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MICHIGAN FARM BUREAU
YOUNG FARMER
ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Rules for the 2012 MFB Annual Meeting Competitive Event
PURPOSE
The Young Farmer Achievement Award is a program designed to recognize successful young
Farm Bureau members for outstanding achievement in the business of farming and leadership
in the agricultural community.
Hard work, intelligent planning, development of management, and leadership skills lead to
success in the business of farming. Success needs to be recognized. Recognizing
successful young farmers not only pays tribute to the individual, it also draws attention to the
entire field of farming. It brings the importance of agriculture into focus. It emphasizes the
need for highly efficient farm operations and leaders to help agriculture satisfy the basic needs
of all people.
WE HAVE YOUR CONFIDENTIALITY IN MIND
Because of the business basis of this award, some of the information requested on the state
entry form is of a confidential nature. Therefore, we have taken every precaution to see that
confidential information remains confidential and that only the state judges will see it.
When the entry arrives in Lansing, it will be opened by the secretary of the Young Farmer
Department, and will not be read. The secretary will immediately separate the identification
page from the entry form and assign it a code number known only to her. The same code
number will be put on the identification page for matching up after judging. The entry form
and identification page will be placed in separate, private files.
The file containing the coded entry forms, without the identification page, will be turned over to
the judges. Judges will be impartial, well qualified individuals with a good knowledge of farm
management, economics, and leadership activities.
The judges will select the four winning entries. The names of the winners will not be known
until after the judges have announced their decision and the code numbers are matched up
with the identification pages.
All contestants will be notified of the results and all winners will be recognized at the Michigan
Farm Bureau Annual Meeting.
Throughout the entire process, your financials are kept confidential. The only individuals that
see the financial page of the application is the secretary of the Young Farmer Department and
the three interview judges at the MFB Annual Meeting. After the contest, all financial pages
are taken back to the home office and shredded.
ELIGIBILITY & RULES
1. Applicant must be a regular Farm Bureau member and in good standing with their
county Farm Bureau.
2. An applicant can either be an individual or a couple that is married or has spousal-
equivalent or similar legal rights under the law. Applicants may choose to apply
individually rather than as a couple.
3. Applicant and co-applicant (if applicable) must not have reached their 36th
birthday before January 31, 2013.
4. Do not use your name, name of your state, name of your county, or any name that
may bring about recognition beyond the entry form (page 1).
5. Do not use abbreviations or acronyms.
6. Applicants for the state award must use the official entry form. Recreating the
application on a computer is not allowed. This includes no font or format changes,
including bolding.
7. The application must be properly signed with no additional pages.
8. Letter of recommendation, scrapbooks, or other visual additions will be grounds for
disqualification.
9. Competitors may only compete in one statewide Young Farmer competitive event
per year.
10. Applicants must not have derived a majority of their income from an owned
production agriculture enterprise for the past three years.
11. Members of the State Young Farmer Committee, and State Board of Directors and
their spouses are ineligible for the contest.
12. The entry form and application must be in 10-point Times New Roman
13. Only one applicant per county will be eligible to compete in the state Excellence in
Agriculture Award contest.
14. All former contestants, with the exception of previous state winners, are eligible for
the contest.
15. Individuals may compete in only one state level contest
16. Past state Achievement Award winners, and/or previous AFBF Achievement Award
competitors are not eligible to compete.
17. County, State, AFBF employees are not eligible.
18. Deadline for mailing entry forms for state contest is July 1, 2012. Mail entries to:
Michigan Farm Bureau, Young Farmer Department
P.O. Box 30960
Lansing, Michigan 48909
All entries must arrive at the Home Office or be postmarked by July 1, 2012 to be
considered for judging.
NOTES:
*Disregarding any of the eligibility requirements & rules listed above will result in
*If a contestant and spouse have been designated as state finalists in multiple contests, then
a decision must be made as to which competition they wish to pursue.
*Applicants may apply with their spouse or individually. If applicant applies with their spouse
and is chosen as a state finalist, the spouse must participate in the presentation interview.
