, weighing 122 pounds, sold for $6.75 to Peoples Bank.
The 58 remaining lambs sold for an average price of $5.30 per pound.
The champion pen of three lambs also went to Taylor Banbury. The three lambs weighed a total of 423 pounds and sold to Farm Credit Services for $2.75 per pound.
Kenyon College and AVI Food Systems also purchased the reserve champion pen of three lambs for $4 per pound. Linsey Howell raised the lambs, which weighed a total of 416 pounds. No other pens of lambs were able to sell in the junior fair auction.