Community support spurs growth and success of the NR Homesteaders 4-H Club

Homesteaders Dominate Market Competition with Record Number of Grand Champion Livestock Projects and Record-Setting Sales at
The 2023 Cuyahoga County Fair 4-H Livestock Auction
The North Royalton (NR) Homesteaders Club set records last week at the Cuyahoga County Fair, winning the most-ever Grand Champion market project awards, as well as garnering record-breaking support from the local businesses and individuals who came together to make history supporting the 4-Her’s livestock projects.
NR Homesteaders won seven Grand Champion awards at the market show competition, where experts judged each project on the quality of the market animal. Homesteader Club members won Grand Champion Steer (Henry Pierce), Grand Champion Lamb (Owen Szpak), Grand Champion Hog (Owen Szpak), Grand Champion Turkey (Grace Eldridge), Grand Champion Chicken (Natalie Fitzgerald), Grand Champion Duck (Natalie Fitzgerald), and Grand Champion Fryer Rabbits (Hannah Eldridge). Homesteaders also took three reserve grand champion placements: Lamb (Christian Bryk), Hog (Christian Bryk), and Turkey (Sophie Eldridge).
This excellence in raising high-quality livestock was rewarded by community businesses and longtime supporters of the Homesteaders 4-H Club. Total auction sales were the highest ever, at $76,000, up from $62,000 in 2022. Local Seven Hills business Greystone Veterinary Hospital + Urgent Care led the way with a record-setting purchase: $16.50 per pound for Henry Pierce’s Grand Champion 1,425-pound Black Angus steer.
“I love to see that agriculture is alive and well—and that youth interest in 4-H in the county is growing. I would love to see more local businesses step up to support these 4-H youth as they bring more livestock projects to auction,” said Lindsay Kostal, DVM, owner of Greystone Veterinary Hospital + Urgent Care.
In addition to the Grand Champion Steer, Kostal, owner of Greystone Veterinary Hospital + Urgent Care, also bought the Grand Champion Chicken, Grand Champion Hog, Grand Champion Duck, as well as fryer rabbits, the 3rd place lamb, a pen of turkeys, and Bruce Kucharski Sr. Scholarship items.
“Community support is the backbone of the 4-H program. When individuals and businesses show up to support a 4-H project at auction, it helps our youth to recognize their own potential and importantly, fosters a positive connection between youth and the world around them that is critical in sustaining strong communities,” said Robin Stone, Cuyahoga County Extension Educator, 4-H Youth Development.
Homesteader Henry Pierce, 16, was grateful—and humbled— by the generous purchase of his Grand Champion steer by Greystone Veterinary Hospital + Urgent Care.
“The steer project is by far the hardest 4-H project – and I learned many important life lessons. My auction proceeds will pay this year’s steer expenses, and the remaining will be saved to invest for undergraduate and veterinary school,” said Pierce, who completed Purdue University’s Senior Boiler Vet Camp this summer and aims to become a small animal veterinarian.
The Club is grateful for the consistent and generous support of longtime buyers over the last decade and welcomed many of their familiar faces at the auction, including Cuyahoga County Farm Bureau, who bought the Grand Champion and Reserve Champion banners for market show winners and bought rabbits, quail, andscholarship items at the auction. The Cuyahoga County Fair Board, no stranger to the sale, bought the Market Show rosettes and turkeys at the sale.
“The Cuyahoga County Fair Board is thrilled to support our county 4-H program with our purchases, and help these youth follow their passion to produce high-quality food,” said Cuyahoga County Fair Board member, Tom Sabrey.
Homesteader Club alumni family, the Durda’s, made several purchases; Beth Durda bought chickens, a lamb, and the Reserve Champion rabbits, and Jonathon Durda, Grand Slam Picks, bought Scholarship items. Longtime supporters of the Club, Brecksville Kids Dentistry, Jen Hechko, DDS and North Royalton Animal Hospital, Adam Hechko, DVM, bought hog and steer and chickens respectively, and Holly Everhart, Jr., Fair Sponsorships Director, jumped in and bought the 6th place hog. Erin and Dan Hines bought the Reserve Grand Champion lamb, and Karen Higley bought a hog, lamb, and chickens.
“This strong 4-H alumni family and friends support is the backbone of our livestock auction; year-over-year, these businesses and families show up for us – this is 4-H at its best,” said Bruce Kucharski, 4-H Livestock Sale Auctioneer, Market Auction Chair, and co-advisor for the Homesteaders Club.
Another familiar face at the auction and 4-H alumni family, the Ploggers, bought turkeys (Plogger Transport), and former 4-Her Jessica Plogger bought a pen of chickens. The Welch family bought several large 4-H youth projects, including the Grand Champion Lamb, Reserve Champion hog, as well as chicken and turkey pens, as well as Bruce Kucharski Sr. Scholarship items.
Longtime supporter Mary Bryk purchased chickens, and 4-H Homesteader alum families Barbo and Gasbarre combined to purchase Alex Hechko’s hog, while the Fitzgerald family purchased an extra pen of chickens. Finally, the Club is grateful for the support of the Skoczen family for their efforts to support 4-H youth through the Crooked River Livestock Foundation, which provided financial support to all 4-Hers taking large animal projects to market, and for their purchase of Homesteader Owen Szpak’s extra lamb.
“We are so grateful to each and every one of the community members and businesses who showed up to purchase our 4-H market projects,” said Sophie Eldridge, 16, a Revere High School junior who took lamb, hog, and turkey projects to the sale, winning Reserve Grand Champion for turkey.
The Homesteader’s Club is also grateful for a contingent of new buyers to the livestock auction, including Jodie Bryk (pen of chickens), Zach Hardy (Grand Champion hog, and 5th place lamb) and International Floor Coverings/Dave Blasco (3rd place steer). New buyer, Got It Lookin’ Farm, owned by Joe Moffit, bought the Reserve Grand Champion pen of turkeys, and Leah Goda bought Alex Hechko’s steer. New buyer Congressman Miller bought the Grand Champion turkey pen, sold by Grace Eldridge, and North Royalton Mayor Larry Antoskiewicz’s monetary donation will support Club awards this fall for all NR Homesteader Club members.
Submitted by Robin Pierce