Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
THE GOGEBIC County 4-H Market Livestock Group held its annual animal market auction during the recent Gogebic County Fair, ultimately coming just short of the group's long-awaited goal of raising $1 million. In photo are, from left, first row, Neal Rand, Janelle Lekies, Becky Magley (leader), John Balchik, Lori Maki, Alex Braspenick, Colin Gauthier, Sylvia Tiziani, Kayla Kahila and Mike Newberry; and second row, Zeb Magley, Ty Schaaf, Katina Newberry (leader), Katy Rand, Anders Mattila, Olivia France, Alec Nelson, Cameron France, Wade Somero, Sarah Rand, D'Kota Engler, Nicki Lekies, Tristan Wanden, Eleanor Tiziani, Lillian Tiziani, Karen Kangas (leader), and Lyle Somero. Missing from photo are Adrianne Balchick, and Will and Adam Newberry.
IRONWOOD - Following the Gogebic County Fair last weekend, the Gogebic County 4-H Market Livestock Group remains shy of the $1 million mark.
At the annual Animal Auction, the group raised $47,887. With that, it is still $2,960 short of its long-awaited goal of $1 million total sold in the history of the organization.
Over the years, Ashley Hampston, Gogebic County 4-H Program Coordinator, said the auction has been successful.
Last year, the auction collected roughly $66,000. In 2013, they brought in $30,000.
At this year's auction, Hampston said lamb prices were really low and some other prices have gone down, causing the group to miss the mark.
Originally called the Hidequarters, the market livestock group launched in 1972 when beef breeders and other parties planned to start a youth steer project for the fair, where they could showoff and sell their steers.
One year later, the group held a meeting with the Gogebic County Fair Board to discuss adding the steer show and sale for youth at the 1974 fair. That September, Carl "Rudy" Martinson, John Palojarvi, Ted Friedman and John Koski were elected for the group's governing body.
At that time, the Gogebic County 4-H Live Auction Program had only 15 steers. Hampston said they added lambs and hogs to the sale in 1989. In the early 2000s, poultry was included.
When the club does reach $1 million, Hampston said it is going to give a plaque to the buyer of the animal that puts the group over the mark.
