MEDIA RELEASE 

Steve Pooch, Minnesota Livestock Breeders Association

651-323-4210
Brad Rugg, Minnesota 4-H State Fair Superintendent
612-624-8443 

2019 ANNUAL 4-H PURPLE RIBBON AUCTION 

DRAWS CROWD OF SUPPORTIVE BIDDERS 
St. Paul, MN (8/24/19) - Quality animals, quality kids, and quality buyers made the 40th 4-H
Purple Ribbon Auction, the annual parade of champion beef, lambs, goats and swine set twelve
new record prices. The auction raised more than $680,000 in additional premium dollars from
106 head for Minnesota 4-H youth and Animal Science programs.

The ​Champion Market Beef Steer​ was the Champion Crossbred Division III Steer shown
by Ben Freking of Jackson County. Ames Construction once again had the successful bid of
$40,000 for a new Minnesota record price. The ​Reserve Champion​ ​Market Beef​ was the
Champion Crossbred Division II Steer shown by Teagan Young of Winona County was sold with
a bid from a group of Minnesota Farmers Union Foundation, Farmers Union Agency, Farmers
Union Industries and Minnesota State Fair Concessionaires for $18,900.

American Foods Group, Central Livestock Association, O&S Cattle Company came
together for a record setting bid of $18,900 for this year’s ​Grand Champion Dairy Steer ​exhibited
by Landon Mattson of Freeborn County. The ​Reserve Champion Dairy Steer​ shown by Madison
Mattson of Freeborn County was purchased by the American Foods Group for $11,100 for
another record price.

This year’s Champion Crossbred Heavyweight Barrow was named ​Grand Champion
Barrow​ for Cameron Prins of Murray County, as it sold for $13,650 to Cargill Animal Nutrition.
The ​Reserve Champion Barrow​ was a Crossbred Middleweight shown by Ryan Risius of Mower
County and was purchased for a price of $14,000 by purchasing group made up of Merck
Animal Health, Hormel Foods, Wakefield Pork, Wilson Trailer, Beck’s Hybrid and Mower County
4-H.

The ​Champion Market Gilt​ brought a new record price of $17,000 for Ethan Strenge of
Waseca County when Cemstone made the purchase. The ​Reserve Champion Market Gilt​ was
exhibited by Lilly Carr of Houston County brought Minnesota Farmers Union Foundation,

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Farmers Union Agency, Farmers Union Industries, Commodity Ingredient Hedging, Hog Slat,
and PALS together as they partnered with the final bid of $13,250.

The ​Grand Champion Market Lamb​ was the Champion Middleweight Lamb, shown by
Grace Arthur of Steele County. The Minnesota Farmers Union Foundation, Farmers Union
Agency, and Farmers Union Industries came together to be the winning bidders for $9,250. The
Reserve Champion Market Lamb​ exhibited by Mara Hallcock of Dakota County was the Reserve
Champion Middleweight Lamb and brought $7,000 when Minnesota Farmers Union Foundation,
Farmers Union Agency, Farmers Union Industries and Minnesota State Fair Concessionaires
partnered together to make a purchase with a record price.

The Minnesota Farmers Union Foundation, Farmers Union Agency, and Farmers Union
Industries made a bid of $5,000 to purchase the ​Grand Champion Market Meat Goat​ exhibited
by Thomas Sell of Cottonwood County. The ​Grand Champion Dairy Meat Goat​ was exhibited by
Grace Bayerl of McLeod County and sold for $4,550 to LongCheng Hmong Meats. The ​Reserve
Champion Market Meat Goat​ was exhibited by Elizabeth Krause of Dodge County. Minnesota
Farm Bureau purchased the goat for $3,150.

Proceeds from the 4-H Purple Ribbon Livestock Auction go to the winning 4-H youth and
20% of the funds are designated to further Minnesota 4-H, the Minnesota 4-H Foundation and
the Auction Scholarships. Forty-one 4-H Purple Ribbon Livestock Auction Scholarships were
awarded this year from the premiums received last year and matching dollars thanks to the
generous support of Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Cargill Animal Nutrition, Skyride
DMC-Don McClure, LA-CO Industries, Pipestone Grain, Midwest Machinery, MN Pork Board,
Riverview LLP, MN Farmers Union, Compeer Financial, Independent Community Bankers of
Minnesota, Michael Dove, Gislason & Hunter and Gary Koch, Christensen Farms, Big Gain Feeds,
Federated Co-ops Inc., Holden Farms, Mouth Trap Cheese Curds, Interstate Power Systems,
Corn Roast-Brad & Lori Ribar, In Memory of Helen Anderson, Anderson Seeds, Hormel Foods,
Shanghaied Henri’s, Commodity & Ingredient Hedging, Pronto Pups-the Karnis Family, Schroder
Concessions, DLCC Ranch, Dar & Lynn Giess, Topigs Norsvin USA, MN Simmental Association,
Isabel Burke's Salt Water Taffy, Extended Ag Services, Steve Resler, Davis Family Dairies LLC,
Mary Bennett Kriva, Juanita Reed Boniface & Dick Boniface, Duke's Poutine, MN State
Cattlewomen, Jake & Lindsay Grass, Hubbard Feeds, Holden Farms, Kent Thiesse & Steve
Pooch, and MN Corn Growers Association. The Minnesota 4-H Purple Ribbon Auction is
sponsored by the Minnesota Livestock Breeders Association each year.