This issue, North Carolina Farm Bureau Magazine profiles the three finalists for the annual YF&R Achievement Award, which is presented during the organization’s annual meeting.

John Allen

John Allen, 34, of Iredell County, runs a tree-farming operation alongside his parents, and is an agriculture speaker and advocate. He also completed NCFB’s Candidate School in 2008 and helped manage a friend’s political campaign.

“Politics and lobbying are of great importance to me,” he says. “At the local, state and federal levels, I have spoken in public forums, to elected officials and regulatory agencies about issues that affect agriculture through Farm Bureau and as president of my State Nursery and Landscape Association.”
Allen graduated from N.C. State University in 1996 with honors and planned to teach biology, but chose farming instead. He has helped his family farm expand from 80 acres in 1996 to 350 acres today.

Allen patented two new varieties of River Birch trees, Summer Cascade and Shiloh Splash, which are licensed for growth in the U.S., Japan, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. Allen sends half of the patent royalties to the Tree Breeding program at his alma mater.

Allen also grew Japanese cherry trees for the Washington Monument project.

He is active in his church and its youth group, and is a volunteer firefighter.

Brent and Sue Leggett

Brent, 33, and Sue Leggett, 28, from Nash County, own and operate Leggett Farms and Airport U-Pick Strawberry Farm.

Neither Brent nor Sue comes from a farming background, and they are self-made.

“A factor that has been crucial to the start up and growth of our farming operation is our willingness to take risk, and having an entrepreneurial spirit,” they say.

Their next venture is a retail farm market with educational tours open from spring to winter.

They started farming part-time in 2003, and now their 30-acre sweet potato farm has grown to 2,000 acres of row crops and vegetables. Sweet potatoes are still their biggest crop, and in 2007 they began raising certified sweet potato seed.

“This is a very involved enterprise,” they say. “It begins with having specialized greenhouses, in which first generation sweet potato plants are micropropagated.”

They say becoming shareholders in a top 100 rated produce company and in a cotton gin has increased their profitability.

The Leggetts have a son, Colin, 1, and are active in Farm Bureau and their church.

Jason and Robin Starnes

Jason Starnes, 31, and his wife, Robin, 23, of Rowan County are finalists for the second year in a row. He and his father grow corn, soybeans and wheat and raise beef cattle and poultry at Four S Farms, LLC.

Starnes says they are now adding precision farming practices to increase productivity.

“We know that in agriculture today efficiency and timeliness are two key ingredients to our success,” he says.

Jason oversees the farm’s new poultry operation, crop production and precision agriculture technology. He also stays busy with their popular hay operation.

Jason says he and Robin, a paralegal, care about their community and use their free time to tend neighbors’ yards.

“I believe that farmers need to be active in their local organizations, but not to the point that you sacrifice time with family and friends,” he says.

Jason and Robin have been married for two years. They teach Sunday School and are active in their community and in Farm Bureau countywide and statewide.

This past year, the couple started Rowan County Farm Bureau’s Young Farmers & Ranchers group.

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Young Farmers Open Doors to New Worlds

Attaining knowledge can be likened to knocking open a door to a new world.

One way young farmers can force their way through the doors that might block their paths to greater prosperity includes the garnering of new knowledge through the experience of networking with participants of North Carolina Farm Bureau’s Young Farmers and Ranchers program.

New opportunities for social interaction and friendly competition are provided each year when young farmers vie for success in NCFB’s Achievement, Excellence in Agriculture and Discussion Meet competitions.

Did We Mention Prizes?
In addition to good company, new ideas and social interaction among peers, winners of various YF&R competitions at both the state and national levels receive several nice prizes.

Winners of NCFB’s Achievement, Excellence in Agriculture and Discussion Meet competitions receive an expense paid trip for themselves and their spouses to the 90th Annual American Farm Bureau Federation Convention in San Antonio, Texas.

