The Cargill Livestock Barn at the Franklin County Fair was packed with excitement, applause, and community spirit on Saturday, August 8, as the Franklin County 4-H Livestock Sale brought together youth exhibitors, local businesses, and supporters for one of the most anticipated events of the 4-H project year.
The annual sale marked the culmination of months of dedication, early mornings, late nights, and countless hours of care provided by 54 Franklin County 4-H members. Together, these young livestock producers sold 125 market animals, including beef, goats, pigs, and sheep.
The atmosphere inside the barn served as a powerful reminder of the strong support that exists for agriculture and youth development throughout Franklin County. Buyers, families, friends, neighbors, and community members filled the stands and lined the sale ring, creating an energetic environment as bidding moved from one project animal to the next. With 68 businesses and individuals successfully purchasing animals and many additional supporters actively bidding throughout the night, the sale showcased the deep investment local businesses and residents make in the next generation.
Beyond the numbers, the event celebrated the perseverance, responsibility, and leadership skills developed through the 4-H livestock program. For these exhibitors, the sale represented the reward for months of work caring for animals, maintaining records, managing expenses, and preparing projects for exhibition.
Champion Market Animals Recognized
Several outstanding exhibitors were honored during the sale as their animals earned Grand Champion and Reserve Grand Champion titles.
Grand Champion Market Animals
- Grand Champion Market Lamb – Hannah Brenize, purchased by Community State Bank
- Grand Champion Market Beef – Lane Brenize, purchased by Iron Valley Real Estate & IBM Rental Management
- Grand Champion Market Goat – Zoe Knoll, purchased by Heck’s Diesel Tech, LLC & C & S Farm
- Grand Champion Market Hog – Easton Dice, purchased by Heck’s Diesel Tech, LLC
- Grand Champion Market Hog Pair – Olivia Heck, purchased by F&M Trust
Reserve Grand Champion Market Animals
- Reserve Grand Champion Market Lamb – Tatum Hurley, purchased by Marion Rentals
- Reserve Grand Champion Market Beef – George Webster, purchased by Mark Moxley
- Reserve Grand Champion Market Goat – Zoe Knoll, purchased by Martin Power & Equipment
- Reserve Grand Champion Market Hog – Olivia Heck, purchased by Heck-Meyers, LLC
- Reserve Grand Champion Market Hog Pair – Peyton Heck, purchased by Heck-Meyers, LLC
The Franklin County 4-H Livestock Committee also recognized Martin’s Elevator as the 2026 Top Buyer. The longstanding support of Martin’s Elevator and many other dedicated buyers helps ensure the continued success of Franklin County’s livestock programs and creates valuable opportunities for local youth.
Making a Double Impact Through Meat Donations
An increasingly meaningful component of the Livestock Sale is the opportunity for buyers to donate purchased animals through a partnership with the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank.
Through this program, donated animals are processed, and the resulting meat is made available to more than two dozen food pantries and food assistance organizations throughout Franklin County using the food bank’s established distribution system. The program allows buyers to make a lasting impact in two important ways: supporting the young exhibitor who raised the project animal while simultaneously helping families and individuals experiencing food insecurity within our community.
The following businesses selected the donation option during the 2026 sale:
- Beaver Concrete Construction
- Diller Ag Equipment
- F&M Trust
- Great Cove Solar II, LLC
- Heck Brothers Logging & Tree Service
- Horizon Farm Credit
- McCleary Oil Company
- Musser Mechanical Inc.
- Norland Avenue Pharmacy
- Shippensburg Storage Units
- Timmons Oil Inc.
Collectively, these 11 businesses donated 24 animals, including 1 beef, 4 lambs, 6 goats, and 13 pigs, representing approximately 20 percent of all animals sold during the event. This resulted in 2,558 pounds of protein made available to those in need within our community.
Their generosity demonstrates the unique ability of the Franklin County 4-H Livestock Sale to strengthen both agriculture and community service, ensuring the benefits of the program extend far beyond the fairgrounds.
Auctioneers Help Drive Record-Breaking Success
The success of the sale would not have been possible without the dedicated auctioneers who worked tirelessly to generate enthusiastic bidding and secure the highest possible prices for exhibitors.
Special thanks are extended to Matt Hurley and Caleb Hurley of Hurley Real Estate & Auctions and David Gossert of Gossert’s Auction Service, who stepped into the auction lineup during the sale to lend his expertise and help keep the momentum moving. Their professionalism, energy, and commitment to Franklin County 4-H played a significant role in achieving a record-breaking level of sales and ensuring every exhibitor had the opportunity to maximize the value of their hard work.
In-Kind Sponsors Make the Sale Possible
The Franklin County 4-H Livestock Sale is supported by a team of generous businesses and organizations that contribute products, services, equipment, facilities, and expertise.
Because of these in-kind contributions, Franklin County 4-H members receive the full value of their sales proceeds, with no commission fees deducted from their earnings.
The committee gratefully acknowledges the following 2026 in-kind sponsors:
- Chambersburg Rod & Gun Club
- Country Creek Produce Farm
- Directional Traffic
- Franklin County Fair
- Franklin Veterinary Associates
- Heck’s Diesel Tech
- Hurley Real Estate & Auctions
- Iron Valley Real Estate
- Keystone Outdoors
- Klenzing’s Garden Center
- Martin’s Ag, LLC
- Rural King – Chambersburg
- Timmons Farms
- Webster Farms
These sponsors provided a wide variety of resources, including facilities, internet services, advertising support, veterinary health inspections, livestock scales, livestock panels, equipment, and many other essential services that help the event run smoothly. Their commitment to supporting local youth and agriculture continues to strengthen the Franklin County 4-H program.
Dedicated Volunteers Behind the Scenes
An event of this magnitude requires year-round planning and coordination. The Franklin County 4-H Livestock Sale Committee, comprised of volunteer leaders and parents, works throughout the year to organize and improve the annual livestock sale.
The committee includes:
Megan Brenize, Jessica Carter, Ty Carter, Andrew Dice, Brandon Heck, Emily Heck, Erin Heck, Karen Knoll, Brooke Lehman, Josh Mummert, Sarah Mummert, Kevin Stahl, Chauncey Webster, and McKenzie Wingert.
Their countless volunteer hours, attention to detail, and commitment to youth development help make the sale possible and provide a first-class learning experience for Franklin County 4-H members.
As another successful livestock sale comes to a close, the Franklin County 4-H program extends its sincere gratitude to every exhibitor, buyer, bidder, volunteer, sponsor, family member, and community supporter who helped make the 2026 Franklin County 4-H Livestock Sale a tremendous success.
Youth interested in learning more about Franklin County’s 4-H livestock opportunities are encouraged to contact the Franklin County Extension Office at 717-263-9226 or email Franklin County 4-H Educator Quinn Martin at qxc114@psu.edu. Franklin County 4-H offers Beef, Goat, Pig, and Sheep clubs for youth ages 8-18 and welcomes new members interested in developing livestock knowledge, leadership skills, and lifelong friendships through the 4-H program.
