Young Farmers & Ranchers Competitive Events

Competitive events offer unique opportunities for Young Farmers & Ranchers (YF&R) members to learn about the New York Farm Bureau while earning recognition and prizes. These activities are a great way to learn, network and have fun. YF&R members may participate in these competitive events if they are 18-35 years of age.

Application forms are due July 17, 2022.

The Achievement Award

Are you striving to assemble the best agricultural enterprise you can? Are you working toward excellence in the areas of personal growth and leadership development?

This award highlights young Farm Bureau members’ efforts in production agriculture and leadership achievement. Participants are involved in production agriculture with a majority of their income subject to normal production risks. Competitors are judged on their farm operation and growth, the financial progress of their operation and their Farm Bureau and community leadership.

Click here to learn more about the Achievement Award (AA) – This video session reviewed the Achievement Award contest: eligibility and revised content of the application. Tips on completing the application were shared.

The 2022 NYFB YF&R Achievement Award application must be completed and submitted using the Reviewr on-line platform.

The application link is: https://my.reviewr.com/site/NYFBYoungFarmers&Ranchers_Award2022

After creating an account in Reviewr, the applicant will log in and begin the application. The applicant can stop, save,restart, and edit their application anytime before the submission is due by logging into their Reviewr account.

Applications must be completed and submitted by 11:59 P.M. on July 17, 2022.

Here is a copy of the on-line application and eligibility information which you can review to see what is required on the application and how it will be judged.

                         Achievement Award Application                Achievement Award Eligibility                  Achievement Award Judging Rubric

The Discussion Meet

Do you enjoy discussing agriculture issues with fellow farmers? Do you like to express your ideas to help develop a solution?

This is an activity designed to build crucial skills in young, active farmers. By participating, Young Farmers and Ranchers members 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. Farm Bureau's strength depends on its members’ abilities to analyze agricultural issues and deciding on solutions that best meet their needs. Annually, the NYFB YF&R Program also sponsors a Collegiate Discussion Meet contest.

To learn more about the event, click here to watch a video recording featuring NYFB YF&R Chair Christina Hudson Kohler.

Available contest information (links below):

• Discussion Meet Eligibility
• Discussion Meet Registration Form (download the form, complete it and then click the submit button)
• Discussion Meet Manual
• Discussion Meet Score Sheet & Rubric
• Discussion Meet Topics/Questions
• Discussion Meet Best Practices
• training call schedule 

The Excellence in Agriculture Award

This award spotlights young Farm Bureau members who are agricultural enthusiasts but have not earned a majority of their income from an owned production agriculture enterprise in any of the past three years, who are evaluated on their understanding of agricultural issues, leadership experiences and achievement.

Click here to learn more about the Excellence in Agriculture Award (EAA) – This video session reviewed the Excellence in Agriculture Award contest: eligibility and content of the application. Past NYFB EAA winner, Eileen Jensen shared tips on completing the application and presentation.

The 2022 NYFB YF&R Excellence in Agriculture Award application must be completed and submitted using the Reviewr on-line platform.

The application link is: https://my.reviewr.com/site/NYFBYoungFarmers&Ranchers_Award2022

After creating an account in Reviewr, the applicant will log in and begin the application. The applicant can stop, save,restart, and edit their application anytime before the submission is due by logging into their Reviewr account.

Applications must be completed and submitted by 11:59 P.M. on July 17, 2022.

Here is a copy of the on-line application and eligibility information which you can review to see what is required on the application and how it will be judged.

                         Excellence in Agriculture Award Application

                         Excellence in Agriculture Award Eligibility 

                         Excellence in Agriculture Award Application Rubric

                         Excellence in Agriculture Award Presention Rubric

Competitive Event Prizes

The New York winners of each of these contests advance to the national level to compete in the American Farm Bureau Federation contests. The national winner of each of these competitions holds the coveted title of the best of the best. In addition, there is an impressive list of prizes that will be awarded. The national awards will be announced soon.

For the 2022 NYFB Achievement Award winner, Kubota Tractor Corporation provided up to 250 hours maximum free use of a M-Series Tractor. The loan period may not extend past December 15, 2023.