In Texas, AFBF’s Achievement Award winner will receive a 2009 Dodge Ram 3500 pickup truck.
The winner also receives paid registration to the AFBF YF&R Leadership Conference to be held in Sacramento, Ca., in 2009. Four state runners-up will also receive prizes, which have yet to be determined.

The AFBF Discussion Meet winner will receive a 2009 Dodge Ram 2500 pickup truck. The winner of this competition will receive complimentary registration for the YF&R leadership conference in Sacramento. Finalists will also receive valuable prizes.

The winner of the AFBF Excellence in Agriculture award will take home a 2009 Dodge Ram 1500 pickup truck and finalists for the national prize will also receive significant awards.

North Carolina Prizes
During NCFB’s 73rd Annual Convention to be held in Greensboro in December, the Achievement Award and Discussion Meet winners will each receive an ATV or equivalent in prizes and gifts, as well as $500 from Dodge. Runners-up in the two categories will each receive $500. The Excellence in Agriculture state winner will receive $500 from NCFB and $500 from Dodge, while runners-up will each receive $200.

Collegiate Discussion Meet
The winner of NCFB’s college-level Discussion Meet will receive $500 and a trip to the AFBF YF&R Leadership Conference in Sacramento. Runners-up will receive $100.

CASWELL COUNTY Farm Bureau members Donna Ligon and Jennifer Cook recently represented Farm Bureau at Aging with Gusto, a seniors’ event at the Caswell County Civic Center. Ligon and Cook distributed 150 Farm Bureau bags containing membership information, farm safety information, scratch pads and other items. Ligon and Georgie Holden also gave out information about Ag in the Classroom, lesson plans and Farm Bureau bags containing notepads and brochures during the Caswell County Schools Benefits Fair.

In other activity…Caswell County Farm Bureau recently hosted Congressman Brad Miller. The congressman talked with farmers about their concerns regarding national legislative matters. Also, Caswell County Farm Bureau held a Member Appreciation Day, where they served refreshments and hosted almost 50 guests.

CLAY COUNTY Farm Bureau was a main sponsor of the county’s Tractor Parade, Sept. 27. The parade, organized by the Clay County Tractor Club, featured 76 tractors of all models and years, the oldest being a 1933 model and the newest a 2008 model. The $20 entry fee for the tractors went to a Hayesville High School Scholarship fund. An estimated 1,500 spectators, including State Sen. John Snow, attended the parade, where they were given the chance to look at and ask about the tractors, as well as pose for pictures on them. The parade generated $3,500 for the scholarship fund.

DAVIE COUNTY Farm Bureau and the Davie County Cooperative Extension Service sponsored a Weights and Measures Seminar at the Davie County Public Library recently. Eighty-five people attended the event and said they learned much and appreciated Farm Bureau for offering it to them.

DARE COUNTY Farm Bureau held a Dessert Hospitality Hour for Farm Bureau members from Western North Carolina. During their visit, they toured a local fish company, Jockey’s Ridge State Park, Wright Memorial State Park and attended an outdoor theater production of The Lost Colony. The event was held at the Dare County Farm Bureau office in Manteo and a variety of desserts were served.

DUPLIN COUNTY Farm Bureau presented scholarships of $1,000 each to Tiffany Young, who won a scholarship for the third year, and James Hunter Frederick, the 2008 scholarship recipient. Both students attend N.C. State University. Duplin County Farm Bureau President Dexter Edwards made the award presentations.

In other activity…the Women’s Committee prepared a meal for board members to raise money for the R. Flake Shaw Scholarship.

FRANKLIN COUNTY Farm Bureau, along with Time Warner, the Franklin County United Way and Cooperative Extension Service, co-sponsored the 14th Annual Agriculture Field Day Thursday, Sept. 18 at Riverbend Park in Louisburg. About 800 third-graders attended the event, where exhibits created awareness of animal agriculture and showcased the importance of this industry in everyday life. Farmers who helped teach were Bill Wallace, New Light Angus Farm; Maxine Mosley, JaMaLa Farm; Warren Harris, Harris Farm; Carvel Cheves, Clover C Farm; Deborah Perry, Dream Llama Farm; Yevette Green, Cedar Meadow Farm; and Mike Jones, Mae Farm.

