Class of 2025

The mission of the Allen County Agricultural Society and Fairgrounds is centered around promoting agriculture through educating the youth of our community. Each year there are roughly 1,400 4-H, FFA and Boy Scout/Girl Scout participants in the Allen County Fair. The life skills built through these experiences are being utilized by youth across the nation who participated in one of these programs through the Allen County Fair.

The Allen County Fair serves to bond local communities together, as no other event draws from as many areas of the county or involves the cooperation of so many different people. An average fair is comprised of more than 350 Senior Fair exhibitors, 60 agriculture education students, 90 Girl Scout exhibitors, more than 1,300 Junior Fair exhibitors, and 200 concessionaires. The Allen County Junior Fair Livestock Auction is one of the largest in the state with more than 400 Junior Fair livestock sale participants and more than 700 buyers involved. Today, the Allen County Fair is one of the top fairs in the state, with attendance figures of well over 200,000 visitors annually.

Jim Hefner started farming with his father when he was a boy and later farmed with his father and brother, Scott. He has grown corn, beans, wheat and hay, and raised hogs and cattle. Jim currently farms 450 acres of corn and beans with his son, Kevin. Over the years, Jim has installed multiple conservation practices, including grass waterways, windbreaks and set aside acreage.

Jim is a former district supervisor for the Allen Soil & Water Conservation District, has made his farm available for several demonstrations, including youth soil judging contests, and has talked to students at Allen East Schools about farming. As Allen County Farm Bureau president, Jim went to Washington, D.C. several times to lobby our legislators on agricultural issues. He also attended Ag Day at the state capital in Columbus numerous times, meeting with state legislators about ag issues and policies. Jim has been a member of Allen East Young Farmers, Allen Soil and Water Conservation District, Allen County 4-H Council, Allen County Farm Bureau and Allen Lima Leadership. He is a past Allen County Friend of 4-H award winner and served as Lafayette Boys & Girls 4-H Club advisor for 49 years.

Walter Paxson raises sheep on his Jackson Township farm near Lafayette and worked as sales manager for Elevator Services in Beaverdam. He is a member of the Allen County Farm Bureau, a 4-H club leader and member of Allen County 4-H Council. Walter is also past president of the Allen County Sheep Association and the Ohio Hampshire Sheep Association. Walter is a member of the Ohio Agri Business Association and chaired their scholarship committee and their education trust board and convention committee. He is a member and board member of the Grain Elevator and Processors Society. Walter also taught vocational agriculture in schools in Indiana.

In 1955, John Rudolph learned of an untapped market for pork rinds and launched Rudolph Foods, producing pork rinds from smoked bacon rinds. Two years later, the company would face its first big challenge: the meat industry no longer smoke the rind on the bacon. Under pressure to save the company, John’s wife, Mary, put her home economics background to work and invented a revolutionary process to produce the pork rinds that the company still uses today.

A major supporter of pork producers, Rudolph Foods processes more than 3.7 million pounds of raw pig skins each week, or approximately 200 million pounds annually! Rudolph Foods is a long-time supporter of the Allen County Fair and the Junior Fair, investing in the future of agriculture.

Remaining a family dedicated to their business, sons Jim and Rich Rudolph continue to dramatically expand the business with 7 facilities across the United States, as well as 4 international ventures. With more than 800 employees, Rudolph Foods continues to build on their solid foundation of core values of humility, care, integrity, open and honest communication, personal responsibility and respect for others.