Springfield
Illinois
Governor's Sale of Champions Invests In Future Agricultural Leaders
Government and Politics
August 14, 2024
From: Illinois Governor J. B. PritzkerGovernor 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 |