November 21, 2003

Outstanding
Young Farmer & Rancher Contest

Rising Stars in Agriculture:
The Envelope Please...

Three young agricultural producers—one from Central Texas, one from the Texas Plains and one from West Texas—have emerged as finalists in Texas Farm Bureau's Outstanding Young Farmer & Rancher Contest.

The annual award, presented by the state's largest farm organization, honors the young leaders of agriculture and recognizes the hard work and determination required to succeed when starting out in the challenging business of agriculture. The winner will be named at the Texas Farm Bureau State Convention in Waco in December. Profiles can be found by clicking on each finalist's name.

Jay Davis of Grandview, Donnell Brown of Throckmorton, and Boyd Jackson of Lockney were chosen from an outstanding field of applicants from across Texas.


Davis, 32, preconditions and runs cattle on gain programs for customers, grows grain and forage, runs a trucking business, and a farm service store in his diversified operation with his wife, Laura, in Johnson County.

Jackson, 33, grows cotton, milo, seed corn, seed milo, wheat and cattle in Floyd County. He and his wife, Shanna, have three children.

Brown, 34, along with his wife, Kelli, runs a seedstock cattle and cattle genetics operation in Throckmorton County. The Browns are parents to two young sons.

The state winner and his spouse will receive the following awards: transportation, two nights lodging and meals to the Texas Farm Bureau Convention in Waco, Dec. 6-8, 2003; title to a 2004 Dodge Ram 3/4 ton 4x4 Quad Cab pickup with a Cummins diesel engine (Courtesy of SFB Casualty Insurance Co.); 150 hours use of a Case IH tractor (winner selects from a 40 PTO horsepower up to 155 PTO horsepower tractor two-wheel drive or MFD front wheel drive assist, courtesy of Case IH); plaque and belt buckle representative of award (Courtesy of Am-Pac); and $500 worth of crop protection chemicals (Courtesy of Syngenta); $500 Cash Award (Courtesy of Dodge Trucks).

The state winner and spouse will represent Texas in the American Farm Bureau Achievement Award competition. The national AFBF YF&R Achievement Award winner will receive a 2004 Dodge Ram 3500 Quad Cab 4x4 SLT pickup with a 5.9L 24-valve Cummins diesel engine.

The two runners-up and spouses will receive the following awards: transportation, two nights lodging and meals to the Texas Farm Bureau Convention in Waco, Dec. 6-8, 2003; complimentary use of a 2004 Dodge Quad Cab pickup from December 2003 through November 2004 (Courtesy of Dodge); plaque and belt buckle representative of award (Courtesy of Am-Pac); and a $100 gift certificate to Grainger Industrial Supply (Courtesy of Grainger).