Pa. Farm Show livestock sales top $260,000 mark

January 18, 2005

HARRISBURG, Pa. - The 2005 Sale of Champions and Junior Livestock Sale proved a resounding success last Tuesday at the 89th Pennsylvania Farm Show.

Followed by the presentation of 24 Farm Show Scholarships, the Sale of Champions kicked off with the offering of the Grand Champion Swine exhibited by Hunter Hood of Adams County. The 248-pound Crossbred sold to Hatfield Quality Meats for $5,000, an increase of $500 from last year's auction. Selling for $2,000 to Westfield Insurance, the 255-pound Reserve Champion Pig was a purebred Spot gilt shown by Lexie Matthews of Washington County.

Also up from 2004 by $1,100, the Grand Champion Lamb brought $3,800 from a bid by Hoss's Steak and Sea House. Samantha Adams, Bedford County, took top honors with her 157-pound Crossbred wether. The 126-pound Reserve Champion, a Crossbred wether owned by Kyler Myers of Bedford, Pa., sold for $2,200 to New Holland Sales Stables.

With a bid of $20,000, Hoss's Steak and Sea House also took home the Grand Champion Steer owned by Ryan Claycomb. The Bedford County resident's 1,320-pound prize Crossbred sold for $3,000 over last year's price. Lacey Murray, Somerset County, sold her Crossbred 1,265-pound Reserve Champion Steer to Wenger's of Myerstown and Fulton Bank for $4,000.

Setting a new Farm Show record price, the Grand Champion Goat claimed a high bid of $2,700 from New Holland Sales Stables. The previous record, $2,200, was set in 2003. Exhibited by David Neagley of Dauphin County, the Crossbred weighed 86 pounds. Also purchased by New Holland Sales Stables, Josh Miller's 94-pound Reserve Champion Goat demanded a bid of $1,800. Miller lives in Indiana County.

In 2005, the 173 buyers bid the Junior Livestock Sale to a grand total of $260,936 with 156 swine, 120 lambs, 81 steers and 36 goats selling. During the previous year's sale, 376 animals sold for a total of $117,475.

The average price per head among each species was: swine, $402; lambs, $408; steers, $1,655; and goats, $393.

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