The presentation/interview of the four state finalists will be conducted at the Michigan Farm
Bureau Annual Meeting.
AWARD RECOGNITION
The state winner will receive an expense paid trip (except for some meals) for themself and
their spouse (no substitutes) to the 2013 American Farm Bureau Federation Annual
Meeting, held in Nashville, TN as well as an expense paid trip to the 2013 Michigan Farm
Bureau Young Farmer Leaders Conference, sponsored by Farm Bureau Insurance.
Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Michigan will award the four finalists a Michigan Farm Bureau
Carhartt jacket.
APPLICATION AND PROCEDURES
This award is based on the individual's ability to be successful at the profession of
farming. Heavy emphasis should be placed on farm management ability and how
much progress has been made from the point at which the individual started
farming. Consideration should be given to the variation in available land,
resources, and capital when a farm enterprise is started.
Thus, it is the individual's progress rather than total worth which is the determining
factor. Equal emphasis will be given to the applicant's demonstrated leadership
participation and farming enterprise.
An interview of the four state finalists will be conducted at the Michigan Farm
Bureau Annual Meeting. Applicants may apply with their spouse or individually. If
applicant applies with their spouse and is chosen as a state finalist, the spouse
must participate in the interview.
The four state finalists will be required to complete the AFBF Achievement Award
application prior to MFB Annual Meeting.
The applicant should start as early as possible to fill out the entry form. Farm
records and income tax return will give much of the information needed.
A neatly typewritten entry has the best appearance.
Note: Applicants do not need to include financial page until they are notified as being
one of the top four finalists. The top four finalists are required to submit the financial
page & final AFBF application by September 28, 2012.
Page 1 of 12
MICHIGAN FARM BUREAU
Young Farmer Achievement Award
2012 ENTRY FORM
Applicant(s):
(as it will be used in the program and for recognition)
Phonetic Pronunciation:
Address:
City:
State: MI Zip Code:
Home Phone: Cell Phone:
Email:
Date of Birth: H W
Age: H W
Education/Degree: H W
Short courses or other specialized study:
Husband Wife
# of children: Age(s):
I (we) hereby certify the information on this entry form and attached application to be accurate and true statements and
that I will not reach my 36th birthday prior to January 31, 2013. MFB reserves the right to use your photos and/or any
video footage for use in promoting Farm Bureau. The photos and/or video footage of undersigned contestant may also be
available to sponsors of Farm Bureau events.
Applicant:
Applicant:
Page 2 of 12
2012 APPLICATION
Young Farmer Achievement Award
NOTE: This application should reflect the operations of your immediate past tax accounting year.
I. PERSONAL BACKGROUND (family, education and personal interests)
II. AGRICULTURAL STATUS - Select all that apply
A. Owner Renter Manager
Please explain if:
Partnership Corporation Joint Venture Other
Explanation:
B. Please indicate and justify your percent of contribution in the operation in the following areas:
% personal capital involved
% management/decision making
C. Please list your specific responsibilities:
D. Total acres operated: Acres owned:
E. Year you started farming:
Page 3 of 12
III. AGRICULTURAL OPERATION
A. 0 Current Year
List major crops* No. of Acres No. of Acres Yield per Acre
*Indicate if irrigated
B. Under volume of production, indicate number of head, pounds, dozen or other appropriate measure of
volume.
Enterprise Volume of Production
0 Current Year
C. Please be creative in explaining your operation if your agricultural enterprise does not fit with Sections A &
B.
Page 4 of 12
III. AGRICULTURAL OPERATION (continued)
D. How was your agricultural operation acquired? Indicate, in narrative form, what portion
of your operation was purchased or personally earned, acquired through inheritance,
through partnership conversion, rental, contract or management arrangement.
E. List other agricultural or related business enterprises and describe size and relate
importance to your total operation. (i.e., custom harvesting, processing, ag tourism,
etc.)
