Trumbull County Fair was flashback of 2003

CORTLAND, Ohio – Visitors to this year’s Trumbull County Fair may have wondered where they stepped into the time warp that transported them back to July 2003.

The day of the fair’s Sale of Champions, July 17, seemed eerily like last year’s: rainy, muddy, cool.

And as the livestock sale kicked off mid-afternoon, the event seemed like a repeat of last year with many of the same youngsters taking top honors this time around.

Rabbits. There was little room for competition in the small animals arena.

Jonathan Brzyscz of North Bloomfield and Sean Offerdahl of Hubbard both held tight to the grand and reserve champion market rabbit positions they held last year.

Four-time winner Brzyscz’s 13-pound, 9-ounce champion pen again sold to Mildred Peterson for $7 a pound, down sharply from Peterson’s $20-a-pound bid last year.

Offerdahl’s 12-pound, 15-ounce reserve champions brought $6 a pound, up from last year’s bid of $2.50 a pound. Ramy Swine Farm bought the pen.

This was Offerdahl’s third consecutive time in the reserve champion spot.

Showmanship winners were Jessica Boley, senior; Jon Brzyscz, intermediate; and Dawn Ligenfelter, junior.

Broilers. Michael Marshall added a third trophy to his collection for the grand champion broiler category.

Marshall sold his pen of three champions for $17 a pound to Richard Houk’s Green & Golden Farm in Newton Falls. The bid was up $2.50 from Houk’s 2003 bid.

The reserve champion pen, exhibited by repeat winner Craig Clemson of Johnston, brought a whopping $22 a pound from Wilde Horse Feed and Supply in Farmdale.

Ten pens of chickens averaged $4.04 a pound without champions.

Turkeys. A new winner showed up in the market turkey competition. Gary Offerdahl’s 43.25-pound champion brought $12 a pound from Ramy Swine Farm.

Offerdahl unseated four-time winner Aaron Pospisil of Vernon in the competition, but Pospisil stayed at the top and got a higher bid for his reserve champion bird.

The 41.5-pounder brought $15 a pound from Green & Golden Farm.

Both bids were up over last year’s $10 and $4 bids for champion and reserve champion, respectively.

Ten turkeys averaged $3.35 a pound without champions.

Poultry showmanship winners were Denny Yommer, senior; and Aaron Pospisil, junior.

Goats. Sean Offerdahl one-upped his market goat showing last year, bringing this year’s champion meat goat to the fair.

Bidding started slowly for his 86-pound project and increased by dimes until it hit the $4 mark. Two bidders dueled it out until Dominic and Diana Marchese of Manna Farms were the winners with a $6.25 per pound bid.

Brittany Houk of Hartford showed the reserve champion goat. Hardly Able Acres of Vernon paid $3.80 a pound for her 60-pounder.

Both bids were up from last year’s $3 and $2.25 bids for champion and reserve champion, respectively.

Six market goats averaged $2.19 a pound without champions.

Lamb projects. Drew Turner of Fowler proved he’s got what it takes to raise champion market lambs, this year bringing projects for the top two spots.

His 116-pound champion went to new buyer Sims Buick, and his 128-pound reserve champion sold to repeat buyer Williams IGA.

Both animals brought a $7.25-per-pound bid, up from last year’s $7 and $2.50 bids.

Kaitlyn List of Mecca raised the 74-pound champion carcass lamb, which brought $8 a pound from Trumbull County Recorder Diana Marchese.

Kyle Kellogg of Farmdale sold his 65-pound reserve champion carcass lamb for $10 a pound to Gustavus Hardwoods.

Twelve carcass lambs averaged $2.60 a pound without champions.

The 26 lambs averaged $1.60 a pound without champions.

Showmanship winners were Chris Diehl, senior; Mike Diehl, intermediate; Rachel Benton, junior; and Jarred Crowder, novice.

Dairy steers, feeders. New champions emerged in the dairy steer and feeder competitions, a contest dominated last year by Jennifer Andrella of Newton Falls.

