Two local families won outstanding awards at the 2018 Illinois State Fair, Springfield, IL. The Jason Albert family of rural Keyesport exhibited the open show Grand Champion Brown Swiss Cow at the Illinois State Fair. Jason’s daughter, Ellie Albert, exhibited the same cow “Dill” in the Junior Show and was awarded Grand Champion Brown Swiss and Overall Supreme Champion cow in the Junior Show. Ellie is a sixth grade student at Mulberry Grove and a member of the Liberty 4-H club. As a result of winning Overall Supreme Champion Dairy cow, Ellie Albert will represent the dairy industry in the 2019 Illinois State Fair Junior show sale of champions.
The Kevin Hartmann family of Mulberry Grove were also recognized during the Illinois State Fair by receiving open show Grand Champion Guernsey cow with their cow “Coconut.”. Braden Hartmann, eighth grade student at Mulberry Grove and Trailblazer 4-H club member, also exhibited his cows during the junior show and won Grand Champion and Reserve Grand Champion Guernsey cows.
Grand Champion awards are given to the top cow in each breed and each of the Grand Champion cows of the six dairy breeds then compete head to head to select the Supreme Champion Cow. Albert’s Brown Swiss cow won the Junior Show Supreme and a Jersey cow from Kansas won the Supreme Champion in the open show.
