Achievement Award Winners

You heard about Discussion Meet Winner Brad Bray's adventures in Atlanta.  Now meet the family who is the winner of the Young Farmer and Rancher Achievement Award!

Justin & Stephanie Oaks are from Sullivan County in District 2.  They live on a small farm near the town of Harris with 2 sons, Grant age 5, and 7 month old Kaden.  The family owns 70 acres and lease another 230 on which they raise row crops, hay, cattle, and hogs.  They rotate corn and soybeans on row crop acres, and have a commercial cow calf operation marketing yearling calves.  With a purebred and commercial farrow to finish hog operation, they sell purebred show pigs and breeding stock, and market commercial hogs for a substantial premium to Niman Ranch, a natural meat company. 

 

In addition to the farming operation, Stephanie is the Agriculture Instructor and FFA Advisor at Newtown-Harris R-3 School, and Justin is a sales representative for Pioneer Hi-Bred Seed.  In addition, Justin farms with Stephanie's parents on their 2,000 acre row crop operation, 125 head commercial cow herd, and custom grazing 100 cow calf pairs from spring through fall.  Justin also does the bookkeeping and accounting for their operation. 

 

The couple have been very involved in their community, which was a great asset in attaining the YF&R Achievement Award, including their services on the MO State YF&R Committee, Sullivan County Farm Bureau Board, Sullivan County Fair Board, North Central MO Regional Water Commission, and a wide variety of professional and business organizations.  Justin and Stephani are very proud to have represented their community, county, and MO Farm Bureau as this year's Achievement Award winners.  And we are proud to have them represent us.

 

 

So, let's talk about the weather!

Anyone else feeling six feet under... snow that is!  Weather, of course, is probably the most important aspect of a farmer's daily life.  One farmer I know keeps a calendar of all precipitation amounts written into each daily square.  Down to the hundredth of an inch.  How this helps I have no idea, but it seems to be vitally important.

Despite rain, snow, sleet or hail both the United States Postal Service and the American farmer can be found out in whatever elements mother nature sends our way.  And keeps sending our way.

Are you hauling hay?  Carrying feed over ice covered paths?  Using your tractor and blade to remove snow from your gravel road because it will take three days for the township to get all the way out to you?  I vividly remember as a child someone always needing to chop ice for the cows.  Actually, what I remember most is the time my brother cut his eye when ice flew up and smacked him in the face right before the 6th grade Christmas concert.  No problems though.  Dad stitched it up.

So what are you doing today?

Expect Delays

The snowy scene wasn't quite what anyone expected at the American Farm Bureau Annual Meeting, nor was being stranded in Atlanta for an extra day or so.  However, all's well that ends well, and our Missouri participants are safely home once more.


One of these snow-bound participants was Young Farmer and Rancher, Brad Bray.  Brad competed in December at the Missouri Farm Bureau Annual Meeting in the "Discussion Meet" and placed first among a highly competitive group of contestants. 


His reward?  $500 from the MFB Foundation for Agriculture, $500 from Dodge, and a year's free use (150 hour limit) of a Case-IH Farmall tractor!  Not to mention three nights lodging at the convention hotel in Atlanta for the national competition.  Who'd have guessed Brad would need four nights due to a disaster-stricken, snowed-in south!

With prizes like these, you're probably wondering what exactly a Discussion Meet is and how you can get in on it!  Well, participants are given five pre-selected topics to study.  At the meet one of the topics is selected and competitors discuss ideas, pros and cons, and information about the topics.  Judges select a winner.  This year's topics were:

1. Farm Bureau is the leading voice for agriculture but not the only voice. How do we encourage other agricultural groups to work together for the common good of our industry?
2. Government has always been involved in agriculture. Is the current level of government involvement a net hindrance or a net benefit to agriculture?
3. How will food movements such as “foodie” and “locavore,” which are focused primarily in urban centers, influence national agricultural production and federal programs?
4. Has technology become essential for American farmers? Should Farm Bureau influence and encourage all generations of farmers, ranchers and agriculturalists to embrace technological opportunities? 
5. Given recent challenges, such as volatile food prices and limited world food supplies, do American consumers adequately appreciate the importance of US-produced food? Will American consumers consider American agriculture important to our security in the future?

All Young Farmers and Ranchers are eligible for this competition.  Simply apply through your local Farm Bureau office in the fall.  And just so you know, next year's American Farm Bureau Annual Meeting is in Hawaii. 

I doubt there will be snow delays...

State Committee

Yikes!  The early bird registration discount for the YF&R Conference is Monday! Click here for the Registration Form, or here for the website.

And since its about that time, meet the second year committee members!

This year's State Committee Chairmen are Jason and Colleen Gerke from District 1. 

Jamie and Megan Gottman are from District 2.

Jason and Lacy Vandivort represent District 3.

Matt Moreland comes from District 4.

District 5 is represented by Derrick and Kristy Segelhorst.

Matt and Britt Graham hail from District 6.

Richard and Erinn Bollinger are committee members from District 7.

Jarrod and Krystal Simpson live in District 8.

Its About Time!

Farmers and Ranchers use technology every day.  iPhones to check markets, GPS to plant, spray, apply fertilizer, even Facebook to connect with colleagues.  But blogs, well, we've been a little behind the times.

Until now.

Welcome to the Missouri Farm Bureau YF&R blog.

Please come again.