For as long as the Iowa State Fair has been in existence, youth from around the state have exhibited their livestock projects with pride at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in search of a purple banner. Until the late 1980s, the kids who earned the right to be called Grand Champion were often rewarded with less than market price for their animals. In 1987 at the conclusion of another dismal sale of the champion animals, a group of livestock industry members decided a change was in order to not only reward the hard work of the grand champion projects but to provide more incentive for others to participate in raising livestock projects. In 1988, the Iowa Foundation for Agricultural Advancement was born.
The original mission was simply to provide a base level of funds to support the sale of grand and reserve champion projects for the major species at a premium. After years of success growing the Sale of Champions into the envy of many state fairs around the country, IFAA expanded giving to include scholarship programs and performance awards in order to reach more youth.
Today, the IFAA offers over $239,000 per year in scholarships funded by groups such as the Governor of Iowa, Bruce Rastetter, Cargill, Rain and Hail Insurance, HyVee, Fareway, and ISF Beef Champion Supporters to name a few. Support for the IFAA Sale of Champions and subsequent scholarship and awards programs has steadily grown from $50,000 in the first year to nearly $734,000 today.
The Iowa Foundation for Agricultural Advancement operates on the time and resources donated by members and supporters each year. We are always looking for people with a passion for supporting Iowa’s next generation of agricultural leaders.
If you are interested in learning more or joining one of our meetings, email admin@ifaa.org for more information!
Contact: Stacy Konz – (515) 681-0183 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Monday, August 24, 2026 2026 IOWA STATE FAIR SALE OF CHAMPIONS BREAKS ALL-TIME RECORD IFAA celebrates record-setting $734,000 sale and awards 93 scholarships totaling $239,600 DES MOINES, Iowa – Records were broken at the 2026 Iowa State Fair as the
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