The Missouri State Fair celebrated kids with Youth in Agriculture Day, including the annual Sale of Champions, which resulted in record-breaking prices thanks to R.D. Offutt Company. The event raised a total of $152,600 to help support youth in agriculture.
Several record-breaking sales were made during the event, including a $34,500 sale for Grace Riley’s Reserve Grand Champion Steer. Riley, 13, of Pleasant Hill, Missouri, not only made a record sale, but it was also her first State Fair sale with the 1,280-pound Crossbred steer.
“I came in here not thinking I’d do this well, but overall it’s been one of my best years, with my confidence in the ring and with my steer,” she said. “It takes a lot of hard work, and hard work pays off,” Riley said.
Along with the record-breaking price, Riley also had the buyer who traveled the farthest distance — Vince Restucci, of Meridian, Idaho, representing R. D. Offutt Co., of Fargo, N.D., purchased Riley’s steer, along with Youth in Agriculture and hometown supporters. Restucci said R.D. Offutt Company and the Riley family are long-time business partners, and so R.D. Offutt Company “wanted to do our part to support Missouri agriculture.”
“We’re a sixth generation farming organization and we want to see younger kids get involved in positive experiences in agriculture, that’s the biggest thing that drove me here is to show support,” Restucci said. Our CEO’s son is at Mizzou and Tim (Grace Riley’s father) is a MU fan, so we thought it was a fitting tribute to donate her steer to the MU football team.
The money will be used to benefit Missouri youth involved in agriculture. Since 1992, the Missouri State Fair Youth in Agriculture Committee has awarded scholarships totaling $400,500. Applications for the 2014 YIA scholarships will be available on the Missouri State Fair website in November, and applications will be due by Feb. 1, 2015.
Learn more about the Youth in Agriculture Day.
