Parents say their children are still waiting for winnings after Lee County takes over SWFL AG Expo

Children in the 4-H program who spend months on end raising livestock so they can, in turn, auction off their animal at the Southwest Florida AG Expo say they’re still waiting to receive the money they won in early March.

The children, ages 5-18, use their earnings to buy livestock for the next year, and the seniors use the money to pay for college and/or trade school.

Still, some families told us that now that Lee County has taken over the SWFL AG Expo for the first time this year, their children are still seeing a delay in receiving their checks.

One parent told WINK News that by this time last year, every student had their winnings.

“Last year, we received our checks, usually within a 30-day to about 45-day timeframe. Right now, we’re sitting at a minimum of 60 days,” the parent said.

The parents told us the delay in payments is really hurting their children. It’s putting them behind when it comes to purchasing the next animal they’re going to raise and sell.

“The children who show hogs, they generally get their animals in September, but they start shopping for different breeders and what kind of hogs they want to obtain months prior,” said an anonymous parent.

The parent elaborated on who would be affected the most.

“The ones who are most affected by this are the steer kids. They’re needing to buy their steers. Now, they don’t have the funds to do so, and that is then going to, in turn, affect their show next year as the pickings for their steer are going to be slim as we’re getting closer to the end of when they’re needing to be bought. So that will definitely affect their show and their profit for next year.”

WINK News contacted the county to express the concerns voiced by parents. They sent us this statement and went on to say they sent an email to the families.

The SWFL Ag Expo provided an opportunity for those involved in 4-H, FFA and PeeWees of SWFL to showcase their livestock projects as well as for members of the community at large to showcase their creative living projects.  Since beginning the event’s operations in October 2023, Lee County Parks & Recreation has been committed to providing open, clear and transparent communication to the community.
Following the closeout of the event this year, the county has been diligently working through the process to pay out all exhibitors for their premium awards as well as their livestock sales.  This process includes multiple county departments in an effort to maintain financial accountability and transparency for the public. Exhibitors, parents and families have been able to contact staff by calling our main office or by emailing our team at agexpo@leegov.com and livestock@leegov.com.  Additionally, the email below was sent out to the more than 350 exhibitors that participated in the 2024 SWFL Ag Expo to provide an update on the payouts for this year’s event. If there is a concern or a question, families are encouraged to reach out and our team is available to assist. Historically, we understand that payouts are completed in late spring / early summer. And that is the county’s plan. Lee County

Below is the email they sent to families:

Good afternoon,

This email is to provide an update regarding the payouts following the 2024 SWFL Ag Expo.  All Exhibitor payout information has been submitted on our end and is currently being vetted to ensure all appropriate documentation is submitted by the Exhibitors.  Once that is confirmed, checks will be issued and mailed directly to Exhibitors.  I anticipate you should be receiving the check in the mail within the next couple of weeks.

For those that are missing required documentation, you should have received an email last week from the Procurement Department.  If you are unsure if additional information is needed, please do not hesitate to reach out to me for confirmation.  The majority of checks will be cut next week and mailed while the rest of the information continues to be collected.  We continue to appreciate your patience.  As we have navigated this new process, we have already begun to identify where we can improve and streamline for next year’s event to minimize the turnaround time. 

Additionally, there have been some concerns regarding the check payment for the judges. To confirm, all judges have been mailed their payment checks at this time.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to me or our team at livestock@leegov.com.

Thank you,

Lisa

Coming Soon: 2025 SWFL Ag Expo Updates:

JUNE: Livestock Advisory Committee

• The formation of the new Livestock Advisory Committee is set to begin late June.  This will provide an opportunity for members of the community to have a voice and provide recommendations to staff regarding livestock rules, workshops, clinics, etc.  We will be sending out the meeting schedule and opportunities to get involved!

JULY: Updated Rulebook

• We anticipate having the updated rulebook available for download in late July.  Any remaining comments, concerns or suggestions for edit can be emailed to livestock@leegov.com.

AUGUST: Registration Opens and Schedule Announced

• Registration is tentatively set to begin on August 1 for the 2025 Ag Expo. We anticipate having the schedule available for all clinics and workshops as well at this time.

For the first time this year, families also said they had to fill out a W-9, meaning anything their child won over $600 would be taxed.

They said they found out just three days prior to the fair. In response to that, the county said the national 4-H program advises the income and funds received are subject to federal tax laws and IRS regulations.