Stephen Thomson, son of Leanna Thomson, is the exhibitor of the 2019 Grand Champion Market Pen of Chickens at the Missouri State Fair. Thomson is from Salisbury and is a member of the Chariton Shining Stars 4-H Club. Thomson’s prize-winning Pen of Chickens weighed an average of 8.1 lbs.
The Reserve Grand Champion Market Pen of Chickens honor also went to Stephen Thomson of Salisbury. Stephen’s Reserve Grand Champion Pen of Chickens weighed an average of 7.2 lbs.
On Aug. 17, Stephen will sell his Pens of Chickens 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.
Many livestock 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, which will be held at 1:30 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 17, in the Lowell Mohler Assembly Hall.
The auction will 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 $1,500 scholarships, one supreme $2,500 scholarship, sponsored by Sydenstricker John Deere/Sydenstricker Genetics, and one $5,000 platinum scholarship offered by YIA supporters were awarded to youth across Missouri. Since 1992, the YIA committee has awarded 648 scholarships totaling $684,000.
