In November 2026, there are two previous Top Producer awardees on ballots in different parts of the country to serve for statewide political representation.
- Top Producer of the Year finalist in 2018, Darren Bailey, of Bailey Family Farm, is running for Illinois governor
- 2024 Next Gen Award winner, Hallie Shoffner is running for U.S Senate in Arkansas
For both, running for office is an extension of the “sweat and service” they were taught on the farm. Both candidates are motivated by a fear that the “next generation” is being pushed away from farming while there’s simultaneously a growing lapse in representation from rural America.
Catching Up With The Candidates
When Bailey Family Farm, located in Clay County Illinois, was named a TPOY finalist, the business was farming 12,000 acres and managing trucking and excavating businesses. Bailey says in 2017, he was actively transferring farm management to two of his sons, Cole and Zach, and it was also the first year he was elected to serve as a state representative in Illinois. He went on to serve as a state senator, and had a campaign for governor in 2022.
Its farming footprint is similar today. One recent addition to the business portfolio was a large storage facility for paper goods and wood, which was managed by Zach. After Zach’s death in an aviation accident in October 2025, Bailey sold the business.
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