Jones County Young Farmers and Ranchers Clay Shoot Aims to Benefit Students, Future of Agriculture

Aiming with a purpose, shooting for the future. Nearly 200 participants took their best shot on the Bar Three Range outside of Laurel. Of course, the goal is to hit the target every time.

Some more successful than others. Still, with the number of teams growing every year, this clay shooting event looks to make a big impact on more than just clay pigeons.

 “Just something to give back to the youth of Jones County.  It is a Jones County specific scholarship,” said Seth Walters, Jones County YF&R Committee and organizer. “There are designations for those entering an Ag sector.  It’s not limited to Ag majors, but just to kind of reinvest in the younger generation coming up in the Ag profession.”

In 2025, shooters drove in from surrounding counites for a little fun, food, and fellowship with money raised helping the Jones County Young Farmers and Ranchers Scholarship fund. The first two events raised enough to support 12 scholarships. On this day, organizers expect to outpace those years combined.

“This is the biggest year so far and they’ve already given out some sixteen, seventeen thousand dollars in scholarships thus far.  So, I hope they continue to do well in the years to come,” said Joey Bradshaw, Jones County Farm Bureau Board President-elect.

For past scholarship winners like Tripp McGee, a participant this year, he says he appreciates the investment in his future.

 “It’s a weight off everybody’s mind, just one less thing we have to worry about going to this new chapter of life, you know getting out of high school going into college.  So, it’s a big step,”  said Tripp McGee, Jones County scholarship recipient.

Even though the main goal is to help students like McGee, this also encourages members to get out in their community and be the voice of agriculture for farming and Farm Bureau while also growing the future of Mississippi’s number one industry.

“A big thing about that is it’s not a one time, you know, one meeting kind of thing,” said Walters.  “It’s several months in the making and I think it does a good job of helping some of the member benefits, as well as the differentiation in between like insurance and Federation, and you kind of get to describe that to people, let them know what the difference is when they ask about it so.”

“It’s exciting.  It gives us hope for the future for these other young farmers,” said Bradshaw.  “There’s so many young ones that’s not involved in farming these days, so it does give us hope for our future.”