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Take a walk down memory lane with some of our Young Agricultural Professionals contest winners from years past. What are they up to now, and how did winning that contest influence the trajectory of their lives in the farming industry?

1980 Outstanding Young Farm Couple: Richard & Peggy Flax

Being chosen as the 1980 Outstanding Young Farm Couple to represent Ohio at the Farm Bureau annual meeting in New Orleans was an exhilarating experience! Not only did it afford us an opportunity to travel and meet other young farm couples from across the USA, but it helped us to realize the importance of the agriculture industry beyond our own Clark County farm.

When we married in 1973 following college, we moved to the Flax family farm, and Richard immediately began farming with his father. He rapidly moved into a management position as his father pursued other interests. In 1987, the farm operation was split between brothers.

We continued farming, expanding our crop production with land purchases and additional rented acres over the years. Our livestock enterprise evolved from a beef feeding operation to a commercial hog operation in the late ‘90s,which we continued until 2019. Our farm now operates as a crop farm raising both corn and soybeans in partnership with son Kevin.

Over the years, Richard has taken a leadership role in a variety of agriculture organizations including Farm Bureau and the Ohio Corn Marketing Board Countrymark Cooperative.

Both of us have been involved as 4-H advisors and in our church. Richard currently serves on the local Port Authority and is church treasurer. Peggy taught for several years while keeping her role as a farm wife and mother as her top priority.

It has been a privilege to raise our children, Greg, Melanie, Cindy and Kevin, on the farm where they were instilled with Christian values and a strong work ethic. All four attended Ohio State, as we did, with three pursuing degrees in agriculture. Our eight grandchildren are all between the ages of 17 and 21. Two of them are currently enrolled in agriculture degree programs at Ohio State.

As we look toward retirement, our hope is that our farm will continue as a viable farm business and provide current and future generations with the opportunity to prosper as they experience the farm lifestyle with which we have been blessed.

1992 Discussion Meet Winner: John Davis

The thought of trying to fit events from the last 35 years seemed to be a daunting task for me until I realized there are a few events that rise to the top very easily. The year I won the Discussion Meet contest would seem to be a highlight for the year, however in June of that year I married my best friend, Jill.

Winning the contest gave us the opportunity to travel to Anaheim, California, to compete on the national level. We both graduated from The Ohio State University that same year and moved back to the farm in Delaware where I grew up. We were not sure what exactly what we were going to do concerning the farm: Jill was working as an account executive for ABN Radio and TV, and I was trying to continue to farm.

Opportunities come to all of us, and ours happened to be via a neighbor who decided he was no longer going to continue farming, and we were able to rent a good number of acres which allowed me to stay home and farm. Jill and I have since started a partnership in 2011 with my parents: Gar Mar Farms. We have two sons Luke and Cole. Luke is a systems engineer with Case IH, and Cole has come back to the farming operation after graduating from Ohio State.

2015 Discussion Meet Winner: Elizabeth Long

While preparing for the Discussion Meet in 2015, I reached out to someone I viewed as an industry expert—never imagining that connection would turn into a lifelong partnership. I later married my husband, who owns a livestock sale barn, which opened the door for me to learn an entirely new side of the livestock industry.

Through that experience, I’ve become involved in supporting county fairs and working as a packer when purchasing animals. Professionally, these experiences have helped me grow in confidence and strengthened my ability to lead and contribute to meaningful conversations within agriculture.

Making it to the Sweet 16 at the AFBF event was incredibly humbling. More than the recognition, it meant having the opportunity to represent Ohio agriculture and advocate for an industry I’m deeply passionate about. It reinforced the importance of sharing agriculture’s story clearly, confidently and with pride.