MONROE - Green County 4-H and FFA members raised more than $250,000 Saturday through the Green County Fair's livestock auctions.
Auctioneers sold 228 animals from turkeys to steers at the stock pavilion at the Green County Fairgrounds, raising $253,698 total. The proceeds marked an increase of about $5,000 over last year.
The auctions began at 10 a.m. with the Fur and Feather auction, selling turkeys, chickens, ducks and rabbits.
Spring Grove Honest Worker's 13-year-old Aaron Makos sold his champion pair of chickens for $300 to Pecatonica Vet Service. Makos, who has sold animals at three previous auctions, said it "felt good" to have a champion animal sell at auction and added that he would add the proceeds to a college fund.
The reserve champion chickens, raised by Washington resident Olivia Feller, sold for $400 to Mac Lean Construction.
The 29 other chickens sold for an average price of $311.72 per pair, with the highest bidder being the Memory of Walter Friedly Family, which bid $450 for the chickens of Makos' sister, Emily Makos.
Emily Makos also sold her champion rabbit for $300 to the Splittin Hairs hair salon in Brodhead. The 15-year-old Emily Makos, who has participated in animal auctions for seven years, said she was pleased to have raised a champion rabbit for the second year in a row.
The reserve champion rabbit, raised by Jacob Arnsmeier, also of Spring Grove, sold for $325 to Farmer's Wife Photography.
Only six pairs of turkeys and 10 pairs of ducks were sold. The champion ducks, raised by Albany resident Daniel Dunphy, sold for $450 to Brooklyn Rollin Dairy, while Browntown Busy Beavers' 15-year-old Aleta Broge sold her champion ducks for $450 to the Dunphy Club Lambs.
All told, the Fur and Feather Auction raised $22,175, approximately $5,000 more than it raised in 2016.
At 12:30 p.m. the Green County Junior Livestock Auction began, with young sellers presenting scores of steers, pigs, lambs and a single goat.
"I guess other people don't have the space to raise goats," said 11-year-old Chad Mansfield of Juda, whose goat was named champion by virtue of being the only one in the running. M & D Trucking paid $625 for Mansfield's goat, which Mansfield said he would spend on "something cool."
Steers, meanwhile, sold for an average of $2.42 per pound, accounting for $122,377.25 of the auction's total proceeds.
Monroe's 17-year-old Aspen Bader's champion steer, weighing in at 1,343 pounds, sold for $6,043.50 to Pioneer Seed's Aaron Gifford. Bader, who has shown cattle for eight years, raised her winning steer from a calf last year and said she will spend the proceeds on additional animals for next year.
Bader's steer brought in the most money of the 32 sold, with the reserve champion, raised by Oregon FFA member Abby Klahn, selling for $5,818.50 to Klitzman Seed LLC. The performance champion steer, raised by Black Hawk FFA member Owen Huschitt, sold for $4,837 to Badger State Ethanol.
Badger State Ethanol bought six of the auction's steers, spending $14,859 on steers alone.
The reserve performance champion steer, meanwhile, was sold by Dougherty Creek 4-H member Troy Nickels for an even $6,000 to Westfalia Surge.
Of the 21 sheep sold, Monroe's 13-year-old Bethany Drafall's champion sheep had by far the best selling price, at $8 per pound, totaling a $1,064 purchase by Colony Brands. The average price per pound for sheep was $4.01.
Drafall also sold the champion pig, which was also one of the highest sellers in the swine category, selling for $5.50 per pound to Pearl City Elevator, at a total price of $1,595.
Drafall said her animals' success "felt great" and that the proceeds would go into a college fund.
The reserve champion sheep, raised by Albany FFA member Kaitlyn Dunphy, sold for $480 to Klitzman Seed LLC. The champion carcass sheep of Alan Woller of the Dayton Dairylanders 4-H club elicited a bid of $650 from Cate Machine & Welding, while Monroe resident Blake Drafall's reserve carcass champion reached a $725 purchase from Pearl City Elevator.
The remaining 81 swine accounted for $93,355.95 in total sales. The reserve champion, sold by Oregon FFA member Montana Klahn, sold for $1,464 to Klitzman Seed LLC, while the highest sale price was fetched by Clarno 4-H member Heath Hutchitt's pig, which See-Mor Grain purchased for $2,007.50.
The champion carcass pig of Stateline 4-H's Crystal Meighan sold for $931 to Carrousel Grain Service, while the reserve champion carcass - presented by Clarno 4-H's Connor Nafzger - sold for $1,360 to Monroe Truck Equipment.
While the auctions were moderately more successful than 2016's auctions, which raised $248,635.05, they still fell behind the high-water mark set by 2015's auctions, which raised more than $298,000.
