Anyone who has been to the Monroe County Fair in the past 50 years has probably seen local farmer Don Schrader roaming the grounds either as a presenter or, more recently, the fair board president. 

His tireless dedication to the annual event was recognized Thursday afternoon when he was named Outstanding County Fair Person of the Year during a ceremony at the Illinois State Fair in Springfield.

The award was presented to Schrader by Gov. JB Pritzker and Illinois Department of Agriculture Director Jerry Costello II.

Schrader, who has been a member of the Monroe County Fair Association over four decades and its president since 2008, was recognized for being emblematic of what county fairs represent.

“Our county fairs get at the core of what Illinois is all about — our communities,” Pritzker said. “I couldn’t be happier to celebrate the people who make them happen – from our farmers to our organizers  – and especially this year’s Outstanding County Fair Person of the Year: Don Schrader.”

Costello had similar words of praise.

“To those of us familiar with all of his work, it is no surprise that Don Schrader would be given the Outstanding County Fair Person of the Year award,” Costello said. “His service to the Monroe County community and, specifically, 43 years of service on the Monroe County Fair Board is truly amazing. Our county fairs are at the very heart of what makes Illinois great: our love for the land we call home and our strong agricultural traditions – most importantly our communities. Don’s service highlights every one of those values.” 

Schrader was born and raised on a family farm near Burksville and was active in agricultural activities throughout his school years – including 4-H, FFA and of course, participating in the local fair.

“I never expected to receive that kind of recognition because I really didn’t think I was doing anything out of the ordinary that people would recognize,” Schrader said of receiving the latest award.

He should be used to the accolades, though. 

In addition to the countless fair ribbons and FFA crop and livestock contests Schrader won while a teenager, he also earned a State FFA Degree in 1970, was honored with a 4-H Alumni Award in 1980, and the Schraders won Farm Family of the Year during the 1989 fair. 

Nevertheless, Schrader feels as if he is simply carrying on the legacy of the founders of the fair.

“Our mission, which was the mission of our forefathers back 76 years ago, was to promote agriculture and give the 4-H and FFA members the opportunity to show their projects and animal exhibits,” Schrader said, adding popular events such as the demolition derbies and tractor pulls only serve to highlight the other exhibits.

Regarding his continued involvement in the annual county fair, Schrader said  “I did it because I enjoy doing it. I don’t consider it work or a job, what I do. I’m just glad to be part of the community to keep it what it is, the great community that it is. But the award’s meant a lot to me, to say the least.”

Schrader said he doesn’t take credit for the success of the Monroe County Fair because of his involvement – crediting a “joint effort” among everyone involved – but plenty of others did.

Current fair board member and former University of Illinois Extension Director Pam Jacobs – one of several who nominated Schrader for the award – spoke of his continuous work to improve the fair year after year.

“He is out there talking and networking and showing appreciation, discussing ways that we could make things better for the fair,” Jacobs said. “His outreach and networking within the county and the community is really vital. We all do it as board members, but he has taken the leadership.”

Fair board secretary Lisa Schwarze, who also nominated Schrader, spoke to his outstanding work as fair association president.

“He is very dedicated, and he’s definitely a leader,” Schwarze said. “And it takes a good leader to make a good fair board which leads into making a good fair.”

Schrader has also taken steps in recent years to expand the use of the fairgrounds to make it a community venue rather than simply the home of the annual fair.

The fairgrounds are home to such annual events as the Monroe County Sheep Producers Sheep and Craft Festival in the spring and the Waterloo Band Parents Flea Market during Labor Day weekend.

A 30-foot-by-50-foot electronic message board  was installed by the east entrance to the fairgrounds  last year to keep the community up-to-date on events.

The fairgrounds were the main staging area for COVID-19 vaccination clinics in 2021 and 2022.

Richard Woodcock, who won the Outstanding County Fair Person award in 2019, spoke about Schrader’s work coordinating those efforts and other growth at the fairgrounds during his tenure as president.

“He’s well-deserving,” Woodcock said. “We’ve been through a lot of building projects and improvements to the fairgrounds under his leadership. And he was president through all those pandemic years. He led us through all of that time at the fairgrounds, cooperating with the health department, EMS – we set it up for COVID shots – the whole thing all the way through the pandemic, and then after we continued with a bunch of projects.”

Schrader said while fair growth has come little by little, the event has become something folks plan vacations around.

He continued by re-emphasizing the success of the fair is not due to his efforts, but that it is the people of Monroe County who make it great.

“That’s what it’s all about is community support,” Schrader said. “It’s the people in the community, and it’s the board of directors that have been selected to serve, the willingness on their part. Volunteerism in Monroe County for the fair is just phenomenal. There’s no way it could exist without all of the volunteerism, all of the community support.”

He also noted the fair’s success is generational, with folks growing up with it and then giving it to their kids, adding that 4-H and FFA today are the future of the fair.

As far as his future with the fair, Schrader said he thinks the Monroe County Fair Association is set up for success.

“I think we have a good, solid board in place that when I do choose to step to the side or get replaced, there’ll be someone to take over and probably make it even better,” Schrader said.

Whether he wants to admit it or not, the fair would not be the same without Schrader’s years of service, and now he has an award to prove it.