Greentown — The Kokomo Rescue Mission will be serving some of the most expensive pork and beef in Howard County in its dining rooms this year, all donated by buyers at Thursday’s Howard County 4-H Fair livestock auction.

If Conner Young had sold his reserve grand champion barrow at market Thursday, he could have expected to receive about 66 cents per pound, according to auctioneer Matt Otto. That would have come to about $173 for the 263-pound animal.

Instead, he sold it for nearly 10 times that amount, $6.50 per pound, for about $1,709, to Brad Howell Ford in Greentown.

The Howell family then donated the pig to the Rescue Mission, earning loud cheers from mission employees and supporters in the audience.

About 140 4-H members sold animals in the annual auction, earning money for their college funds, to buy their 2012 livestock or perhaps to save to buy a car someday.

Auctioneer Mike Clair began the auction, urging buyers to be generous with the young showmen.

The first animal up for sale was Brandon Deardorff’s grand champion steer, which resisted attempts to be led into the sale ring from the barn. Clair said market price for a steer Thursday was 95 cents to $1.05 per pound, and then opened the bidding asking for $10 per pound.

The 1,312 pound steer sold for $2 per pound, or $2,624, to A&J Farm Supply and Kokomo Grain.

Clayton Shanks’ reserve grand champion steer went for $1.55 per pound, or $2,205, to a consortium of Russiaville merchants.

Jarren Mantz said it was “kind of exciting” to sell his champion rabbit meat pen in the sale. The three rabbits sold for $330, which he said is well above what he could get anywhere else, to Central Indiana Ethanol.

Luke Shepherd sold his grand champion market lamb to Harper Implement and Beck’s Hybrids – Bryan Kirkpatrick, for $10.75 per pound, or about $1,376.

“It’s kind of sad when you have to sell your animal,” he said, but he’s glad to add to his college fund.

Erin Weber, a member of the Howard County Fair Queen court, sold her steer wearing her crown and sash, a dress and cowboy boots. She hoped maybe her crown would help her steer bring a better price, and it sold for $1.95 per pound, bringing in about $1,930.

Weber is a nine-year 4-H member, but it was her first time showing and selling a steer. She has sold pygmy goats in the auction before, and said she was glad her steer was donated to the Rescue Mission.

One big difference between selling the steer and selling goats was, “I didn’t get super attached since it didn’t live on my farm. The goats are my pets.”

First-year 4-H’er Rachel Mast already knows not to get attached to her pigs, because her older brother, Joe Mast, has shown and sold animals in the auction for several years.

She decided to sell her Yorkshire barrow because “he got a fourth place.”

Joe Mast, a third-year 4-H member, said he likes being in the ring with his pig because “it’s the last few minutes you spend with your pig.”

He said what he and his sister earn at the auction goes into their college funds, but he has another idea how he’d like to spend some of it when he’s a little older.

“Maybe I can use a little bit toward my first vehicle,” he said.

Auctioneer Clair drew laughs when he sold a kiss from Beth Miller, 2011 Miss Howard County 4-H Fair, to Mast Farms and Lin Ortman. The buyers gave the kiss to auction chairman Dave Eikenberry. Clair called Eikenberry to the ring, and then pretended to page Mrs. Eikenberry to the Greentown Lions cafeteria, so she would leave the arena.

“Everyone take a look at Dave, he was happily married,” Clair joked, as Miller kissed Eikenberry on the cheek.

Sally Ripley, development director for the Kokomo Rescue Mission, also was glad at least two steers were donated to the mission. She hoped to get three steers and about 80 hogs donated. Some buyers also pay the processing costs as a donation, but the mission also pays for processing.

She said the three steers donated in 2010 provided meat through March 2011, and they are just using the last of the pork from hogs donated in 2010. The mission also receives donated animals at the Carroll and Clinton county fairs, she said.

“This is a perfect time for us to restock.”