In the dairy steer competition, sister act Monica and Elizabeth Boorn held off Andrella to take the top two spots.

Monica Boorn’s 1,394-pound champion steer brought $1.30 a pound from AFLAC in Girard, represented by Barb Gardner.

Last-year 4-H’er Elizabeth Boorn’s 1,431-pound reserve champion brought 95 cents a pound from Larry Koon.

Nine dairy steers averaged 78 cents a pound without champions.

Amy Brown of Bristolville showed this year’s grand champion dairy feeder. Her 596-pound project sold for $1.50 a pound to Damascus Livestock Auction.

Craig Albrecht of Vernon sold his 576-pound reserve champion for $1.10 a pound to Don Harnett of Merry Acres Farm in Kinsman.

Dairy feeder outstanding project winner was Katie Wellman of Bristolville.

Showmanship winners were Katie Wellman, senior; Holly Lynn, intermediate; and Jason Lipps, novice.

Twenty-seven dairy feeders averaged $1.06 a pound without champions.

Hogs. This year’s champion and reserve champion market hog exhibitors are no strangers to the champions’ sale.

In her last shot at the top award, Jen Bell of Johnston brought home the bacon with her 284-pound champion market hog. Her project brought $3.60 a pound from Robert and Jean Palette of Bristolville.

Brad Harnett’s 277-pound reserve champion brought $2.85 a pound from Gibson Governor Insurance.

Bell showed the champion carcass hog in 2002, and Harnett showed the reserve champion live hog that year.

In carcass hog competition, Codi Letcher of Kinsman took the top award. Letcher’s 163-pound carcass brought $2.25 a pound from Gustavus Hardwoods.

Caitlin Smith of North Bloomfield sold her 194-pound reserve champion hog carcass for $2.50 a pound to Crowder Klingensmith Feed at Leavittsburg.

Hog showmanship winners included Jen Bell, senior; Ryan Bell, intermediate; Emily Whitlatch-Culp, junior; and Alison Bell, novice.

Thirty-five carcass hogs averaged $2.16 a pound without champions.

Seventy-eight market hogs averaged $1.78 a pound without champions.

Steers. Ryan Bell showed the champion market steer. His 1,281-pounder brought $2.10 a pound from Gibson Governor Insurance.

Kassie Calhoun of Southington showed this year’s reserve champion steer. Her 1,294-pounder brought $1.50 a pound from Cortland Showcase of Floors.

Both champions were bred on Calhoun’s farm.

In carcass steer competition, Kyle Reynolds of Southington took top honors. He sold his 719-pound hanging project for $2.10 a pound to Ainsley Oil in Cortland.

The 775-pound reserve champion carcass was raised by Tess Barnett of Greene and sold to Caroline Jones and Carol McCummins of Coldwell Banker for $1.85 per pound.

Showmanship winners were Jen Bell, senior; Claire Williams, intermediate; Jenna Calhoun, junior; and Alison Bell, novice.

Forty market steers averaged $1.36 a pound without champions.

Fifteen carcass steers averaged $2.08 a pound without champions.

Charity projects. Sale proceeds from three projects will benefit community projects and the 4-H program.

The county’s 4-H endowment fund gained more than $220 when county commissioner Dan Polivka paid $10 a pound for this year’s charity turkey.

Katie Wellman of Bristolville raised the 22.25-pounder.

This year’s charity pen of chickens brought $20 per pound from county commissioner Dan Polivka. Michael Marshall raised the 30-pound pen.

Proceeds benefit Abigail’s House, a shelter for battered women.

Jason and Ashley Berecek and other members of the Badger Pork Raisers fed the 279-pound charity hog.

King Brothers of Bristolville paid $4.25 a pound for the project, which benefits St. Jude Children’s Hospital. The club has raised the charity hog for St. Jude since 1981.

Sale receipts totaled $179,935, up $20,000 from last year.

(Reporter Andrea Myers welcomes reader feedback by phone at 1-800-837-3419, ext. 22, or by e-mail at amyers@farmanddairy.com.)