Adams County Beef Producers/Beef Auxiliary to hold 49th annual meeting and banquet on Jan. 25

LIBERTY, Ill. — The Adams County Beef Producers and Beef Auxiliary will hold its 49th annual meeting and banquet at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 25, at St. Brigid’s Hall in Liberty.

The public is invited to attend. Reservations must be made by Jan. 19. Contact Adam Mowen at 217-430-4352 or Tyler Shaffer at 217-653-1621. The cost of the meal is $10 per person. Children under the age of seven are free.

This year’s meeting will include the selection of the 2025 Adams County Beef Queen and Ambassador. The beef queen and ambassador will receive a $1,500 scholarship, while first runner-up will receive $500 and second runner-up will receive $250.

Beef Queen Candidates

Lily Baker is a 16-year-old daughter of Bobby and Kelly Baker of Quincy. She is a junior at Quincy High School, where she is a member of the track team, Beta Club and FFA. Baker is serving her second term as chapter president and is the Section 11 FFA treasurer. She has been in 4-H and showing cattle since she was 8 years old. In her free time, she enjoys camping, traveling, working with cattle and spending time with family. Baker is employed at the Western Illinois Vet Clinic and plans to pursue a career as a large animal veterinarian after high school.

McKenna Davis is a 17-year-old daughter of Matt and Dawn Davis of Liberty. She is a junior at Liberty High School. Davis is the secretary of Liberty’s FFA chapter and the Class of 2026 secretary. She is an active member of the Adams County Beefers 4-H Club. She is involved with the FCA and is on the Liberty track team. Outside of school, she likes to spend time with family and friends, babysit, work with beef cattle and attend various cattle shows. After high school, she plans to attend college and pursue a degree in the healthcare industry.

Linnlei Burnett is the 16-year-old daughter of Daniel and Erica Burnett of Liberty. Burnett is a junior at Liberty High School, where she has been involved in FFA for four years. She is a member of the Payson Progressors 4-H Club. In her free time, she enjoys going to cattle sales with her grandpa and spending quality time in the show barn with her sister. She enjoys helping her youngest sister, who is getting involved in her first year of 4-H. Burnett is employed by the Quincy Family YMCA as a counselor with young children.

Beef Ambassador Candidates

Tucker Shupe is a 20-year-old son of Darren and Emily Shupe of Lima. He is a 2022 graduate of Unity High School and 2023 graduate of the Quincy Fire Academy. Shupe is a junior at Western Illinois University, studying ag science, and is a member of Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity. He is a volunteer firefighter at the Lima Tioga Fire Department. Throughout his life, Shupe has had a passion for raising and showing cattle with his family and barn families. In a press release, he said, “Showing cattle has taught me many life lessons, with the greatest lesson being respect.”

Grady Shaffer is a 16-year-old son of Corey and Becky Shaffer of Mendon. Shaffer is a sophomore at Unity High School, where he is a member of the football and track teams. He is an active member of FFA, Student Council, FBLA and is enrolled in honors classes. Outside of school, he is an eight-year member of the Central Adams Firecrackers 4-H Club and is involved with Adams Country 4-H Federation. He had participated in many state and national programs throughout his club involvement in both 4-H and FFA. Shaffer enjoys working with and showing his cross-bred cattle. He also helps area farmers in diversified areas of agriculture or helping with the family repair business. After graduation, he plans to attend a trade school to become a certified welder.

Cody Liggett is a 19-year-old son of John and Cheryl Liggett of Liberty. Liggett is a freshman at John Wood Community College, pursuing a degree in agriculture engineering. He plans to attend the University of Illinois after graduating from John Wood. He enjoys working at Phibro Animal Health, where he helps create trace mineral premixes for livestock and pet feed. He enjoys helping people with their beef cattle operations and show cattle.

Reigning Adams County Beef Queen Olivia Barry is a 17-year-old daughter of Rick and Kris Barry of Liberty. She is a senior at Liberty High School. She is the president of Liberty’s FFA chapter, a member of the high school cheer team and a nine-year active member of Burton Flyers 4-H Club. She likes to hang out with friends and explore new places.

Reigning Adams County Beef Ambassador Jacob Davis is a 19-year-old son of Matt and Dawn Davis. Davis is a freshman at John Wood Community College, pursuing a degree in ag business. He is an active member of the John Wood livestock judging team and an active member of the Adams County Beefers 4-H Club. He enjoys spending time with family and friends, working with beef cattle and going to livestock shows.