16 young farmers shine in awards competition

GRAND RAPIDS, Dec. 2, 2008 — The Michigan Farm Bureau (MFB) is rolling out the red carpet for the agriculture industry’s up-and-coming stars.

The top crop of young farmers will be honored Dec. 3 at a Celebrating Michigan’s Rising Stars banquet. The event recognizes young farmers between the ages of 18 and 35, and is part of the MFB 89th Annual Meeting, which runs Dec. 2-5 at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel and DeVos Place in Grand Rapids.

But before the young farmers can enjoy the ceremony, they first must compete.

A total of 16 young farmers, four contestants per award category, will vie for top honors in award contests recognizing agricultural involvement and leadership as follows: Outstanding Young Agricultural Leader, Outstanding Young Farm Employee, Young Farmer Achievement, and Excellence in Agriculture. (Individual contest descriptions and contestant information follow this release.)

All finalists will receive a prize package sponsored by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, the Farm Bureau Family Credit Union and Grainger. (Additional prize information follows this release.)

Winners of the Young Farmer Achievement and Excellence in Agriculture Awards will compete in national competitions at the American Farm Bureau Federation 90th Convention and Annual Meeting, Jan. 11-14 in San Antonio, Texas.

MFB is the state’s largest general farm organization, representing more than 47,000 farm families.

-30-

Editor’s Note: Visit http://www.michfb.com/annual for photos from the awards ceremony. For more information after Dec. 5, contact Young Farmer Department Manager Lori Chamberlain at (800) 292-2680, ext. 3234.

Young Farmer Achievement Award

This award recognizes a successful young Farm Bureau member for outstanding achievement in the business of farming and leadership in the agricultural community.

The winner will receive use of a Kubota L or M series tractor for one year, a $500 cash prize from General Motors, a prize sponsored by the Farm Bureau Family Credit Union and Grainger, and sponsorship to Michigan Farm Bureau’s 2009 Young Farmer Leaders’ Conference.

In addition, the winner will have the opportunity to compete for the national Young Farmer and Rancher (YF&R) Achievement Award at the American Farm Bureau Federation 90th Convention and Annual Meeting, Jan. 11-14 in San Antonio, Texas. The national winner will receive a 2009 “nicely equipped” Dodge Ram 3500 and paid registration to the 2009 YF&R Leadership Conference, Feb. 7-9, in Sacramento, Calif. Each of the four national runners-up will receive a Case IH DX compact tractor. All national competitors will receive an inscribed plaque.

Chris Demerly – Owosso, Shiawassee County

Chris Demerly has made great strides in the 13 years he has been farming full-time in partnership with his parents. He’s nearly doubled the acreage farmed, maintained no-till farming practices, steadily grown his baling business, and diversified with the addition of specialty crops and the purchase of a local mill.

The young farmer, who turns 34 on Dec. 9, joined the operation upon earning a farm business management degree from Michigan State University in 1995. That same year he bought his first big square baler. Fast forward to the present, and Demerly expects to bale 11,000 bales of straw and 2,500 bales of hay this year.

Demerly experienced another big leap in 2004 when he and his family purchased Corunna Mills, Inc. They were primarily interested in the business for its grain storage but quickly became acclimated to the wholesale and retail ends of the mill. Today, Demerly markets a large majority of his crops through the mill, and has plans to further expand wholesale accounts.

Outside of work, Demerly is active in Farm Bureau, having served on the county board as well as county and state Young Farmer Committees. He’s also held leadership roles with GreenStone Farm Credit Services, FFA and 4-H. The husband and father of three also devotes time to his local church and youth sports teams.

Doug Irrer – DeWitt, Clinton County

Doug Irrer, 33, has more than doubled mint production on the farm he operates with his father thanks to taking some fresh approaches. The rotational restrictions of mint presented the first challenge in the expansion plans, but the Irrers cleared that hurdle by developing relationships with local farm property owners.

