3 livestock categories set sales records at state fair

Part of the proceeds go into a youth-program fund.

COLUMBUS (AP) — Price records in three livestock categories were set Sunday at the Ohio State Fair Sale of Champions.

Levi Kimley of Clark County sold his reserve grand champion barrow to Meijer Inc. for $26,000, beating the $20,000 record set last year. Kimley earned $6,000 on the sale. It was the third year in a row there was a record price in the category.

The fair capped the amount exhibitors can earn from their livestock sales in 1995. The extra money is put into a fund for carcass contests, scholarships, dairy cattle, 4-H, Future Farmers of America and other programs for young exhibitors.

Garrett Shafer of Miami County sold his reserve grand champion meat chickens for $11,500, beating the $10,100 record set in 2004. He received $3,000 from the sale to Kale Marketing and Burkhart Farm Center.

Kayla Campbell of Greene County set a record with a $26,000 sale for her reserve grand champion market beef to Steve Rauch Excavation and Demolition. That exceeded the $25,150 mark set in 2003 in another sale to the excavation company. Campbell kept $10,000 of the selling price.

The excavation company also bought Kyleigh DeFrank’s grand champion market beef for $55,000. DeFrank, from Jefferson County, received $21,000.

Total sales on Sunday were $202,500, up from 2007’s total of $176,000. The program fund will get $133,500.

Kroger Co. bought Scott Seim’s grand champion meat chickens for $13,000, of which the Montgomery County resident kept $5,000.

The Cincinnati-based company also bought Audrey Neal’s grand champion market lamb for $25,000 and Tyla Voight’s grand champion barrow for $30,000. Voight, of Miami County, and Neal each kept $9,000 from their sales. A home county for Neal was not included in the fair’s list of sales.

Madison Banbury sold her champion reserve grand champion market lamb for $16,000. The Knox County resident also won in the category last year. She received $6,000 of the price paid by a group that included Amusements of America, Concessions by Cox, Event Marketing Strategies, Bulk Candy Store ICEE and Huffman’s Market.