Three young professionals from across the Lone Star State—one from South Texas, one from the Coastal Bend and one from Central Texas—have made their mark with Texas farmers and ranchers as finalists in the 2009 Excellence in Agriculture (EIA) Award contest.

The Texas Farm Bureau EIA Award recognizes young men and women who are involved in agriculture but do not earn their primary income directly from their own farm or ranch enterprises.

Despite that fact, however, these finalists play a vital role to production agriculture by actively contributing and growing with the state’s largest farm organization and producers in their respective areas.

This year’s EIA finalists are Cody Fry of Armstrong, Whit Weems of DeLeon and Rachel Williams of Boling. The winner will be named at the Texas Farm Bureau state convention in Fort Worth, Dec. 5-7.

Fry, 34, is the manager of the Armstrong Ranch in Kenedy County, where he lives and works with his wife, Rebecca, and their two daughters.

Weems, 31, is the Texas AgriLife Extension Service agent for Comanche County. He and his wife, Mandy, have one daughter.

Williams, 30, is president and founder of Ranch House Designs, a full service advertising and graphic design firm that specializes in agricultural advertising and website design.

The EIA winner will receive an Arctic Cat 500 four-wheeler, courtesy of Southern Farm Bureau Life Insurance Company; and a $500 cash award from Dodge. Runners-up receive a new pair of Justin boots from Justin Brands Inc.; and a $200 power tool from Grainger Industrial Supply.

All three finalists also receive an expense-paid trip (transportation, meals and accommodations) to the TFB state convention in Fort Worth. The state winner will also represent Texas nationally in January 2010 at the American Farm Bureau Federation’s annual convention in Seattle, Wash.