PENDER COUNTY Farm Bureau member Calvin (Cal) Lewis Jr. is the recipient of the 2008 Department of Horticultural Science Outstanding Alumnus Award. The award is given yearly by the Department of Horticultural Science at N.C. State University. A 1977 graduate of N.C. State University, Lewis grew up on a family farm that specializes in strawberries, strawberry plants, blueberries and vegetable production. A reception to honor Lewis was hosted by the Department of Horticultural Science at N.C. State University, Oct. 3.

STOKES COUNTY Farm Bureau’s Board of Directors voted to issue a $20 check to every participant in the Northwest Junior Livestock Show and Sale at the Dixie Classic Fairgrounds in Winston-Salem. Jordan Rawlings bought the winner.

WAKE COUNTY Farm Bureau presented Alexis Anne Brogden, of Wake Forest, with a $1,000 scholarship during the September board meeting. County President Jackie Thompson made the presentation to Brogden, who graduated from Wake Forest-Rolesville High School and is now a freshman at N.C. State University.

In other activity…Belinda Evans, along with Shirley and Fred Burt, participated in Safety Day at Wal-Mart in Fuquay-Varina. They used the Safety in the Sun display board, and Willy was there to help them give out sunscreen, sun-safety pamplets and books and stickers for children.

In Memory Of
Marie Joyner, former North Carolina Farm Bureau State Women’s Committee chair and a member of the State Board of Directors from 1987 till 1990. She was also the first chair of Nash County Farm Bureau’s Women’s Committee and was still serving in that role at the time of her passing. She is the wife of Warnell Joyner, former Nash County Farm Bureau president and state board member. She will be remembered as a true friend and dedicated volunteer, and our hearts go out to Mr. Joyner, the Joyner family and Nash County Farm Bureau.

NORTH CAROLINA Farm Bureau Federation held its Leadership, Education and Activity Development (LEAD) Program Conference, Sept.18-20 in Durham. LEAD is a leadership development program designed to develop and strengthen the skills of individuals and couples (ages 36-52) who are involved in agriculture. The three-day conference included guest speakers from American Farm Bureau Federation and North Carolina Farm Bureau, a trip to the UNC-CH School of Government and workshops on a variety of topics, such as farm liability issues and their problems and solutions, and understanding N.C. county governments.

BLADEN COUNTY Farm Bureau Board Member Danny McDuffie (center) and his son Dan (right) received this year’s Peanut Yield Champions Award from Bob Sutter with the N.C. Peanut Growers Association. In addition to winning on the county level, the McDuffies were also awarded the North Carolina State Yield Award. The McDuffie’s average yield for the 2007 growing season was 5,700 pounds per acre, which is an accolade to their farming and production practices.

In other activity…The Bladen County Farm Bureau Women’s Committee donated photosynthesis promenade kits to county schools. Denise White, left, is shown here teaching her class using the kit. Students enjoyed the kits and learned about agriculture.

CARTERET COUNTY Farm Bureau awarded two scholarships of $500 each to Amber Nead and Hannah Mical.

In other activity…Carteret County Farm Bureau recently hosted a two-day meeting of the N.C. Department of Public Instruction. The county provided refreshments for breakfast, afternoon snacks, and the use of its county board meeting room in the Beaufort office.

CARTERET COUNTY Farm Bureau President Mickey Simmons was awarded a plaque “in recognition, appreciation and support for reading in the schools of North Carolina.”

CASWELL COUNTY Farm Bureau member Von “Mac” Baldwin, a beef and poultry farmer from Yanceyville, was recently named the 2008 North Carolina winner of the Swisher Sweets/Sunbelt Expo Southeastern Farmer of the Year award. He is one of 10 finalists for the Southeastern Farmer of the Year Award, which will be announced Oct. 14 at the Sunbelt Ag Expo farm show in Moultrie, Ga.

