Missouri State Fair Queens

Natalie Ayers

Miss Natalie Ayers from Green City was named the 2017 Missouri State Fair Queen in a ceremony held Aug. 10.

Natalie Ayers was crowned the 2017 Missouri State Fair Queen on August 10, 2017 in the Mathewson Exhibition Center. Natalie participated in the queen pageant as the reigning Sullivan County Fair Queen, and she is the first person from her county to become the Missouri State Fair Queen. She is the daughter of Rick and Jonna Ayers and has a twin brother named Zachary. The family operates a registered Angus cow-calf operation near Green City, Missouri.

Natalie was a 2016 graduate of Green City R-1 High School.  Because of her strong, agricultural background, 4-H and FFA have played key roles in Natalie’s life. She served as 2015-2016 Area III FFA President and 2016-2017 Area III State Vice President. Natalie also earned her State FFA and American FFA Degrees. Natalie was a member of several judging teams that were very competitive on the state and national levels and has exhibited market hogs and horses since she was old enough to join 4-H. She now attends the University of Missouri-Columbia majoring in Science and Agricultural Journalism. In college Natalie is involved in Litton Leaders Scholars, Sigma Alpha professional agricultural sorority, Collegiate Cattlewomen, Agricultural Communicators and Leaders of Tomorrow, True Tiger Network, Block and Bridle, and CAFNR Student Council. Upon graduation from Mizzou, she hopes to seek employment with an agricultural public relations and marketing firm.

As a long-time livestock exhibitor, Natalie was excited to be chosen as queen when the Missouri State Fair theme was “Come Home”. She has been coming to the fair since she was six months old, making this her twentieth state fair even though she is only nineteen. The state fair has always been the highlight of her summer because she knew she could reconnect with her 4-H and FFA friends there. Natalie is honored to be the Missouri State Fair Queen, a goal she set for herself as a young child. Throughout the coming year she looks forward to being an ambassador for the Missouri State Fair, the agricultural community who represents Missouri’s number one industry, and her fellow exhibitors.