By NORMA LERNER
Cassopolis Vigilant

CASSOPOLIS – A record was broken at the Cass County Fair livestock sale when the grand champion market lamb sold for $30 a pound last week on Thursday. The 136-pound market lamb raised by Branna Wyant of Cassopolis was purchased by her grandmother, Darlene Lowe of Cassopolis. The 19-year-old girl who is an Albion College sophomore will get $4,080 for her lamb which she said she will use toward college expenses.

Branna, who normally shows pigs, hasn’t shown sheep for a couple of years, and it was her first grand champion that she has won. She has been a Penn 4-H member for several years but wasn’t able to attend meetings because of her college schedule last year. With a big smile, she thanked her grandmother.

The reserve grand champion market lamb owned by Jeremiah Hartsell of Cassopolis sold for $10 a pound to Radtke’s Processing of Cassopolis. The 142-pound lamb brought $1,420 for the exhibitor.

Other lambs sold for $1.10 to $1.30 per pound.

The grand champion market steer brought $3 a pound for Kayla Green of Vandalia. It was bought by a group of Cass County beef supporters. The 1,325-pound steer cashed in at $3,975.

The reserve grand champion market steer sold for $1.75 per pound owned by Kelli Klimek of Cassopolis. It was purchased by Midway Engineering of Dowagiac at a cost of $2,108.75.

Joshua Wooden of Cassopolis sold his grand champion market hog for $10 per pound to Community Mills and Butch Bender, both of Cassopolis. The 265-pound hog brought $2,650 for Joshua.

Branna Wyant made another sale to her grandmother, Darlene Lowe, who paid $9.50 per pound for her reserve grand champion market hog. The 282-pound hog netted $2,679.
Other hogs sold for $2 to $5 per pound.

The gallon of milk owned by youth dairy exhibitors sold for $2 a pound that brought in $2,000 for the exhibitors. It will be divided among the group based on the achievement of their animals at the fair.

Buyers were Northstar Grain, LLC, of Decatur and Koviak Irrigation of Three Rivers.