Page 5 of 12
III. AGRICULTURAL OPERATION (continued)
F. Describe changes, expansion or improvement in management and marketing practices
in your operation since you began.
G. Explain significant agricultural machinery, equipment irrigation systems and/or
buildings built or devised by the applicant during the years you have been farming.
Page 6 of 12
IV. APPLICANT'S FINANCIAL STATEMENT
NOTE: All information submitted is regarded as confidential and upon completion of judging all applications are returned to Michigan Farm
Bureau office to be destroyed.
Current market value of just your share of:
Year started
farming:
2011 2010 2009
A. ASSETS
1. Value of land, buildings & other improvements $ $ $ $
2. Value of machinery & equipment $ $ $ $
3. Value of livestock & poultry $ $ $ $
4. Value of crops & supplies on hand $ $ $ $
5. Value of non-farm real estate assets $ $ $ $
6. Value of cash, stocks, bonds, other personal assets $ $ $ $
7. Non-ag assets (primary dwelling, rental homes, etc)
TOTAL ASSETS $ - $ - $ - $ -
B. LIABILITIES
1. Current liabilities (less than one year) $ $ $ $
2. Intermediate liabilities (1-10 years) $ $ $ $
3. Long term liabilities (10 years and up) $ $ $ $
TOTAL LIABILITIES $ - $ - $ - $ -
NET WORTH $ - $ - $ - $ -
DEBT/ASSET RATIO (total liabilities/total assets) #DIV/0! #DIV/0! #DIV/0! #DIV/0!
C. AG EXPENSES AND RECEIPTS
1. Total Agricultural Expenses $ $ $ $
2. Total Agricultural Receipts $ $ $ $
Operating Expense Ratio
3. #VALUE! #VALUE! #VALUE! #VALUE!
(total ag expenses/total ag receipts)
Banker/Loan Officer/or Tax Accountant Signature
Page 7 of 12
IV. FINANCIAL STATEMENT (continued)
NOTE: All information submitted is regarded as confidential and upon completion of judging all applications are
returned to Michigan Farm Bureau office to be destroyed.
D. Indicate other sources of income and property acquisition during the years you have
been farming, such as off-farm employment, SPOUSE'S INCOME, gifts, prizes and
inheritances.
E. Discuss any unusual situations that may have affected your operation that you have
overcome and solved.
Page 8 of 12
V. Progress of Operation
A. List goals or objectives for production efficiency developed by the applicant in
improving the quality of the farming program such as: weight of pigs at 56 days, ratio of
pounds of feed to pounds of gain, cost per 100 pounds of gain, pounds of butterfat per
cow or yield per acre, efficient land use, acreage increases.
SPECIFIC GOALS, OBJECTIVES AND ACHIEVEMENT GAINED
BEGINNING GOALS CURRENT ACHIEVEMENT FUTURE GOALS
please state what year goal was made
Page 9 of 12
V. PROGRESS OF OPERATION (continued)
B. Describe ways in which you measure and evaluate the management of your farming operation.
C. Indicate plans for future expansion, improvements or changes in your agricultural operation.
Page 10 of 12
VI. LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE
NOTE: This applies to you and your spouse if married and applying as a married couple. Please indicate "Husband" (H) or "Wife" (W)
when applicable.
A. List leadership roles you and your spouse have fulfilled in Farm Bureau indicating service on
committees, boards or as officers.
County Farm Bureau Years
State/American Farm Bureau Years
Page 11 of 12
VI. LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE (continued)
B. Other agricultural leadership positions held, recognitions, and/or awards received by either applicant
(Farm Credit, Soil Conservation, REC, FSA or other farm cooperatives).
Organization Description
C. Community and service leadership positions held, recognitions, and/or awards received by either
applicant (civic and service clubs, church, school, volunteer leadership, etc).
Organization Description
Page 12 of 12
VI. LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE (continued)
D. Youth organization leadership positions held, recognitions, and/or awards received by either applicant
(4-H, FFA, etc).
Organization Description
E. What are your leadership goals for the next five years?
