4-H’ers efforts pay off at livestock auction

Ellie Schuck, 16, of Valparaiso, leads Doug before judges at the Porter County Fair. The grand champion barrow sold for $3,250 at Thursday’s 4-H Celebration Sale livestock auction.

Emma Landfadt, 15, of Kouts, gets her Charolais steer ready for auction Thursday at the 4-H Celebration Sale. The 1,300-pound steer was acclaimed reserve champion at the Porter County Fair in Valparaiso.

Jacob Kolan, 16, of Valparaiso, leads his pig Thursday during auctioning at the 4-H Celebration Sale at the Porter County Fair. The reserve grand champion barrow, weighing in at 262 pounds, sold for $3,864.50.

Jocelyn Byers, 12, of Kouts, shows her rabbits as the 4-H Celebration Sale kicked off Thursday at the Porter County Fair. The South County Clovers club member earned $1,200 for the grand champion meat pen of three rabbits.

VALPARAISO — For 4-H’ers raising livestock, the Porter County Fair’s annual Celebration Sale is where hard work pays off.

Jocelyn Byers, of the South County Clovers club, earned $1,200 for her grand champion meat pen of three rabbits, a phenomenal return on her investment of about $200.

Byers thought they would sell for a couple hundred dollars, certainly less than $1,000.

Jakob Kolan, of the Morgan Sodbusters club, figures his 262-pound pig cost about $1,000 to raise. The reserve grand champion barrow sold for $3,864.50, or 414.75 per pound.

“I was blown away. I was really happy for it,” Kolan said.

As with many of the other animals, friends and family chipped in to raise the total price at auction. “I knew nothing about it,” he said.

Jesse Spratley was among the bidders who drove up prices for the 4-H’ers projects. “It was a little nerve-wracking,” he said, during the bidding process. Friends, family and businesses all chipped in for the pig they bought and promptly donated back to be sold as a lot.

Emma Landfadt prepared her 1,300-pound reserve champion Charolais steer for the sale even as the rabbits and pigs went on the auction block.

Being a stylist for a steer involves rinsing it, washing it with white soap, rinsing it and then drying it well with a blow dryer. It’s a bit like moussing the animal’s hair, she said.