DELAWARE — Tears filled 17-year-old Joseph McMillen’s eyes when he stepped up to show his grand champion market beef at the livestock auction Tuesday evening.
Those tears were a combination of disbelief, joy and sadness.
“It sucks losing your best friend, but it’s really cool to see it pay off in such a big way and get such a reward out of it,” McMillen said.
McMillen’s market steer had a market value of roughly $3,100 and it sold to the highest bidder for $10,500.
Laryssa Hook, Delaware County OSU Extension 4-H youth development educator, said the sale might be a record. The office does not track record sales, so she couldn’t confirm that for certain.
The bidder was Jim Gill, owner of Chesrown Chevrolet at 1701 Columbus Pike. Gill estimates he bought over 25 animals, along with McMillen’s steer, at Tuesday’s auction.
“We’re a part of the community and we give back to the community,” Gill said.
Gill has been buying animals at the Delaware County livestock auction for 15 to 20 years, with the goal of buying as many animals as he can.
McMillen, a 17-year-old Big Walnut senior, spent 12 months raising the steer. He’s also selling the champion pen of two lambs during Wednesday’s livestock auction.
He’s shown market beef for eight years and his family runs a commercial operation on their property, so raising beef is nothing new to McMillen.
But it is nonetheless hard to do, he said.
He has two years left to be involved in 4-H and plans to keep showing sheep. But he might make 2026 his final year showing beef to go out with a bang.
“I don’t know what we’ll do with the beef quite yet. It’s a heck of a way to go out if I decide to be done, but if not, I’ll just pick up where I left off, hopefully,” McMillen said.
He plans to save the money towards his future, which he thinks might entail buying a farm of his own.
Paisley McIntire, who sold the reserve champion market beef for $3,500, also walked away from the sale with tears in her eyes.
“I’m just sad ’cause I don’t want to sell him. He’s like my best friend,” McIntire said.
The 12-year-old Marysville Middle School student named her steer Goose and she plans to use some of her sale money to buy another calf to show again next year.
A bittersweet end to Adalyn Whitaker’s 4-H career
Adalyn Whitaker was the second-to-last kid to show her dairy feeder, named Stanley after her water bottle, which had a market value of $1,498.
Ahead of the bidding, the auctioneer announced a special statement Whitaker had prepared: “This is my 14th and final year in 4-H. I’m so grateful to have been a part of this fair. I want to thank my family, my friends and all of you for supporting me throughout all of it.”
Whitaker, 19, aged out of 4-H. She’s been selling dairy feeders for four years and before that she showed hogs.
The final bid was for $650, until the buyer— Whitaker’s best friend’s parents— told the auctioneer to scratch that and raise the bid to $2,000 instead.
“I grew up in 4-H with all of them and they’re like my second family. I had no idea that was (going to) happen. I’m so grateful for them,” Whitaker said.
Even though she’s no longer able to participate in 4-H, her younger brother also raises cows, so she gets to help him while he’s involved for the next four years.
Kenleigh Disbennett also experienced her last year in 4-H, showing the grand champion chickens. The Buckeye Valley sophomore has shown chickens for eight years.
Her champion chickens sold for $1,600 to Chesrown, much higher than her chickens last year which sold for $200.
But Disbennett did not age out. She chose this to be her last year because of the low sale price and turnout last year, she said.
“Last year’s auction wasn’t very good, so I decided for this to be my last year,” she said.
Charleigh Link sells grand champion turkey during her first year with 4-H
While Whitaker was experiencing the bittersweet end to her 4-H career, Charleigh Link was feeling the excitement and anxiety that comes with selling an animal for the first time.
Link had the grand champion turkey, which sold for $2,000. She named him Randy because “he’s random.”
Link’s face changed back and forth from smiling to shocked as she heard the bids continue to rise.
The 9-year-old Buckeye Valley East student said she was hoping he would sell for $250, so she was “very happy” with the final bid.
The whole process has made her excited to return next year when she will show another turkey, but she too was sad to say goodbye to Randy.
Austynn Fite, 16, sold the reserve champion turkey for $1,600. Fite has been involved with 4-H since she was 8. This was her first year showing a turkey.
The Olentangy Berlin junior said the money will go into her college savings account, where she has put all of her money from livestock auctions since she was 8.
Her dream is to go to college for engineering and being a part of 4-H has helped her get closer to achieving that dream.