Baldwin has more than 400 grass-fed Charolais cows, which he sells through his Web site, www.baldwinbeef.com, at Whole Foods stores in North and South Carolina and at the Carrboro Farmers Market. Caswell County Farm Bureau President Hester Vernon nominated Baldwin for the award because of his active participation in Farm Bureau and other agricultural activities.

In other activity…Caswell County Farm Bureau participated in “Aging with Gusto,” a seminar for senior citizens held June 11 at the Caswell County Civic Center. Farm Bureau representatives handed out 120 bags containing information about member services to the more than 100 seniors and other vendors in attendance.

CHOWAN COUNTY Farm Bureau members recently took part in a Farm Safety Day at the Chowan County Recreation Department in Tyner. About 300 third-through-fifth-graders from D.F. Walker Elementary School attended the event. The schoolchildren visited a variety of booths and learned ways to stay safe when dealing with combines and tractors, lawn mowers, fire, RVs, chemicals, bad weather and water. Willy the Safety Squirrel was on hand to greet the children as they arrived and passed out coloring books, crayons, safety tattoos and stickers.

CUMBERLAND COUNTY Farm Bureau held a water quality meeting June 3 at the Charlie Rose Center. Twenty-six people from several counties attended. Cumberland County Farm Bureau’s YF&R Committee sponsored the meeting.

DARE COUNTYFarm Bureau’s Board of Directors and special guests feasted on a fresh seafood dinner, which included soft shell crabs that were hauled in by veteran board member Edward Etheridge earlier in the day. The group gathered to congratulate Thomas Pratt-Lozupone on receiving a $1,000 scholarship from the county Farm Bureau to be used toward his expenses at N.C. State University.

EDGECOMBE COUNTY Farm Bureau awarded five $1,000 scholarships to local high school students. The scholarship recipients were: Matthew Drake, son of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Drake of Pinetops; Caroline Pilgreen, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James T. Pilgreen of Whitakers; Jacob Pearce, son of Mr. and Mrs. James Pearce of Tarboro; Eric Parker, son of Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Parker of Rocky Mount; and Michele Smith, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Kent Smith of Rocky Mount. Drake, Pilgreen, Pearce and Smith all plan to attend N.C. State University in the fall. Parker will attend N.C. A & T State University.

FRANKLIN COUNTY Farm Bureau and the United Way co-sponsored the 14th Annual Ag Field Day Tuesday, Sept. 16 at Riverbend Park. Every third-grader in the county was invited to attend the event, which offered a morning of hands-on experiences with agricultural life.

Top row, from left, Farm Bureau’s Kay Sims was on hand as Franklin County Farm Bureau’s Vice-President Steve Nelms presented a contribution on behalf of Farm Bureau and United Way to event planner Martha Mobley. United Way’s Priscilla Henderson is pictured far right. On hand for the check presentation were the children of Farm Bureau members Alyssa and Matthew Dorsey, who operate Bahemah Angus Farm in Louisburg. They are, from left, Micah, Leah, Anna and Silas.

MECKLENBURG COUNTY Farm Bureau Board Members Johnny and Shelby Wallace picked up an award for Wallace Farm in Huntersville at the Charlotte Business Journal’s Green Awards. The event took place April 16 at the Charlotte Convention Center. Wallace Farm, along with Linda Construction and R.T. Dooley, was presented the Green Entrepreneurial Effort/Innovative Idea award. The program was sponsored by the Charlotte Business Journal and the Charlotte chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council.

NASH COUNTY Farm Bureau former board of director’s member Elmer Daniel received a certificate naming him an Honorary Director. County President Greg Bunn presented Daniel with the certificate and a plaque “In Appreciation and Honor” of his service during a directors’ meeting April 3 in Nashville. Daniel joined the Farm Bureau in 1947 and served on the board of directors from 1961 to 2007. He also served as a county commissioner and on the board of Nash General Hospital.

