(SEDALIA, Mo.) – Aidon Bolton, son of Steve Bolton and Amanda Perkins, is the exhibitor of the 2024 Grand Overall Champion Bacon at the Missouri State Fair. Aidon is from Bowling Green and is a member of the Bowling Green FFA Chapter.
The Reserve Overall Grand Champion Bacon honor went to Kade O’Bannon of Hallsville. He is the son of Jeff and Lisa O’Bannon and is a member of the F&L Hustlers 4-H Club.
The Reserve FFA Champion Bacon honor went to Mallory Kroeger of Smithton. She is the daughter of Rob and Amanda Kroeger and is a member of the Smithton FFA Chapter.
Blaine Owen, son of Abraham and Laura Owen, is the exhibitor of the Reserve 4-H Champion Bacon at the Missouri State Fair. Blaine is from Carrollton and is a member of the Bosworth Fireballs 4-H Club.
On Saturday Aug. 17, Aidon, Kade, Mallory, and Blaine will sell their hams in four of 19 lots offered in the Missouri State Fair Inaugural Best of Missouri Sale, sponsored by America’s Heartland Packing. Proceeds from the sale benefit the Missouri State Fair Youth in Agriculture Scholarship program and highlights divisional champion products.
Many exhibitors will work toward earning a place in the Inaugural Best of Missouri Sale. Top four junior exhibitor bacons and hams, champion carcass steer, barrow, lamb and meat goat, open champion ham and bacon, award-winning Missouri Grown products, best of class Missouri Wine collection, Governor’s Cup wine honoree and best of class cheese will be featured in the auction. The Sale will be held at 11:15 a.m., Saturday, Aug. 17, in the Lowell Mohler Assembly Hall.
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.