HARRISBURG, Pa. — Over 400 market animals from across the Keystone State were sold at the annual junior livestock sale on Tuesday, Jan. 7, at the 2020 Pennsylvania Farm Show.
Karli Berkheimer’s Grand Champion Market Steer sold for $20,000 to buyers Giant Foods and Bell & Evans. Berkheimer hails from Dillsburg, York County.
The Grand Champion Market Lamb, exhibited by Hunter McMillen of New Florence, Indiana County, was purchased by Hoss’s Steak and Sea House for $6,000.
John Rock Inc. also purchased Chloe Plesic’s Grand Champion Rabbit Meat Pen for $900. Plesic is from York Springs, York County.
New Holland Sales Stables purchased Olivia Arnold’s Grand Champion Market Goat for $3,900. Arnold is from Milton, Northumberland County.
Alaina Webster’s Grand Champion Market Hog sold to Hatfield Quality Meats for $6,000. Webster is from Venago, Crawford County.
Hoss’s Steak and Sea House bought Hunter Jay’s Reserve Grand Champion Market Steer for $7,200. Jay is from Artemas, Bedford County.
The Reserve Grand Champion Market Lamb, exhibited by Renee Svonavec of Rockwood, Somerset County, was purchased by Fulton Bank and Bell & Evans Poultry for $4,700.
Grant Molnar of Grantville, Lebanon County, sold his Reserve Champion Rabbit Meat Pen to Bell & Evans, Congressman Glenn Thompson, and Fulton Bank for $1,000.
Sean Davis’ Reserve Grand Champion Market Goat sold for $2,500 to John Rock Inc. Davis hails from Carolltown, Cambria County.
Aaron Zundel from New Alexandria, Westmoreland County, sold his Reserve Grand Champion Junior Market Hog to Giant Food Stores for $3,900.
To end the sale of champions, the second annual supreme champion showman, Bailey Kasbee of Stoneboro, Mercer County, sold her market swine to Saubel’s Market for $3,000.
Prior to the sale, 24 college students received $84,000 in scholarships through the Pennsylvania Farm Show Scholarship Foundation. Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences and Delaware Valley University awarded an additional $2,000 to their students for receiving the award.
A percentage of earnings in the Sale of Champions, as well as generous donations from members of the foundation, fund the scholarships.
Across 25 years, the Pennsylvania Farm Show Scholarship Foundation has given out more than $1.5 million in scholarships to 578 youth.
Throughout the sale, outstanding 4-H leaders were recognized for volunteering their time to help motivate Pennsylvania youth to become strong leaders within their homes and communities. Leaders were honored for going above and beyond to support the youth and their animals.
Ben Williamson, junior market livestock chair and Penn State educator, presented the awards.
Jeremy and Jenn Dobbin of Halifax, Dauphin County, were the recipients of the Ira J. Coble Pennsylvania 4-H Beef Leader award.
Jack and Peggy Mock, Williamsburg, Blair County, received the Outstanding Pennsylvania 4-H Sheep Leader Award. The Mocks have been 4-H leaders in Blair County for 20 years.
The Outstanding Pennsylvania 4-H Goat Leader Award was given to Greta Stahl of Somerset, Somerset County.
The Outstanding Pennsylvania 4-H Swine Leader award went to Marl “Bucky” Garlock of McConnellsburg, Fulton County. Garlock has been involved in his local 4-H chapter for 20 years and will retire this year.
The Pennsylvania Farm Show draws hundreds of thousands of visitors to our capital city every year for a mid-winter celebration of Pennsylvania agriculture. It is the largest indoor agricultural exposition in the nation, featuring nearly 12,000 competitive exhibits, including more than 5,200 animal competitions, plus 300 commercial exhibits and hundreds of educational, entertaining events. Visitors get a peek into the industry that employs nearly half a million people and contributes $135.7 billion to Pennsylvania’s economy every year.
The 2020 show runs January 4-11 from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, except Sunday, January 5, when it rans 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturday, January 11, when it opens at 8 a.m. and closes at 5 p.m. Admission is free, and parking is $15.
For more information about the 2020 Pennsylvania Farm Show, visit farmshow.pa.gov.
–Shannon Powers, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture