(SEDALIA, Mo.) – Lain Gerdeman, son of Michael and Jess Gerdeman, is the exhibitor of the 2024 Grand Champion Meat Rabbit Pen at the Missouri State Fair. Lain is from Warrenton and is a member of the County Line 4-H Club. Lain’s prize-winning rabbits weighed 5.2, 5.3 and 5.3 pounds.
The Reserve Grand Champion Meat Rabbit Pen honor went to Carissa Stong of Sheldon. She is the daughter of Dusty and Melissa Stong, and is a member of the Nevada FFA Chapter. Carissa’s rabbits weighed 4.2, 4.5, and 4.5 pounds.
On Saturday, Aug. 17, both Lain and Carissa will sell their pens in two of 12 lots offered in the Missouri State Fair Sale of Champions. Proceeds from the annual sale benefit both the winning exhibitors and the Missouri State Fair Youth in Agriculture (YIA) Scholarship Program, administered by the Missouri State Fair Foundation.
Many exhibitors will work toward earning a place in the ring at the time-honored Sale of Champions Auction. Grand Champion and Reserve Grand Champion Steers, Barrows, Lambs, Meat Goats, Pens of Chickens and Pens of Rabbits will be featured in the auction. The Sale will be held at 1:30 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 17, in the Lowell Mohler Assembly Hall. The entire auction will be broadcast live by KMMO radio online. The auction will also be live on the Missouri Department of Agriculture’s Facebook page.
Through the generous support of YIA sponsors and the Missouri State Fair Foundation, the Missouri State Fair is able to award scholarships each year to Missouri youth. Last year, forty-nine $1,500 scholarships, four $1,500 scholarships, sponsored by Betty Jane Bell Trust, one supreme $2,500 scholarship, sponsored by Sydenstricker Nobbe Partners/Sydenstricker Genetics, four supreme $2,500 scholarships, sponsored by the Missouri State Fair Foundation, one $3,500 Sharon Topliff scholarship and one $5,000 S. Wayne Yokley platinum scholarship offered by YIA supporters were awarded to youth across Missouri. Since 1992, the YIA committee has awarded 878 scholarships totaling $1,069,000.
A complete listing of the 2023 YIA sponsors is available on the Fair’s website. A listing of the 2024 sponsors will be posted soon. Anyone interested in becoming a sponsor this year, or receiving more information about sponsorship, can visit the Fair’s website, or contact Chuck Miller at 573-881-3589, Rodney Heimer at 217-257-6182, or Chip Kemp at 573-239-0524.