When traditional pesticides didn’t rid the farm of an elusive pest, the Irrers were able to save their spearmint crop from mass destruction by changing the harvest date. Irrer has also found ways to use the same equipment yet increase the speed of harvest by 35 percent. Spearmint yield is also up, by 25 percent over eight years, thanks to the development of an on-farm research program.

Irrer has put his civil engineering degree, earned from Michigan State University in 1998, to good use on the farm by designing and assisting in the fabrication of several pieces of equipment used in the distillation of essential oils. As well, he assisted in the design and construction of a self-contained chemical storage facility.

Off the farm, Irrer is involved in the county Farm Bureau and currently serves on the board and Young Farmer Committee. He also holds leadership positions with the Mint Industry Research Council, Quality Deer Management Association, and GreenStone Farm Credit Services. He and his wife Amber have three children.

Jeremy Polega – Port Austin, Huron County

Jeremy Polega is only five years into his farming career, yet he’s already surpassed his beginning goals. Polega, 28, set out to farm 500 acres of cash crops by 2010; today, he’s farming 575 acres and continues to add land.

Polega started from scratch in 2003 with 100 acres of rented ground devoted to soybeans. He farmed just that for two years, and since has built up his acreage with a combination of owned and rented property. He’s also expanded into navy beans and white wheat. Originally, Polega’s goal was to produce 50-bushel soybeans; currently, his crop yields an average 54.6 bushels per acre.

In addition to his own operation, Polega works for his uncle on a 1,500-acre cash crop farm, which he hopes to one day take over. As well, he owns two semi-tractors and dump trailers, one of which he uses to custom haul sugar beets to piling grounds.

Polega is a 2001 graduate of Michigan State University’s Institute of Agricultural Technology and holds a certificate in agribusiness management. He’s taken part in several Young Farmer activities at the county and state levels, and has been honored with Huron County Farm Bureau’s Outstanding Young Farmer Achievement Award. His other professional affiliations include serving on the board of his local farm cooperative and being a member of the Michigan Corn Growers Association.

Benjamin Sklarczyk – Johannesburg, Otsego County

Benjamin Sklarczyk, 28, says he cannot help but smile when he thinks about the progress Sklarczyk Seed Farm, LLC. has made over the past five years, especially with seed potato production in the farm’s tissue culture lab and hydroponic greenhouse.

Since partnering with his father, Sklarczyk has improved plant fertility and helped develop new markets to the point where the farm is now Frito Lay’s largest potato seed supplier. Sklarczyk is especially proud of the success he has had with personnel management and being able to increase employee efficiency and boost staff morale for the betterment of the business. As well, he has had a hand in several infrastructure improvements, including a dramatic interior redesign of the greenhouse with the installation of an energy-efficient in-floor heating system.

Outside the farm, Sklarczyk operates a custom lime and fertilizer spreading business. He’s also passionate about natural resources conservation and helps manage and develop wildlife habitat on more than 3,000 acres.

Sklarczyk majored in agriculture business and graduated from Michigan State University in 2003. His Farm Bureau involvement includes chairing the county Young Farmer Committee. He’s also the treasurer of the Michigan Seed Potato Board of Directors, and holds leadership positions with local wildlife and wild turkey organizations. He and his wife Allison also find time to volunteer with a church youth group.

Outstanding Young Agricultural Leader

This award recognizes a successful young agriculturalist for outstanding leadership in farming and the agricultural community.

The winner will receive a one-year lease of a New Holland tractor from Burnips Equipment Co., a $500 cash prize from GreenStone Farm Credit Services, a prize sponsored by the Farm Bureau Family Credit Union and Grainger, sponsorship to Michigan Farm Bureau’s 2009 Young Farmer Leaders’ Conference, and a trip to the American Farm Bureau Federation 90th Convention and Annual Meeting in San Antonio, Texas, Jan. 11-14.

