Young Farmers & Ranchers Awards & Contests

Achievement Award

This contest seeks to recognize outstanding young farmers in our state for the growth and development of their farming operation, their leadership skills, their ingenuity, and their Farm Bureau involvement.

The Farm Bureau Achievement Award Program is designed to recognize those YF&R who have excelled in their farming or ranching operations and honed their leadership abilities to superiority. Each year, this award is presented to recognize Mississippi’s most outstanding young farmers for high achievement in agricultural production, management, and leadership. The contest is not based on size of the operation, but instead, the winner is selected by judging what the applicant is doing with the operation. This contest is designed to recognize young farmers who receive the majority of their income from their farming operation.

The contestants are evaluated on a combination of their farming operation growth and financial progress of operation, Farm Bureau leadership, as well as leadership outside of Farm Bureau. More specifically, the judges look for excellence in management, growth and scope of the enterprise and self-initiative that have been displayed throughout the operation.

Each MFBF Region is allowed to send one regional winner to compete in the state contest for a total of 8 state contestants. Anyone interested in participating should contact their Farm Bureau Regional Manager to obtain a copy of the contest rules and application.

State Winner Prizes

$40,000 credit toward the purchase of a new Ford vehicle courtesy of Southern Farm Bureau Casualty Insurance Company
250 hours of use of a Kubota tractor of winner’s choice courtesy of Kubota
100 hours of use of a John Deere tractor of winner’s choice up to 150 horsepower courtesy of John Deere
$1,800 cash toward the purchase of technological improvements to winner’s farm courtesy of Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation
$500 cash prize courtesy of Grey-Daniels Ford
Expense paid trip to compete in the American Farm Bureau Federation Young Farmers & Ranchers Achievement Award Contest

Regional Winner Prizes

$1,000 cash prize courtesy of Southern Farm Bureau Casualty Insurance Company
$500 cash prize courtesy of Southern AgCredit

Excellence in Agriculture Award

This contest seeks to recognize outstanding young agricultural professionals in our state for their dedication to agriculture, agricultural advocacy efforts, leadership skills, and Farm Bureau involvement. Participants are judged on their personal and professional involvement in agriculture, their impact upon the agricultural community, their perspective on current agricultural issues, and their participation in Farm Bureau and other organizations. The Excellence in Agriculture contest is designed to recognize young agriculture professionals who may have their own farming operations, but who make the majority of their income off the farm.

State Winner Prizes

Side-by-Side ATV courtesy of Southern Ag Credit
$1,000 cash prize courtesy of Southern Farm Bureau Casualty Insurance Company
Expense paid trip to compete in the American Farm Bureau Federation Young Farmers & Ranchers Excellence in Agriculture Award Contest

Regional Winners Prizes

$500 cash prize courtesy of Southern Farm Bureau Life Insurance Company
$200 Visa Gift Card courtesy of Mississippi Farm Bureau Casualty Insurance Company

Discussion Meet

The Discussion Meet is designed to simulate a committee meeting where, through discussion and the exchange of ideas, participants work together to find solutions for current ag issues from a list of predetermined topics. The Discussion Meet is a roundtable discussion, as opposed to a debate.

Participants build basic discussion skills, develop a keen understanding of important agricultural issues, and explore how groups can pool knowledge to reach consensus and solve problems. Successful participants are productive thinkers, rather than emotional persuaders, and assist the group in creating ways to implement the solutions discussed and highlight Farm Bureau’s involvement in those actions/steps.

Each MFBF Region is allowed to send two regional contestants to compete in the state contest, for a total of 16 state contestants. Anyone interested in participating should contact their Farm Bureau Regional Manager to obtain a copy of the contest rules, application, and discussion meet questions.

State Winner Prizes

Four-Wheeler courtesy of Southern Farm Bureau Life Insurance Company
$500 cash prize courtesy of Gray-Daniels Ford
$500 cash prize courtesy of Southern AgCredit
Expense paid trip to compete in the American Farm Bureau Federation Young Farmers & Ranchers Discussion Meet Contest

Final Round Finalists Prizes

$250 cash prize courtesy of Southern AgCredit

All Participants Prizes

$100 cash prize courtesy of Southern AgCredit

Collegiate Discussion Meet

The Collegiate Discussion Meet competitive event simulates a committee meeting where discussion and active participation are expected from each participant. This competition is evaluated on an exchange of ideas and information on a pre-determined topic. Participants build basic discussion skills, develop a keen understanding of important agricultural issues and explore how groups can pool knowledge to reach consensus and solve problems. The Collegiate Discussion Meet is open to students enrolled in a Mississippi college or university.

State Winner Prizes

$2,000 scholarship courtesy of Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation Young Farmers & Ranchers Scholarship Foundation
Yeti Cooler or Visa Gift Card courtesy of Mississippi Farm Bureau Insurance Company
Expense paid trip to compete in the American Farm Bureau Federation Young Farmers & Ranchers Discussion Meet Contest

Final Round Finalists (excluding the contest winner) Prizes

$500 scholarship courtesy of Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation Young Farmers & Ranchers Scholarship Foundation

All Participants Prizes

$25 Visa Gift Card or cash prize courtesy of Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation
Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation t-shirt

2022 Collegiate Discussion Meet Handbook & Application
2022 Collegiate Discussion Meet Flyer

For more information about any of the above awards and contests, contact Young Farmers & Ranchers Coordinator Samantha Laird at slaird@msfb.org or 601-573-7913.