MONROE - One by one, they stood with their animals on the platform in the center of the stock pavilion at the Green County fairgrounds. The audience, sitting on bleachers with the overflow standing in back, was abuzz as spectators visited with friends and discussed the proceedings.
The auctioneer gave his rapid-fire spiel, words sliding together until landing on the current price. Auction workers scanned the crowd for bidders, shouting when a would-be buyer held up a sign to signal the new bid. Back and forth it went, the auctioneer cajoling the audience for a higher price, until the magic word: Sold!
The Green County Fair's 4-H and FFA livestock auctions were underway Saturday, with youth auctioning their animals in the Fur and Feather auction for poultry and rabbits and the livestock auction that followed for steers, lambs and swine.
Fur and Feather auction
Jacob Tollakson's expression flickered between surprise and pleasure as he displayed his pair of roasters in the Fur and Feather auction on the auction stage, and the bids climbed higher and higher. His birds went for $775 to Davis Family Farm - more than twice the average bid of $296 for the chicken entries.
He said he couldn't believe the bidding war that ensued for his chickens.
"I thought, 'What is going on? Am I hearing this right?'"
But the 16-year-old Pecatonica High School junior had the support of family and friends to thank for the astonishing price. Tollakson said the bidders were his great-uncle Jerome Tollakson and Jamie Davis of Davis Family Farm, which buys seed corn from Tollakson's grandfather.
Tollakson said he was grateful for their support in the auction and planned to "give them a couple of extra birds as a thank you."
First-timer Alana Durtschi, 9, was also pleased with the results of the auction. Her pair, which she named Pouffy and Fluffy, brought $375 in the auction, and were purchased by Fred Ruef Construction.
"I thought it was a pretty good price," said the Albany fourth-grader.
The Champion chickens, shown by Nathan Hall of Dayton Dairylanders 4-H, brought $300 for the pair. They were purchased by Franklin Grove Inc.
His sister Nicole Hall, also of Dayton Dairylanders, had the Reserve Champions. That pair brought $225 from Loran Klitzman.
For ducks, Marley Malkow, Jolly Mixers 4-H, showed the Champion pair. They were purchased by Drafall Trucking for $475.
Emily Makos, Spring Grove Honest Workers 4-H, had the Champion rabbit in the Single Fryer category. It went for $275 to Jim and Laurie McCullough.
Libby Maclean of Dayton Dairylanders had the Champion pair of turkeys. They were sold to TLB Construction for $500.
The Fur and Feather auction raised a total of $26,360, breaking the record of $23,175 set last year.
Livestock auction
It was the second year in a row that Alexa Bader, 13, earned the Grand Champion title for her Chianina steer. It brought $5 per pound, or a total of $6,280 for the 1,256-pounder, from Ritchie Implement.
Despite the steer's massive size, Bader had no qualms about maneuvering the steer into position on stage. She said the cattle are trained to respect their owners. "They'll hide behind you when they get scared," she said.
With back-to-back wins under her belt, the Monroe Middle School eighth-grader said she plans to keep on showing cattle at the fair.
Her formula for success is pretty straight-forward.
"Work hard," she said.
Mariah Ahrens of Brodhead FFA had the Reserve Champion steer. It went for $3 per pound to Stephenson Service. Her steer weighed 1,282 pounds for a total sale price of $3,846.
Traiten Gorr and Trevor Gorr, both of Monroe FFA, earned honors for Grand Champion and Reserve Champion, respectively, for steer carcasses. Traiten Gorr's steer was 1,431 pounds and was sold to Pleasant Grain, while Trevor Gorr's weighed 1,507 and went to Helena Chemical. Both carcasses sold for $3 per pound.
Steers brought in a total of $154,655.90 at the auction. The average price for all animals was $2.86 per pound.
Jacen Wilinski said he's been showing at the fair "since I was born." He also shows animals nationally.
Now 17, the New Glarus High School senior earned Grand Champion for his sheep. It was purchased by Colony Brands for $7.20 per pound, or $1,080 for the 150-pound animal.
Wilinski also had a pig in the auction, but said he has an affinity for raising sheep. "I grew up with them," he said. "I'm comfortable showing them."
He may have inherited the knack for raising champion sheep: His older sister Danielle Pernot has won grand champion at the county fair years ago.
She acknowledged that once in awhile it's hard to part with a special animal at the fair.
Wilinski agreed, noting he has a sheep he's particularly fond of right now.
"My favorite's at home," awaiting a trip to the state fair in two weeks, he said.
Kaitlyn Dunphy, Jolly Mixers, had the Reserve Champion. The 130-pound sheep brought $5 per pound, or $650 from Johnson Tractor.
Owen Huschitt's Champion carcass, weighing 137 pounds, was purchased by the Erik Huschitt family for $11 per pound, or $1,507. Owen Huschitt is a member of Clarno 4-H.
All sheep sales raised a total of $11,035.15. The average price of all sheep was $5.08 per pound.
For swine, Montana Klahn's 285-pound Supreme Champion brought in $10.50 per pound, or $2,992.50. It was purchased by the Evansville FFA Alumni. Klahn is a member of the Dayton Dairylanders. Klahn also had the Grand Champion carcass that Juda Grain Inc. purchased for $3.50 per pound or $983.50 for the 281-pound pig.
The Reserve Supreme Champion, shown by Hunter Huschitt, brought in $15.50 per pound, or $4,417.50 for the 285-pounder. Huschitt is a member of Clarno 4-H.
Sarah Strathman of Brodhead FFA had the Reserve Champion carcass. Klondike Farms bought it for $4.50 per pound, or $1,282.50 for the 285-pound animal.
