Illinois e-News Release


For Immediate Release
August 13, 2025

Contact:
[email protected]

GOVERNOR'S SALE OF CHAMPIONS INVESTS IN FUTURE AGRICULTURAL LEADERS

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 spotlighted the state's top youth livestock exhibitors Tuesday evening, auctioning off animals that earned the title of Grand Champion, the highest accolade for livestock exhibited in Illinois.

For the sixth year in a row, Governor JB Pritzker and First Lady MK Pritzker purchased the Grand Champion Steer. Their $105,000 contribution secured the top prize-winning animal, which will be donated to Feeding Illinois and distributed to food banks throughout the state to support families in need.

“Earning the title of Grand Champion is the pinnacle of excellence in livestock exhibition,” said Jerry Costello II, Director, Illinois Department of Agriculture. “Reaching this level means countless hours of hard work and sacrifice. 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.

In addition to purchasing the Grand Champion Barrow, CME Group contributed $50,000 to the 2025 Governor’s Sale of Champions which fund scholarships, each worth $5,000.

Below are the results of the 2025 Commodity Auction and the 2025 Sale of Champions.

 

Commodity

Exhibitor

Location

Purchaser

Price

Champion Chihuahua Cheese

V&V Supremo Foods

Chicago, IL

U of I College of ACES

$1,000

Champion 2% Chocolate Milk

Hoffmann Oberweis Dairy

North Aurora, IL

McDonalds – Marty & Donna Davis

$650

Champion 40% Heavy Whipping Cream

Prairie Farms

Rockford, IL

McDonalds – Marty & Donna Davis

$300

Champion Vanilla Ice Cream

Prairie State Ice Cream

Chicago, IL

Ray Jacobs Family

$300

Champion Vanilla Non-Homogenized Whole Milk Yogurt

Deerland Dairy

Freeport, IL

McDonalds – Marty & Donna Davis

$225

Champion Bacon

Jones Meat & Locker

 

Jacksonville, IL

Turner Farms

$850

Champion Bone-In Ham

Eickman's Processing Co. Inc.

Seward, IL

Illinois Manufacturers Association

$1,600

Champion Beef Jerky

Jones Meat & Locker

Jacksonville, IL

George Obernagel, Obernagel Family Farms & Joe Hampton

$900

Champion Snack Sticks

Main Street Meat Co.

Roscoe, IL

Cory Craig Auctioneer

$1,025

Champion Cooked Bratwurst

Behrmann Meat & Processing

Albers, IL

Brian Engelmann, Weeke Sales and Service

$1,800

Illinois State Fair Wine Show Champion

Blue Sky Vineyard

Makanda, IL

Mollett Auction Services

$925

Grand Champion Honey

Steven Hinrichs

Rochester, IL

Pour Farm Apiary

$600

Grand Champion Dairy Goat Milk

Lillian Lee

Glenarm, IL

Kevin Carey, Assistant Dean & Director, U of I Extension

$900

 

 

 

 

 


Animal

Exhibitor

County

Purchaser

Price

Grand Champion Rabbit Market Pen

Conner Robinson

Morgan County

AgriVest Farm Management; Field Level Agriculture; Edward Teefey & Farmers State Bank of Mt. Sterling; and Prairie Land FS

$5,500

Grand Champion Poultry Meat Pen

Austin Ater

Champaign County

McDonalds – Marty & Donna Davis; Illinois Farm Bureau; Champaign County Farm Bureau; Bellflower Seeds

$8,500*

Land of Lincoln Supreme Champion Dairy Cow

Owen Halpin

Iroquois County

Friends of Owen Halpin

$18,000*

Land of Lincoln Grand Champion Meat Goat

Kadie Hummel

Kankakee County

Springfield Plastics; Illinois State Fair SkyRide; Kiebro Farms; Cardinal Cattle; BL Duke Recycling; Chad McClintock

$6,800

Grand Champion Meat Goat

Maddox Horner

Jasper County

George Obernagel, Obernagel Family Farms

$8,000

Land of Lincoln Grand Champion Market Lamb

Olive Ryan

Christian County

Rich DeSchepper & Eric Faugust; Syngenta; West Central Farm Supply; Channel; J O Harris Equipment; Beck’s Hybrids; Cardinal Cattle

$7,500

Grand Champion Market Lamb

Bryce Clayton

Scott County

North American Midway

$8,500

Land of Lincoln Grand Champion Barrow

Ashley Wiegand

Woodford County

Beck’s Hybrid – Sonny & Scott Beck

$20,000

Grand Champion Barrow

Emma Rhoads

DeKalb County

CME Group

$25,000

Land of Lincoln Grand Champion Steer

John Lukach

LaSalle County

BRANDT; Case IH; Friends of John Lukach

$70,000*

Grand Champion Steer

Kadie Hummel

Kankakee County

Governor JB Pritzker and First Lady MK Pritzker

$105,000

 

 

 


*Indicates new record



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