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The Young Farm Couple and Young Farmer awards recognize successful farmers age 35 or younger for their achievements in the farming business and their leadership in the agricultural community. Kathy Ayers of Ashland County was named the state's Outstanding Young Farmer and Rob and Bobbi Vernon of Muskingum County were selected as the Outstanding Young Farm Couple. Ayers is the first woman to be named the top young farmer in Ohio.

The contestants are winners of their county competitions, and submit a written application to Ohio Farm Bureau. The applicants were judged on the basis of what they have accomplished, the progress they have made from when they started farming,

management ability, spouse’s role as a partner, and Farm Bureau and community leadership. It is the farmer’s progress, rather than total net worth, which is the major consideration.

Other finalists in the Young Farmer competition were Clark Emmons, Fulton County and Mark Stokes, Clinton County and in the Young Farm Couple contest, Nick and Lisa Heitz, Auglaize County; and Mark and Lorie Neal, Gallia County.

Ayers and the Vernons received HOW MUCH from Nationwide and a trip to the American Farm Bureau annual meeting in Reno, a $500 award from Dodge, a one-year subscription to DTN sponsored by Farm Credit Services, and a gold pen. Ayers is Ohio's representative in the American Farm Bureau achievement competition in Reno. As Ohio's representative, Ayers received one year or 400 hours use of an M-series Kubota tractor.

Kathy Ayers

Ayers works on the family dairy farm where she manages replacement heifers and coordinates with Ohio State University to facilitate on-site research projects. Ayers said the farm is in the top 2 percent of milk production in the state. She's been active in the Leadership Education And Development program, is a member of the county agricultural advisory board, and has been active in Ashland County Farm Bureau as agricultural ecology chair, scholastic farm tour co-chair and membership township captain.

"I enjoy Farm Bureau and other agricultural groups I'm in because I think we need to be out there promoting ourselves and selling ourselves to the community at large. The more we can interact with the community and let them know….we're interested in the same things they are, as far as environmental quality and water quality….I think that's a good thing."

Rob and Bobbi Vernon

The Vernons farm near Norwich and raise soybeans, corn, hay, cattle and sows. They also sell horses and have five brood mares. Both have been active in Muskingum County Farm Bureau as committee chairs will serve on the OFBF Young Farmer Committee next year. The Vernons are the parents of a 4-year-old son and gave birth to their second child, only three days after they were named the Outstanding Young Farm Couple.

"We take a lot of pride in raising our children on the farm and having the children out in the open air and around animals and learning good moral values that I think the farm really helps with," Bobbi said. She added that participating in the Outstanding Young Farmer Competition was a great way to see their accomplishments on the farm, and that it is an encouragement to them to keep farming.