Charlie Lewis – Jeddo, St. Clair County

Charlie Lewis helps manage 750 head of Holstein steers and a variety of cash crops on his family’s 950-acre farm. Specifically, he manages the crops, takes care of the calves, supervises the farm’s full-time and part-time help, and helps market finished cattle.

Lewis, who turns 32 on Dec. 15, has developed a manure management plan for the farm and completed the Farm-A-Syst risk assessment program. Looking ahead, he would like to expand the cattle-feeding operation and develop a composting business for excess manure.

Lewis has taken special interest in educating the public about the Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program (MAEAP). As president of his county Farm Bureau and chair of the MAEAP team, he has led a variety of outreach efforts, including holding a meeting that successfully convinced county commissioners to develop a resolution recognizing local MAEAP farms as good environmental stewards.

His involvement extends to the county Farm Bureau Young Farmer, Land Use, Candidate Evaluation, Information and Membership Committees. In the past, Lewis has served as the county Farm Bureau vice president and Policy Development Committee chair. He has a bachelor’s degree in economics and math from Western Michigan University and is married to Gwyn.

Tina Love – Rudyard, Chippewa County

Tina Love and her husband Robert raise several species of livestock and grow hay and small grains on a 1,200-acre farm. They also own and co-manage Love Meats, a processing and retail store where they direct market their beef and hogs and sell local farmers’ products. Love’s responsibilities include financial and production recordkeeping, advertising and marketing. She also does most of the lambing and helps with field work if time permits.

Love, who turns 35 on Dec. 9, has a keenness for environmental stewardship, especially water and energy conservation. Environmental practices employed on the farm currently include rotational grazing. Love hopes to one day power the farm with homegrown biodiesel. As well, she wants the farm to earn verification in the Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program.

Children also play a big role in her life. A mother of two, Love keeps her kids actively involved in the farm. She also leads a 4-H livestock club.

Love is currently enrolled in ProFILE, Farm Bureau’s Institute for Leadership Education. In the past, she has chaired her county Farm Bureau Membership and Promotion and Education Committees and co-chaired the Young Farmer Committee. Her activities also include leadership roles with local soil and water conservation groups.

Ben Tirrell – Charlotte, Eaton County

Ben Tirrell oversees 350 ewes, 50 head of cattle, and cash crops and hay on his family’s 300-acre farm. In partnership with his mother, Tirrell provides the majority of the labor and management. This includes running a management-intensive grazing program for the livestock and direct marketing grass-fed beef to local consumers and lambs to ethnic buyers.

With the 27-year-old’s involvement and leadership, the family has been able to transition the farm and position it for a seventh generation. Moving forward, Tirrell hopes to diversify the farm’s product offerings and be more proactive in direct marketing.

Tirrell is heavily involved in industry affairs with the Michigan Sheep Breeders Association and other state and national trade organizations. Drawing on his past Peace Corps experience, Tirrell is credited with starting a finance group that encourages sheep producers to improve their business skills by networking and collaborating with each other.

Tirrell has also jumped into Farm Bureau service. He has served on the county Farm Bureau Board of Directors and Policy Development Committee, and this year chaired the county’s Candidate Evaluation Committee. He has a master’s degree in agricultural economics from Michigan State University.

Eric Voisinet – Laingsburg, Clinton County

Eric Voisinet, 33, operates a 2,700-acre cash crop farm in partnership with his father. The farm includes minimum till corn and no-till soybeans. The pair also performs custom planting, spraying, combining and tile plowing.

Over the past five years, Voisinet has taken on the majority of the farm management responsibilities and begun to make many of the marketing decisions. Under his influence, the operation has transitioned from a traditional to more progressive farm. This has included making soil sampling and yield mapping part of the farm’s soil management. The farm does not have any employees, so Voisinet also juggles the field work and equipment maintenance.

Voisinet has an extensive Farm Bureau resume. He’s been a member of the county Young Farmer, Land Use and Policy Development Committees and assisted with numerous Promotion and Education activities.

