SALEM, Ohio — How could one Cookie sell for thousands of dollars, you may ask? All it takes is a little bit of gratitude and some helping hands.
Harper Diamond, 9, donated the proceeds from the sale of her pig, Cookie, at the annual Fayette County Fair’s 4-H livestock auction on Aug. 1 to support the county’s goal of building a new small species barn at the fairgrounds in Dunbar, Pennsylvania.
But the donations didn’t stop after the sale; they climbed from $13,000 to $27,000 and are still going.
“Harper was happy (about the sale), but I don’t know if she really knows how much effect she had,” said Chris Diamond, Harper’s grandfather.
4-H family
Harper has been around pigs all her life. Her family operates Diamond Show Pigs in Masontown, Pennsylvania, where they have raised show pigs for kids across the country for over 25 years.
Harper started showing pigs when she was 3 years old and joined Penn State Extension’s 4-H Cloverbud program at the age of 5. She is now part of the Fayette County Swine, Beef and Horse clubs.
But the Diamond family history with 4-H and the fair dates back further than Harper. Her father and grandparents participated in 4-H as children and are now advisors for the Beef and Swine clubs that Harper is in.
“I’ve been showing (at the Fayette County Fair) since I was about 10 years old, 50 years ago, and same with my wife. It’s been a special part of our life,” Chris said.
Prior to the livestock auction, Harper and her grandfather had been discussing whether to donate the proceeds from the sale of Cookie, which Harper said she named after thinking the pig looked like an Oreo.
“She wanted to do something good,” Chris said about Harper, who both decided to keep their plans in the dark, even from Harper’s parents.
The day of the event, Harper handed the auctioneer a paper, stating she wanted the proceeds from her pig sale to support construction for Fayette County Fair’s new Small Species Barn.
“Nobody really knew about it. It was a total surprise,” said CJ Diamond, Harper’s father.
The Fayette County Fair’s pig barn is 60 years old and needs a total upgrade, with wooden poles holding it up and little air flow that supports animal comfort, said Chris, who is also a member of the Fayette County Fair Board.
Once the auctioneer announced that Cookie’s proceeds would be donated, the response from the auctionees was immediate. Corey Diamond, Harper’s mother, said that some people started crying. The price of the pig quickly rose to $20 per pound. It ended up selling for $42.50 a pound, equating to about $13,000.
The pig sold 10 times higher than what the Diamonds’ pigs usually go for, between $1,000 to $1,500 or $5 to $6 a pound, said Chris and Corey.
Cookie was bought by Nick and Zach Marella from ZRM Enterprises LLC, a machine shop in Fayette County. But the donations didn’t stop there. After the sale, attendees wanted in on the fundraising efforts, too. According to Chris, the sale price for the pig rose to roughly $96 per pound, $27,000, and donations are still coming in.
Demolition of the barn started on Aug. 4 and construction is expected to be complete next spring, Chris said. It will host market pigs, lambs and goats once finished.
Harper is already preparing for next year, and has gotten her two siblings and cousins, who are not yet 4-H age, excited to join when the day comes.
“They are on the farm with her every day,” CJ said. “(Now) they’re going to be able to take full advantage of a new facility and be able to show the community what 4-H is all about.”
To donate, visit https://www.fayettefair.com/fundraising.
(Liz Partsch can be reached at epartsch@farmanddairy.com or 330-337-3419.)
