By Ben Cox
Photos/Ben Cox and Submitted to The Source
Illinois Republican gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey stopped in Riggston and Waverly on Jan. 6 to visit two locations of the Grab ’n’ Grow Greenhouse, sharing his vision for government reform and supporting local agriculture.
The visits drew nearly two dozen people at the Riggston location that included local producers, members of the Pike-Scott Farm Bureau and members of Scott County law enforcement.
The tour was arranged by Grab ’n’ Grow Greenhouse franchise owner Jenny Sauer Schmidgall, who was previously acquainted with Bailey’s running mate, Aaron Del Mar. Sauer Schmidgall welcomed Bailey and introduced him to producers whose products are featured in the store, including pork, eggs, milk and bread from local farmers.
“We pulled from farmers that are here because the point is to have it in the community and support people in that community, not corporate chains,” Sauer Schmidgall said. She explained how the self service store works, noting its licensing and how local producers benefit from direct contact with customers. Sauer Schmidgall explained that her husband built the Riggston store as a garage at first, unsure if the concept would work, but now after multiple years, has seen the concept expand to other locations with growing support.
Bailey praised the concept and discussed how constituents in his former senate district had shown interest in similar community based food initiatives but were uncertain about how to navigate state regulations. Sauer Schmidgall said farm bureau support has been instrumental in expanding the store and helping local growers participate.
“People are coming back to wanting to know where their food comes from,” she said. “They’re done with big box stores.”
During his remarks, Bailey also shared his personal and political motivations. He recounted prior public service on a school board, where he first became frustrated with budget shortfalls and shifts in state funding priorities. He recounted his 17-year service on the Anna-Jonesboro school board, where he first became aware of budget shortfalls and governmental inefficiencies.
“Every year, our small school system would get cheated out of tax dollars,” he said. “I began to see what dysfunction in government looks like, how budgets get shifted around and how that impacts everyday people.”
Bailey said this experience, coupled with concerns about safety, education and tax policy in Illinois, inspired his renewed bid for governor after his previous unsuccessful attempt at the office in 2022.
Bailey unveiled his idea of creating an Illinois version of DOGE—a state-level Department of Government Efficiency modeled to audit wasteful government spending and streamline state operations if elected in the same vein as the current federal department in the Trump Administration. “We’re going to go after government waste,” Bailey said. “People deserve accountability and transparency in Springfield.”
On other policy, Bailey reiterated his opposition to the Safe T Act and other measures he says have hurt rural communities under the Pritzker Administration in Illinois. He also discussed the role of personal outreach in politics, recounting how conversations with his running mate, Aaron Del Mar, helped dispel rumors and misunderstandings from Del Mar’s past. “You’ve got to get the truth face-to-face,” Bailey said. “That’s how you build trust and move forward.”
Bailey says that part of that engagement is getting people to the ballot box. He expressed frustration at the lack of turnout in the 2022 election. “We are living in a constitutional republic,” he said. “If we want change, it starts by supporting people doing good work in our communities and holding the government accountable.”
Bailey also spoke one on one with several attendees about the regulatory challenges they face, particularly with scaling local products while ensuring compliance with state laws. “We want to help folks understand how to do this right,” Bailey said, noting that he wants to reduce unnecessary regulatory burdens that small producers often encounter. Bailey concluded the Riggston visit by praising local farmers, producers and small-business owners for their resilience and community focus.
The visit continued at the Waverly Grab ’n’ Grow Greenhouse, where Bailey met additional local producers and reiterated his commitment to policies that encourage small businesses and strengthen local economies. Bailey is one of six candidates vying for the Republican nomination for governor in the upcoming primary.