Beyond Farm Bureau, Voisinet is actively involved with the Michigan Corn Growers Association; this includes serving as the association’s 2008 president. He also is a trustee on the Olive Township board and is leading a charge to improve the township’s dirt roads. Voisinet completed Michigan State University’s two-year agriculture business program. He and his wife Mindy have three children.

Outstanding Young Farm Employee

This award recognizes a successful young agriculturalist for outstanding leadership in farming and the agricultural community, and a commitment to production agriculture.

The winner will receive an all-expense-paid trip to Cancun sponsored by Great Lakes Hybrids, a $500 cash prize from GreenStone Farm Credit Services, a prize sponsored by the Farm Bureau Family Credit Union and Grainger, sponsorship to Michigan Farm Bureau’s 2009 Young Farmer Leaders’ Conference, and a trip to the American Farm Bureau Federation 90th Convention and Annual Meeting in San Antonio, Texas, Jan. 11-14.

Chad Beck – West Branch, Ogemaw County

Chad Beck is herdsman on his family’s 101-year-old dairy farm. The 35-year-old has sole responsibility for cow health and records, as well as herd selection, including choosing replacement cows and bulls for breeding. Beck also oversees feed rations and manure management and assists with hay and corn production.

Beck has helped the farm expand from milking 160 to 200 cows. As part of this transition, he increased the farm’s staff and now manages four full-time employees. As well, he managed the farm’s phase out of rBST and, with certain adjustments, has been able to maintain milk quality and increase per-cow milk production.

Currently, Beck is helping oversee another farm expansion. The family is building a 345 free-stall barn and plans to add up to 100 more cows in the coming year.

Off the farm, Beck is active in his county Farm Bureau, serving as president and past chair of the Young Farmer and Membership Campaign Committees.

He also helped establish a Tri-County Young Farmer group that meets quarterly to help young farmers in Ogemaw, Arenac and Iosco Counties network and learn from each other. Beck completed the dairy management program with Michigan State University’s Institute of Agricultural Technology. He and his wife Lori have three children.

Kevin Bever – Reading, Hillsdale County

Kevin Bever is employed on his father’s beef and cash crop farm. Equipped with a bachelor’s degree in animal science from Ohio State University, the 34-year-old’s responsibilities include overseeing health and nutrition on the 1,000-head beef feedlot and newborn care for 100 head of beef cows bred for replacement heifers and 4-H calves.

Bever also tends to the farm’s 3,270 acres of cash crops. His duties include liquid manure application and related soil testing and recordkeeping. He also performs the farm’s harvest work and provides custom harvesting. In addition, he manages two employees and maintains equipment.

In 1997, Bever started a custom liquid pesticide application business. The enterprise has grown steadily over the years to the point where Bever operates two custom spray rigs and last year covered 3,692 acres for his family’s farm and 6,155 acres of custom application.

Bever is active in Farm Bureau at the local and state levels. He currently serves on the county Board of Directors and co-chairs the Young Farmer Committee. In the past, he served two terms on the state Young Farmer Committee and participated in ProFILE. He was honored with the Hillsdale County Farm Bureau Young Farmer Achievement Award in 2000. He and his wife Jennifer have two children.

Mark Daniels – Breckenridge, Gratiot County

Mark Daniels, 28, is a sales manager for national wholesaler Bonnie Plants, and operates the corporation’s Ithaca growing facility in tandem with his wife Miranda, the greenhouse/growing manager. Bonnie Plants supplies vegetable and herb plants to large chain retailers and some small independently owned businesses.

Daniels leads a team of six sales representatives who cover a territory that stretches from Michigan’s southern border all the way to Sault Ste. Marie, with the exception of Detroit, Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor. In his first year of taking over the territory, Daniels more than doubled sales and has been increasing sales annually ever since. The Home Depot has even honored him for two consecutive years of highest spring sales in the Midwest.

Significant progress has also been made on the production end, of which Daniels assists in making the planting schedule and determining the variety and quantity of plants to grow at the Ithaca site. In the 2008 season alone, the couple boosted production by 15 percent.

