Walworth County Fair meat sale spending surpasses $400,000
Photo Gallery
2010 Walworth County Fair
Photos taken by Gazette photographers at the 2010 Walworth County Fair.
ELKHORN — Tyler Ellsworth received a nice birthday present Friday. Tyler began his 11th year selling his grand champion, 1,310 pound carcass steer for $3.50 a pound at the Walworth County Fair meat animal sale.
The market price for beef currently is about 90 cents a pound, said Peg Reedy of the UW Extension of Walworth County.
Spring Prairie 4-H’s Tyler was all smiles after figuring how much money he earned at the auction of his Limousin steer, which was crowned grand champ the previous evening.
When asked what he planned to do with the cash, electronic video games and dirt bikes didn’t come up during the conversation.
Instead, after a brief hesitation and a certain look from his father, Tyler said: “I’m going to put some away for college and pay back grandpa for the feed.”
The auctioneer, Bill Stade, cajoled, kidded and challenged bidders in the packed auction barn to open their hearts and wallets to the youngsters who labored to raise livestock and show it at the fair in the hopes of winning ribbons, trophies and bragging rights.
“The more you pay for it, the more you impress your friends,” Stade barked to the amusement of spectators and bidders.
Stade reminded an auto dealership owner that someday the kids would turn 16 and be in the market for cars.
Bidders responded by raising the price of the grand champion steer owned by Jeremie Siegler of the Badger FAA to $4 a pound. The 1,380-pound steer was a Crossbred.
Nearly $404,099 was made in the sale of about 475 animals, according to sale figures from the fair.
The grand champions got high bids this year because their sale was moved to the end of the auction and bidders saved their cash for the premium stock, Reedy said.
The other average open-market prices were 50 cents a pound for hogs and $1.35 a pound for lambs, Reedy said.
Other sales
Grand champion lamb: $11 a pound—Sara Johnson of Richmond 4-H for her 148-pound Hampshire.
Grand champion carcass lamb: $8 a pound—Taylor Vanderstappen of Linn 4-H for her 133-pound Crossbred.
Grand champion barrow: $6 a pound—Katelyn Gonzalez of Sugar Creek 4-H for her 268-pound Crossbred.
Grand champion carcass barrow: $3.50 a pound—Brook Maize of Harvestor/DDHS FAA for her 318-pound Crossbred.
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