Kossuth County Farmers Receive Young Farmer Achievement Award

WEST DES MOINES, IOWA – Dec. 5, 2013 – Kossuth County farmers Matt and Nancy Bormann were presented Iowa Farm Bureau Federation’s (IFBF) 2013 Young Farmer Achievement Award on Dec. 4 at the organization’s 95th annual meeting in Des Moines.

The annual contest honors young farmers who show outstanding management ability in their farming operations and involvement in Farm Bureau and community activities. Receiving second place in the contest was Kevin Pope of Cerro Gordo County and Bonnie and Will Larson of Ringgold County received third place.

The Bormanns custom-feed hogs, grow conventional corn and soybeans, seed corn and soybeans, and recently added a 500-head cattle hoop barn, which they now lease out to local farmers. Recently the Bormanns have experimented with strip-till farming and currently perform custom strip-till work on their farm.

Matt and Nancy have both served Farm Bureau and the agriculture community in various capacities at the local and state levels. Matt is currently finishing up his term as Kossuth County president. Nancy is a certified professional agronomist, currently serving as a county soil and water conservation commissioner and member of the Iowa State University Honors Alumni Board.

For their award, Matt and Nancy received their choice of the use of a John Deere tractor/loader combo (5-7R Series) for one year or 300-hour lease, or a TX Gator. In addition, the Bormanns received a 90-day NPNI John Deere Financial Certificate. They will also receive expense-paid trips to the 2014 American Farm Bureau annual convention in San Antonio to represent Iowa in the National Young Farmer Achievement competition, the 2014 GROWMARK annual meeting in Chicago in August, and the 2014 IFBF Young Farmer conference in February.

Pope grows corn, soybeans, and hybrid seed corn near Mason City. In addition, Pope founded a chemical application business to help diversify the farm operation. Pope recently added drainage on his farm to improve soil health and yields and also performs custom-tiling work for neighbors and friends.

Pope has served as president of the Cerro Gordo County Farm Bureau and is a graduate of Iowa Farm Bureau’s Ag Leaders Institute.

For placing second, Pope received parts on Site Bin (valued at $3,000), a 90-day NPNI Farm Plan Certificate, and a $500 Fast Stop gift certificate from GROWMARK.

Larson manages her family’s feed efficiency center in Diagonal, one of the first of its kind in the nation. The center collects individual feed efficiency data on registered cattle. Larson also assists her husband, Will, with a cattle ultrasound business and helps with the family’s 500-head registered cattle operation. Additionally, the Larsons operate a row-crop and commercial cattle business in partnership with Will’s brothers. Larson has also volunteered for Ag in the Classroom activities as well as state and county cattlemen’s events.

For her third place honor, Larson received a John Deere branded safe, a 90-day NPNI John Deere Farm Plan certificate, and a GPS unit from Farm Bureau Financial Services.