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The Young Ag Professionals Excellence in Agriculture Award competition gives young farmers and ranchers an opportunity to earn recognition, while actively contributing and growing through their involvement in Farm Bureau and agriculture. The ideal candidate for the Excellence in Agriculture Award is an individual or couple age 24-34 who does not have the majority of his/her gross income subject to normal production risk. 

Competitors must complete the online application, and after the judges’ evaluation in early January, the top three finalists will be invited to participate in a 25-minute presentation on-site at the Young Ag Professionals Winter Leadership Experience, Feb. 7-8, 2025 in Sandusky, Ohio.

Deadline to apply: Dec. 20, 2024 at 5 p.m.

Eligibility

• Applicant(s) should be a voting Farm Bureau member(s) between the ages of 18 and 35 in good standing with his/her county Farm Bureau. The individual or spouse/spousal-equivalent should reach his/her 18th birthday at the time he/she qualifies for the state competition and should not reach his/her 36th birthday by the completion of the national competition. Competitors qualify at the time the state application is submitted and the completion of the national competition is the day awards are given out (Monday, Jan. 12, 2026).
  
• Applicant(s) must not have derived a majority of his/her gross income from an owned production agriculture enterprise in any of the past three years.
• Applicant(s) may only compete in one state YAP competition per year.
• The YAP State Committee Class of 2025 that is retiring is eligible to apply.
• Members of the Ohio Farm Bureau Board of Trustees are eligible to apply for this award.

Ineligibile: Current employees or agents of county, state, and/or the American Farm Bureau organizations and their affiliates are not eligible to compete. An affiliate is defined as an entity owned or controlled in whole or in part by another entity through, for example, ownership (including partial ownership) or positions on the board of directors. Past employees and interns who were responsible for implementing any of the YF&R competitive events at the state or national level are ineligible. Past and present members of the AFBF YF&R Committee may not apply. Previous AFBF Excellence in Agriculture Award competitors are not eligible to compete.

Prizes

Thanks to the support of Nationwide and Farm Credit Mid-America, the award winner receives a complimentary trip to the American Farm Bureau Convention to compete at the national level, an all inclusive trip to the YAP Winter Leadership Experience and a $3,000 Invest in YOU prize.

Thanks to the generosity of Ohio Harness Horsemen’s Association and Ohio Soybean Council, finalists for the award receive an Ohio Farm Bureau jacket and complimentary registration to the YAP Winter Leadership Experience.

Deadline to apply: Dec. 20, 2024, at 5 p.m.

Questions about the contest may be sent to [email protected]

Photo caption: 2024 Excellence in Agriculture winner Sara Tallmadge from Ashland County.