 Zach Brown, the son of Karen and Ron Brown and a member of the Wapakoneta FFA, walks his Grand Champion Market Barrow through the auction ring Saturday morning. His barrow garnered $4,500 from 18 bidders. For photographs and bidders, see today’s C-Section devoted to the 2009 Auglaize County Fair. Staff photo/William Laney By MIKE BURKHOLDER
Staff Writer
Hard work and months of preparation paid off Saturday as scores of area 4-H members saw their animals auctioned off during the hog and goat sale on the final day of the Auglaize County Fair.
Eager bidders got off to a fast start when Zach Brown’s Grand Champion Market Barrow entered the ring. The Wapakoneta native’s barrow fetched $4,500 coming from 18 bidders.
“It feels pretty neat to see all those businesses come together to support me,” the 19-year-old said. “You put a lot of time into it.”
Brown, a member of Wapakoneta FFA and a 2008 Wapakoneta High School graduate, thanked the businesses for their support. The grand champion status also came during Brown’s final year in 4-H.
“It’s my first time winning grand and it’s pretty special,” Brown said.
Cargill Inc., A.G. Boogher and Son, Meyer’s Tavern, Perry’s Refrigeration, Buckeye Farm Antiques, Bornhorst Printing, Mike’s Barn Yard, Harrod Crop Insurance, Ross Steiner, Harrod Nagel Electric, Turner, Francis Brown and Son, Brown Construction, Harrod Insurance, Ed Brown, S&S Volvo, G.A. Wintzer & Son and John R. Frische contributed to the $4,500 bid.
Keaton Fetter, 18, of Waynesfield, received $3,000 for the Reserve Champion Market Barrow. Like Brown, Fetter, a member of Waynesfield All-Around Livestock, said it is nice to see businesses support the sale.
“It feels good,” Fetter said. “It’s nice to be supported by friends and family and people you don’t know.”
Fetter said he spent a lot of time with his animal to get it ready for the fair.
With one more year left, Fetter said he plans to work hard to get grand champion status.
“It’s fun at the same time,” Fetter said. “You have the responsibility of taking care of it until fair (but) it’s nice to have it over. You can take a break.”
Stroh Johnson and Associates, County Line Ag., Star Homes, Turner Green, A.G. Boogher and Son, Cargill, State Bank, Farmers Equipment, Silpada Designs, Matt Huffman, Eastside and C&C Farms combined for the bid.
Logan Badertscher, 15, of Waynesfield, nabbed $800 for the Grand Champion Market Gilt.
Badertscher, a member of Waynesfield All-Around Livestock, doled out some appreciation to her father for helping keep her on task.
“I have to give a lot of credit to my dad,” Badertscher said. “He helps me every day. I couldn’t do it without him.”
The teen also said he wished the fair did not close.
“I like it,” Badertscher said. “If I could show all the time I would.”
S&S Volvo and G.A. Wintzer & Son combined for the bid.
Travis Fisher, 12, of Wapakoneta, fetched $1,200 for his Reserve Champion Market Gilt. A member of Prospects, Fisher has been showing at the fair for three years.
“It feels really great,” Fisher said. “I am going to save the money for college.”
Fisher also said one of his favorite parts of showing animals is spending time with them before the shows.
S&S Volvo, G.A. Wintzer & Son, Auglaize County Farm Bureau and C&J Agri Service provided the winning bid.
A familiar face graced the ring in the goat sale as Shannon Fledderjohann, 15, displayed the Grand Champion Market Boer Goat and the Grand Champion Market Dairy Goat.
The boer fetched $1,000 from S&S Volvo and the dairy goat received a winning bid of $400 from Precision Agri Services, NK Telco and First National Bank in New Bremen.
Last year, Fledderjohann displayed the Reserve Champion Market Boer Goat and the Grand Champion Market Dairy Goat.
She is a member of the New Knoxville Livestock Booster.
“I am going to put it into a college fund,” Fledderjohann said of her earnings.
Like many 4-Hers, Fledderjohann said she grows attached to her goats.
Spotty, Browned and LT each have different personalities, she said.
“I feel horrible, I don’t want to get rid of them,” Fledderjohann said in the goat barn.
Fledderjohann said she raised the boers from birth.
To get ready for the fair, she said she began working with the animals in April.
“I was there when they were babies,” Fledderjohann said. “You have to make sure they get used to people.”
Lauren Place, 9, of Wapakoneta, brought the Reserve Champion Market Boer Goat. A member of Prospects, Place’s animal fetched $800 from S&S Volvo and Alan Davis Insurance.
“It’s exciting because it’s my first year in 4-H,” Place said. “(The money) is going to go toward college.”
John Craft, a member of Ambitious Farmers, brought the Reserve Champion Market Dairy Goat to the sale.
The goat brought in a bid of $400 from S&S Volvo and Buckeye Farm Antiques.
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