American Farm Bureau Federation’s American Farm Bureau Federation’s Foundation for Agriculture awarded North Carolina teacher Sandra Hatley with a $1,200 White-Reinhardt Fund for Education scholarship to attend the National Agriculture in the Classroom conference in Costa Mesa, CA.

Hatley was one of 10 teachers recognized for outstanding efforts to promote agricultural literacy. American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture sponsored the awards in cooperation with the AFBF Women’s Leadership Committee.

RICHMOND COUNTY Farm Bureau Board Member Myers Waddell and his wife, Earlene, participated in Washington Street School’s N.C. Heritage Day, June 6. Mrs. Waddell spoke to nine classes of fourth-graders about North Carolina agriculture and how people farmed in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The students learned about the many different commodities produced by N.C. farmers, such as chicken, turkey, cotton, tobacco and corn. Afterward, Mr. and Mrs. Waddell presented each class with donated Frisbees.

RUTHERFORD COUNTY Farm Bureau recently awarded scholarships to three students starting college this fall. Tiffany Brown, of Rutherfordton, is a graduate of Chase High School and is the daughter of Michael and Kathy Brown. She will attend N.C. State University and will receive $1,000 per semester for four years. Haley Lovelace, of Bostic, is a graduate of East Rutherford High School and is the daughter of Ronald and Debora Lovelace. She will also attend NCSU and will receive $1,000 per semester for four years. Tramell Forney, of Union Mills, is a graduate of R-S Central High School and the son of Tramell and Sandra Forney. He will attend N.C. A&T State University in Greensboro and will receive $1,000 per semester for four years.

STANLY COUNTY Farm Bureau held a Member Appreciation Day May 31 at the local Farm Bureau office.

Georgia and Michael, the children of Andrew and Ashley Burleson, milk a cow at Member Appreciation Day.

WARREN COUNTY Farm Bureau’s Board of Directors held its Second Annual Legislative Dinner recently. Among the 60 attendees at the event were four of the five county commissioners, farm advisers from the Washington, D.C. offices of U.S. Sen. Richard Burr and U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole, N.C. Rep. Michael Wray and N.C. Sen. Doug Berger.

In other activity…Women’s Committee members participated in the National Education Association’s Read Across America this spring at Mariam Boyd Elementary School in Warrenton. They served refreshments and lunch to 35 teachers at a workshop co-led by Pat Riethmier, local N.C. Teacher of the Year for Ag in the Classroom. In April, the group visited the Ronald McDonald House in Chapel Hill and donated $200 in supplies and home-based goodies. Women’s Committee members also sponsored local Relay for Life activities.

Also…The board of directors focused on community aid this year and donated $700 to the local 4-H for the spring five-county livestock show and sale. They also donated $5,000 to a Jaycees fundraiser for a local Farm Bureau member, a dairy farmer, who was involved in a farm accident.

And…The board of directors awarded $1,000 scholarships to high school seniors Lauren Lesas and Lindsay Varnadore. The scholarships are renewable for three years as long as the students continue to major in an agriculture-related field and maintain a specific GPA. The board awarded one-time $500 scholarships to seven other worthy students majoring in a variety of fields.

WAYNE COUNTY Farm Bureau Board of Directors sponsored a team in the 2008 Wayne County Relay For Life May 16 and 17 on the Wayne Community College campus in Goldsboro. Activities were held throughout the year to raise money for the annual American Cancer Society event.

The team’s theme for its tent at the relay was “Sowing Seeds for a Cure.” The group paid tribute to team members who were cancer survivors. They encouraged event-goers to pay tribute to loved ones who either survived or succumbed to battles with cancer by sowing a seed in a planter and writing their loved one’s name on a paper flower.

In its rookie year, the team, through its fund-raising efforts, donations and corporate sponsorships raised $6,500.

“I am so proud of all the hard work that our team members and volunteers have put in to make our first year participating in the Relay a success,” said team captain Amy Shivar. “On behalf of the Wayne County Farm Bureau Relay For Life team, I would like to thank everyone who has donated to this event.”