Robert J. Jones Chancellor | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Robert J. Jones Chancellor | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
The 2024 4-H Illinois Superior Young Livestock Producers Contest took place on August 7, in conjunction with the Illinois State Fair. Forty-three members from across Illinois participated in this annual event. The competition tests participants' knowledge of livestock production, including beef, swine, and sheep. Each year, $1,000 scholarships are awarded to the nine individuals with the highest scores overall. The contest is sponsored by CME Group Inc., Chicago IL, and the Illinois 4-H Foundation.
This year's scholarship recipients are Kadie Hummel from Ford County; Gwen Hall from Ogle County; Taylor Crouch from Macon County; Ryker Beckmier from Christian County; Hayden Miller from Livingston County; Kaylee Blackford from Vermilion County; Molly McCalla from Madison County; Blaine Homann from Coles County; and Morgan Crouch from Macon County.
In the Livestock Management test phase, top honors went to Kadie Hummel of Ford County, Ben Wamsley of Christian County, and Hunter Shike of Champaign County. For the Livestock Marketing and Hedging competition, plaques were awarded to Kadie Hummel of Ford County, Ben Wamsley of Christian County, and Kaylee Blackford of Vermilion County. In the Skillathon phase, Hunter Shike of Champaign County, Hayden Miller of Livingston County, and Ben Wamsley of Christian County emerged as the top three.
Dan Jennings, University of Illinois 4-H Livestock Specialist stated: “This contest provides youth an opportunity to showcase their knowledge of the industry while competing for valuable scholarships to help them pursue their career goals.”
The Superior Young Livestock Producers Contest has been held for 28 consecutive years and has offered over $500,000 in college scholarships since its inception. It aims to promote youth development through increased knowledge of the livestock industry.
The Illinois State 4-H program along with the University of Illinois College of ACES expressed gratitude towards CME Group for supporting this year's winners with scholarships.
Illinois 4-H is a youth development program under University of Illinois Extension administered through the College of Agriculture, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences. The program focuses on empowering young people for life today and preparing them for future careers through hands-on experiences.
For further information contact Dan Jennings at djjennin@illinois.edu.
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