The total for swine sales was $106,123.45. The average price of all pigs was $4.73 per pound.
The auctioneer gave his rapid-fire spiel, words sliding together until landing on the current price. Auction workers scanned the crowd for bidders, shouting when a would-be buyer held up a sign to signal the new bid. Back and forth it went, the auctioneer cajoling the audience for a higher price, until the magic word: Sold!
The Green County Fair's 4-H and FFA livestock auctions were underway Saturday, with youth auctioning their animals in the Fur and Feather auction for poultry and rabbits and the livestock auction that followed for steers, lambs and swine.
Fur and Feather auction
Jacob Tollakson's expression flickered between surprise and pleasure as he displayed his pair of roasters in the Fur and Feather auction on the auction stage, and the bids climbed higher and higher. His birds went for $775 to Davis Family Farm - more than twice the average bid of $296 for the chicken entries.
He said he couldn't believe the bidding war that ensued for his chickens.
"I thought, 'What is going on? Am I hearing this right?'"
But the 16-year-old Pecatonica High School junior had the support of family and friends to thank for the astonishing price. Tollakson said the bidders were his great-uncle Jerome Tollakson and Jamie Davis of Davis Family Farm, which buys seed corn from Tollakson's grandfather.
Tollakson said he was grateful for their support in the auction and planned to "give them a couple of extra birds as a thank you."
First-timer Alana Durtschi, 9, was also pleased with the results of the auction. Her pair, which she named Pouffy and Fluffy, brought $375 in the auction, and were purchased by Fred Ruef Construction.
"I thought it was a pretty good price," said the Albany fourth-grader.
The Champion chickens, shown by Nathan Hall of Dayton Dairylanders 4-H, brought $300 for the pair. They were purchased by Franklin Grove Inc.
His sister Nicole Hall, also of Dayton Dairylanders, had the Reserve Champions. That pair brought $225 from Loran Klitzman.
For ducks, Marley Malkow, Jolly Mixers 4-H, showed the Champion pair. They were purchased by Drafall Trucking for $475.
Emily Makos, Spring Grove Honest Workers 4-H, had the Champion rabbit in the Single Fryer category. It went for $275 to Jim and Laurie McCullough.
Libby Maclean of Dayton Dairylanders had the Champion pair of turkeys. They were sold to TLB Construction for $500.
The Fur and Feather auction raised a total of $26,360, breaking the record of $23,175 set last year.
Livestock auction
It was the second year in a row that Alexa Bader, 13, earned the Grand Champion title for her Chianina steer. It brought $5 per pound, or a total of $6,280 for the 1,256-pounder, from Ritchie Implement.
Despite the steer's massive size, Bader had no qualms about maneuvering the steer into position on stage. She said the cattle are trained to respect their owners. "They'll hide behind you when they get scared," she said.
With back-to-back wins under her belt, the Monroe Middle School eighth-grader said she plans to keep on showing cattle at the fair.
Her formula for success is pretty straight-forward.
"Work hard," she said.
Mariah Ahrens of Brodhead FFA had the Reserve Champion steer. It went for $3 per pound to Stephenson Service. Her steer weighed 1,282 pounds for a total sale price of $3,846.
Traiten Gorr and Trevor Gorr, both of Monroe FFA, earned honors for Grand Champion and Reserve Champion, respectively, for steer carcasses. Traiten Gorr's steer was 1,431 pounds and was sold to Pleasant Grain, while Trevor Gorr's weighed 1,507 and went to Helena Chemical. Both carcasses sold for $3 per pound.
Steers brought in a total of $154,655.90 at the auction. The average price for all animals was $2.86 per pound.
Jacen Wilinski said he's been showing at the fair "since I was born." He also shows animals nationally.
Now 17, the New Glarus High School senior earned Grand Champion for his sheep. It was purchased by Colony Brands for $7.20 per pound, or $1,080 for the 150-pound animal.
Wilinski also had a pig in the auction, but said he has an affinity for raising sheep. "I grew up with them," he said. "I'm comfortable showing them."
He may have inherited the knack for raising champion sheep: His older sister Danielle Pernot has won grand champion at the county fair years ago.
She acknowledged that once in awhile it's hard to part with a special animal at the fair.
Wilinski agreed, noting he has a sheep he's particularly fond of right now.
"My favorite's at home," awaiting a trip to the state fair in two weeks, he said.
Kaitlyn Dunphy, Jolly Mixers, had the Reserve Champion. The 130-pound sheep brought $5 per pound, or $650 from Johnson Tractor.
Owen Huschitt's Champion carcass, weighing 137 pounds, was purchased by the Erik Huschitt family for $11 per pound, or $1,507. Owen Huschitt is a member of Clarno 4-H.
All sheep sales raised a total of $11,035.15. The average price of all sheep was $5.08 per pound.
For swine, Montana Klahn's 285-pound Supreme Champion brought in $10.50 per pound, or $2,992.50. It was purchased by the Evansville FFA Alumni. Klahn is a member of the Dayton Dairylanders. Klahn also had the Grand Champion carcass that Juda Grain Inc. purchased for $3.50 per pound or $983.50 for the 281-pound pig.
The Reserve Supreme Champion, shown by Hunter Huschitt, brought in $15.50 per pound, or $4,417.50 for the 285-pounder. Huschitt is a member of Clarno 4-H.
Sarah Strathman of Brodhead FFA had the Reserve Champion carcass. Klondike Farms bought it for $4.50 per pound, or $1,282.50 for the 285-pound animal.
The total for swine sales was $106,123.45. The average price of all pigs was $4.73 per pound.