The Minnesota 4-H Purple Ribbon Market Livestock Auction once again set records
By Carol Stender
cstender@agrinews.com
Date Modified: 09/20/2012 10:54 AM
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FALCON HEIGHTS, Minn. — The Minnesota 4-H Purple Ribbon Market Livestock Auction once again set records at the state fair.
More than $430,000 was raised in additional premium dollars from 100 head sold. Of those funds, 20 percent will go toward 4-H programs including auction scholarships. The 4-H market livestock exhibitors will receive the remainder.
Stephanie Krause of Olmsted County received a record setting bid of $16,000 for her champion market beef steer. Ames Construction was the successful bidder. The reserve champion was a Simmental steer owned by Greta Tank of Washington County. The record $11,000 bid came from a group of long-time buyers including Interstate Power Systems and Friends of Washington County 4-H.
It's rewarding to take part in the auction, said Dean Compart a member of the auction committee and the Minnesota Livestock Breeders Association which sponsors the event. Compart is on the committee who contacts individuals, businesses and organizations for bids.
Bid donations come from 4-H alumni, have children in 4-H or know others in the program, said fellow committee member Don Briscoe.
As a hog producer, Compart knows vendors involved in different parts of the swine industry. He contacts them seeking bids for the annual event held during the Minnesota State Fair. Sometimes a group of buyers will work together placing a bid on a market livestock animal in the auction. He points to the grand champion market swine shown by Remi Wayne of Freeborn County. The crossbred middleweight barrow sold for $9,500 to Hormel Foods, Pioneer Hi-Bred International and Friends of Freeborn County 4-H.
"Hogs eat a lot of corn and Hormel processes pork products," Compart said. "It's a good partnering of the companies with support from the 4-H organization in Wayne's county."
Briscoe, who's worked with the auction for 20 years, says the program has grown. It doesn't focus strictly on the champion and reserve champion placings, but now involves more youth who've received blue ribbons.
As a result of the state fair auction, more counties have started purple ribbon clubs to solicit local funds to support 4-H'ers in the state fair auction.
"It's a collaborative effort," said Jim Nesseth. "Some bidders may want to bid on a certain species of livestock. Some are county purple ribbon groups. You put together several of those bids and you have a larger group to support the kids."
It can be emotional for those who work closely with the auction, Compart said. One exhibitor was a youngster he's known since the 4-H'er was three years old.
It's rewarding to see first-time exhibitors and local support for their project, Nesseth said. The dairy steer shown by first-timer Logan Dvergsten was purchased by Joel Varner and the Bagley Livestock Exchange for $9,600. The reserve champion dairy steer was shown by Abby Mills of Goodhue County and sold for a record $7,500. The purchasing group included Central Livestock, O & S Cattle Co., American Foods and Heidelberger Equipment.
Other top bids included $7,600 by Bhoehringer Ingelheim, Sinpro Corporation and Friends of Freeborn County 4-H for the reserve champion barrow, a crossbred heavyweight, shown by McKenna Cech. The champion market gilt, shown by Joshua Homann of Pipestone County, received a $5,100 bid from Farmers Union and Farmers Union Insurance. The reserve champion market gilt was exhibited by Tessa Kramer of Murray County with Monsanto and Murray County Purple Ribbon Club partnering on the final $4,400 bid.
The grand champion market lamb from the lightweight division was shown by Jed Knutson of Freeborn County and was purchased by SAFRAN-Cenco International for $5,100. The reserve champion was exhibited by Scott Dingels of Redwood County and was purchased by the Farmers Union Industries for $5,000.
Ashley Bartness of Freeborn County exhibited the grand champion meat goat with the Minnesota Meat Goat Supporters offering the winning bid of $3,600. The grand champion dairy meat goat was exhibited by Nicole Klein of Stearns County with Dekalb/Asgrow and Channel Seeds offering the final bid at $2,300.
Also honored at the auction were 23 4-H'ers receiving Minnesota Livestock Breeders Association scholarships.
Recipients include Brent Meschke, Blue Earth; Maxwell Herrera, Carver; Blair Tostenson, Chippewa; Paige Bourne, Chippewa; Laura Schoneman, Cottonwood; Sara Devitt, Dakota; Janna Sorg, Dakota; Isaiah Bauck, East Otter Tail; Jeff Neil, Goodhue; Richell Mehus, Houston; Austin Liepold, Jackson; Brittney Riebel, Le Sueur; Evan Koep, Jackson; Adam Munstedelger, Kanabec; Rachel Wilking, Lyon; Miranda Lemke, McLeod; Sara Roerick, Morrison; Brooke Fenske, Olmsted; Kyle Borst, Olmsted; Jacklyn Dingels, Redwood; Samantha Berg, Pipestone; and Austin Davis, Wright.