By KEVIN WALKER
Michigan Correspondent
 
DETROIT, Mich. — The economy may have dampened things a bit this year, but the 2008 Michigan State Fair Livestock Auction still raised over $135,000 for the Michigan Youth and Scholarship Fund.

The Kroger Co. was the top purchaser, spending $48,000 to buy seven lots, including the Grand and Reserve Grand champion steers, Reserve Grand Champion lamb and Grand Champion pair of hogs. The Meijer Co. also bought seven lots, totaling nearly $20,000, including the Grand Champion hog and the Grand Champion pair of lambs.

Michigan Farm Bureau (MFB) employees and the state Farm Bureau organization also participated.

“From an employee standpoint, we spent about $8,000 from our own pockets,” said Ernie Birchmeier, the livestock and dairy specialist at the MFB.

He has also volunteered as the Michigan State Fair Committee Chairman for the past 15 years. The MFB made purchases amounting to about $7,000.

Birchmeier described the auction as an opportunity to reward the young people who are involved in the livestock industry “and to invest in the child’s future.” Jeff Haarer, administrator of the scholarship fund at the Michigan Department of Agriculture (MDA), concurred.

“The idea is to help a young child buy livestock for next year, and raise money for the child’s future,” Haarer said. “We impact around 150 kids each year at the state fair. We’ve impacted well over 500 since we started the program in 2000.”

Haarer added that the fund has given out $236,000 in educational awards and scholarships since its inception. The livestock at the state fair are supposed to be the best livestock in the state, he said. He described the auction as a “win-win” for the children and the companies that donate.

“It’s great PR for the companies because they’re supporting Michigan youth and agriculture,” Haarer said.

The 2008 scholarship winners are Ricka Boehmer of Williamston, Kurt Doneth of Durand, Nathan Gonzalez of Springport, Cally Hass of Cassopolis, Steven Riebel of Armada, Ryan Smoes of Hamilton and Rachel Vaassen of Ann Arbor.

Other businesses that participated in the auction include the Wolverine Packing Co., Boyer’s Meat Processing, Kowalski Sausage Co., Kendale Farms, Michigan Milk Producers Assoc., Greenstone Farm Credit Services and MDA employees.

Champion butter, wine, milk and cheese were also auctioned off.
Auction sales were down somewhat from last year, when gross proceeds were about $151,000. Haarer said although the poor economy may have played a role this year, the auction also recently lost a sponsor, Smithfield. Since then the auction has been playing a little bit of “catch-up.”

“I thought the sale went pretty well, given the state of the economy,” Birchmeier said.