Illinois Department of Agriculture

14/08/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 15/08/2024 00:39

GOVERNOR'S SALE OF CHAMPIONS INVESTS IN FUTURE AGRICULTURAL LEADERS

GOVERNOR'S SALE OF CHAMPIONS INVESTS IN FUTURE AGRICULTURAL LEADERS

Press Release - Wednesday, August 14, 2024
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Governor JB Pritzker and First Lady MK Pritzker Donate $105,000

SPRINGFIELD, IL - The annual Governor's Sale of Champions at the Illinois State Fair auctions off the best livestock as judged by competitions throughout the fair. Grand Champion is the highest distinction youth exhibiting livestock in Illinois can earn, and tonight, 10 exhibitors took home that title.

Governor JB Pritzker and First Lady MK Pritzker took home the Grand Champion Steer for the fifth year in row, donating $105,000 towards the purchase of the animal. The Grand Champion Steer will be donated to Feeding Illinois and dispersed to food banks across the state.

"These young exhibitors represent the best of the best in Illinois agriculture," said Jerry Costello II, Director, Illinois Department of Agriculture. "Earning a spot in the Sale of Champions is the result of a tremendous amount of work - late nights and early mornings in the barn. It's hard work. To see our youth in agriculture recognized for the effort that they put into these animals is beyond gratifying."

Grand Champion exhibitors, along with the Reserve Grand Champion exhibitors, will receive a portion of the proceeds from the sale of their animal. The exhibitors use the funds towards their college education or invest it back into projects for next year.

Recognizing the importance of education, CME Group contributed $50,000 to the 2024 Governor's Sale of Champions to be split into nine scholarships. Beck's Hybrids provided $20,000 to be split among the grand champions.

Below are the results of the 2024 Commodity Auction and the 2024 Sale of Champions.

Commodity

Exhibitor

Location

Purchaser

Price

Champion Queso Blanco Cheese

V&V Supremo Foods

Chicago, IL

Midwest Dairy

$1,050

Champion Bourbon Black Pepper Cheese

Shullsburg Creamery

Shullsburg, IL

University of Illinois College of ACES

$800

Champion Strawberry Cheesecake Custard

Front Street Creamery

El Paso, IL

Marty & Donna Davis, McDonald's

$600

Champion French Onion Dip

Prairie Farms Carbondale

Carbondale, IL

Butch Jacobs Family

$300

Champion Buckeye Ice Cream

Prairie Farms Rockford

Rockford, IL

Marty & Donna Davis, McDonald's

$250

Champion Bacon

Eickman's Processing Co. Inc.

Seward, IL

Paul Turner, Turner Farms

$700

Champion Bone-In Ham

Eickman's Processing Co. Inc.

Seward, IL

Marty & Donna Davis, McDonald's

$750

Champion Beef Jerky

Korte Meat Processing

Highland, IL

Illinois State Auctioneers Association

$600

Champion Snack Sticks

Wenneman Meat Co.

Saint Libory, IL

Illinois State Auctioneers Association

$1,200

Champion Cooked Bratwurst

Behrmann Meat & Processing

Albers, IL

Brian Engelmann, Engelmann Construction

$1,700

Illinois State Fair Wine Show Champion

Blue Sky Vineyard

Makanda, IL

Kim Carney Rhodes in support of Friends of Macoupin County Fair

$750

Grand Champion Honey

William Budd

Springfield, IL

Former Director of Illinois Dept. of Agriculture Joe Hampton

$800

Grand Champion Dairy Goat Milk

Ava Crites

Rantoul, IL

Marty & Donna Davis, McDonald's

$525

Animal

Exhibitor

County

Purchaser

Price

Grand Champion Rabbit Market Pen

Chesney Thornton

Piatt County

Robert Nelson & AgriVest Farm Management

Logan Frye & Field Level Agriculture, Inc.

John Riley & Cardinal Transport

Gensini Cattle

$5,000

Grand Champion Poultry Meat Pen

Oakley Yard

Knox County

Marty & Donna Davis, McDonald's

$5,000

Land of Lincoln Supreme Champion Dairy Cow Print

Connor Hartmann

Bond County

Midwest Dairy

Beck's Hybrids

Prairie Farms

Clinton County Vet

St. Louis Dairy

FNB Community Bank

Langham

Bond County Farm Bureau

$6,750

Land of Lincoln Grand Champion Meat Goat

Kadie Hummel

Kankakee County

Kiefer Farms

Syngenta

Illinois State Fair Sky Ride

$5,500

Grand Champion Meat Goat

Bryce Clayton

Scott County

George Obernagel & Obernagel Family Farms

$8,000

Land of Lincoln Grand Champion Market Lamb

Karly Reel

LaSalle County

Springfield Plastics

Edward Teefey

J.O. Harris Equipment

Gensini Excavating

$5,000

Grand Champion Market Lamb

Nora Hoge

McDonough County

North American Midway Entertainment

$8,500

Land of Lincoln Grand Champion Barrow

& Grand Champion Barrow

Olivia Shike

Champaign County

CME Group

$25,000

Land of Lincoln Grand Champion Steer

Chace Riley

Grundy County

BRANDT

Friends of Chace Riley

Senator Sue Rezin

$65,000*

New record

Grand Champion Steer

Kade Gensini

Putnam County

Governor JB Pritzker and First Lady MK Pritzker

Friends of the Gensini Family

$105,000

$5,000

Total: $110,000*

New record