Auctioneers sold 228 animals from turkeys to steers at the stock pavilion at the Green County Fairgrounds, raising $253,698 total. The proceeds marked an increase of about $5,000 over last year.
The auctions began at 10 a.m. with the Fur and Feather auction, selling turkeys, chickens, ducks and rabbits.
Spring Grove Honest Worker's 13-year-old Aaron Makos sold his champion pair of chickens for $300 to Pecatonica Vet Service. Makos, who has sold animals at three previous auctions, said it "felt good" to have a champion animal sell at auction and added that he would add the proceeds to a college fund.
The reserve champion chickens, raised by Washington resident Olivia Feller, sold for $400 to Mac Lean Construction.
The 29 other chickens sold for an average price of $311.72 per pair, with the highest bidder being the Memory of Walter Friedly Family, which bid $450 for the chickens of Makos' sister, Emily Makos.
Emily Makos also sold her champion rabbit for $300 to the Splittin Hairs hair salon in Brodhead. The 15-year-old Emily Makos, who has participated in animal auctions for seven years, said she was pleased to have raised a champion rabbit for the second year in a row.
The reserve champion rabbit, raised by Jacob Arnsmeier, also of Spring Grove, sold for $325 to Farmer's Wife Photography.
Only six pairs of turkeys and 10 pairs of ducks were sold. The champion ducks, raised by Albany resident Daniel Dunphy, sold for $450 to Brooklyn Rollin Dairy, while Browntown Busy Beavers' 15-year-old Aleta Broge sold her champion ducks for $450 to the Dunphy Club Lambs.
All told, the Fur and Feather Auction raised $22,175, approximately $5,000 more than it raised in 2016.
At 12:30 p.m. the Green County Junior Livestock Auction began, with young sellers presenting scores of steers, pigs, lambs and a single goat.
"I guess other people don't have the space to raise goats," said 11-year-old Chad Mansfield of Juda, whose goat was named champion by virtue of being the only one in the running. M & D Trucking paid $625 for Mansfield's goat, which Mansfield said he would spend on "something cool."
Steers, meanwhile, sold for an average of $2.42 per pound, accounting for $122,377.25 of the auction's total proceeds.
Monroe's 17-year-old Aspen Bader's champion steer, weighing in at 1,343 pounds, sold for $6,043.50 to Pioneer Seed's Aaron Gifford. Bader, who has shown cattle for eight years, raised her winning steer from a calf last year and said she will spend the proceeds on additional animals for next year.
Bader's steer brought in the most money of the 32 sold, with the reserve champion, raised by Oregon FFA member Abby Klahn, selling for $5,818.50 to Klitzman Seed LLC. The performance champion steer, raised by Black Hawk FFA member Owen Huschitt, sold for $4,837 to Badger State Ethanol.
Badger State Ethanol bought six of the auction's steers, spending $14,859 on steers alone.
The reserve performance champion steer, meanwhile, was sold by Dougherty Creek 4-H member Troy Nickels for an even $6,000 to Westfalia Surge.
Of the 21 sheep sold, Monroe's 13-year-old Bethany Drafall's champion sheep had by far the best selling price, at $8 per pound, totaling a $1,064 purchase by Colony Brands. The average price per pound for sheep was $4.01.
Drafall also sold the champion pig, which was also one of the highest sellers in the swine category, selling for $5.50 per pound to Pearl City Elevator, at a total price of $1,595.
Drafall said her animals' success "felt great" and that the proceeds would go into a college fund.
The reserve champion sheep, raised by Albany FFA member Kaitlyn Dunphy, sold for $480 to Klitzman Seed LLC. The champion carcass sheep of Alan Woller of the Dayton Dairylanders 4-H club elicited a bid of $650 from Cate Machine & Welding, while Monroe resident Blake Drafall's reserve carcass champion reached a $725 purchase from Pearl City Elevator.
The remaining 81 swine accounted for $93,355.95 in total sales. The reserve champion, sold by Oregon FFA member Montana Klahn, sold for $1,464 to Klitzman Seed LLC, while the highest sale price was fetched by Clarno 4-H member Heath Hutchitt's pig, which See-Mor Grain purchased for $2,007.50.
The champion carcass pig of Stateline 4-H's Crystal Meighan sold for $931 to Carrousel Grain Service, while the reserve champion carcass - presented by Clarno 4-H's Connor Nafzger - sold for $1,360 to Monroe Truck Equipment.
While the auctions were moderately more successful than 2016's auctions, which raised $248,635.05, they still fell behind the high-water mark set by 2015's auctions, which raised more than $298,000.