Wayne Keller’s Ties To The Illinois State Fair DuQuoin
WAYNE KELLER
STEELVILLE, ILLINOIS
Show Time! Friday August 28th the 2026 Illinois State Fair DuQuoin begins and runs through Labor Day, ending on Monday, September 7th . And for many farm kids raising livestock it’s Show Time! Long days and nights, sometimes hot, away from home, camping out in the livestock barns caring for their animals.
For approximately 25 years part of the livestock show for the DuQuoin Fair has been the Junior Livestock Show which attracts young participants, many from 4-H clubs across Illinois, and occasionally other states. In 2025 365 participants showed their Dairy & Beef Cattle, Hogs and Sheep at the Fair.
21 years ago, in early 2006 Danette Mohr, manager of the livestock show received a call from Buy A Farm Land & Auction Company, better known as “buyafarm.com” asking if the fair was interested in the company sponsoring the Jr. Livestock Show. The immediate response was “YES”.
Beginning with the 2006 fair Buy A Farm has handed out cash prizes and T-Shirts to participants in the show, missing only the covid year when the fair was cancelled.
When asked about how and why the sponsorship Wayne Keller explained. “ My daughter Brenda Chandler who at that time was a partner suggested the idea. We wanted to show support for the youth involved in agriculture. These kids learn so much responsibility and management skills taking care of and showing their animals that will be of benefit to them throughout their lives. I grew up on a farm but only showed 4H livestock at the Randolph County Fair a couple times. My wife Jamie showed hogs for several years. I farmed in the Sparta area After high school, but as my kids became old enough I was already out of farming. I really regret that they did not have the experience. It’s a chance to make life-long friends and connections throughout the ag industry.
After a few years the partners grew tired of the idea and decided to drop the sponsorship. Jamie and I spoke about it and we made the decision to pick it up ourselves. We just felt it was something we wanted to do.”
Most of the past 21 years the sponsorship has been by Wayne & Jamie Keller rather than buyafarm.com it’s self. Wayne is the founding partner of the company.
“Through the years we have got to know a lot of farm people we would have otherwise never have known, and to watch the kids grow up. Many have started at 8 years old and we have watched them grow up and age out.” At 21 they can no longer compete in the Jr. Show and move on to the open classes.
Every year the T-shirt color and theme changes. The first year, 2006 was a bright yellow shirt with the theme “HOG WILD” at the DuQuoin Fair. We still occasionally see someone show up at the fair wearing that shirt and we have had people show up and show us quilts they have made of shirts from prior years that they have outgrown! I guess the shirts are a hit!
Anyway, come on out to the fair, support the kids and have some fair food! ∆
WAYNE KELLER