When he’s not on the road or in the greenhouse, Daniels enjoys taking part in the county Farm Bureau’s Young Farmer activities. His involvement includes serving as a past co-chair of the Young Farmer Committee. He holds a bachelor’s degree in agriscience from Michigan State University.

David Tolan – Ossineke, Alpena County

David Tolan, 32, is operations manager and head mechanic on his family’s dairy and cash crop farm. His responsibilities include overseeing herd health, milking, feeding, breeding, and manure management. In addition, he performs field work, including custom work for area farmers, and manages the farm’s five full-time employees. He’s also in charge of planning and constructing the farm’s new structures and maintaining equipment and infrastructure.

With Tolan’s help, the farm has undergone a massive expansion, more than doubling its milking herd from 120 to 280 cows. The expansion included the design and construction of several new facilities, including an updated milking parlor.

Tolan takes pride in the farm’s awards for high quality milk and the dairy’s shift to a higher butterfat count. Moving forward, he has plans to take over ownership of the farm and pursue innovations for using various byproducts.

Tolan has taken on several leadership roles with the Huron Shores Farm Bureau, including serving as president and chairing the Young Farmer, Membership and Candidate Evaluation Committees. In 2007 he was recognized as the county Farm Bureau’s Agricultural Young Farm Leader. Tolan majored in dairy herd management at the University of Wisconsin. He and his wife Gretchen have two children.

Excellence in Agriculture Award

This award recognizes a young person who does not derive the majority of his or her income from a personally owned agricultural operation, but who actively contributes to and grows through his or her involvement in Farm Bureau and agriculture.

The winner will receive a three-month lease on a Caterpillar skid-steer loader sponsored by Michigan CAT, a $500 cash prize from General Motors, a prize sponsored by the Farm Bureau Family Credit Union and Grainger, and sponsorship to Michigan Farm Bureau’s 2009 Young Farmer Leaders’ Conference.

In addition, the winner will have the opportunity to compete for the national Young Farmer and Rancher (YF&R) Excellence in Agriculture Award at the American Farm Bureau Federation 90th Convention and Annual Meeting, Jan. 11-14 in San Antonio, Texas. The national winner will receive a 2009 “nicely equipped” Dodge Ram 1500 and paid registration to the 2009 YF&R Leadership Conference, Feb. 7-9, 2009 in Sacramento, Calif. Each of the national runners-up will receive a $6,000 U.S. Savings Bond and a Farm Boss on behalf of Stihl. All national competitors will receive an inscribed plaque.

Amy Haag – Sebewaing, Huron County

Amy Haag, 25, works as a laboratory trainer II for ICM, Inc., a leading designer and builder of ethanol plants in North America. She travels throughout the United States and Canada to train individuals on how to operate new or expanding ethanol plants, with an emphasis on laboratory operations and quality control.

The effectiveness of Haag’s training can impact how profitable, resourceful and successful an ethanol plant is. With many farmers serving as investors in the facilities, crop suppliers or buyers of byproducts, Haag’s job is important not only to an ethanol plant but also the surrounding farmers. She also finds herself a promoter, educator and spokesperson for agriculture and renewable energy because new or expanding ethanol plants draw lots of media attention, and detractors opposed to a project are not uncommon.

Outside of ICM, Haag assists her Robert and father-in-law in operating a 2,000-acre cash crop farm. Working alongside her father and grandfather, she also remains actively involved in her own family’s cash crop and beef cattle farm. On top of this, she and Robert are purchasing and farming their own land.

Within Farm Bureau, Haag is involved in Promotion and Education (P&E) activities and is a past chair of the county’s P&E Committee. She has a bachelor’s degree in animal science from Michigan State University.

Sarah Fronczak – Hillsdale, Hillsdale County

Sarah Fronczak is employed as the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program technician for the Hillsdale Conservation District. In this position, the 28-year-old helps farmers install conservation practices on their land, such as filter strips and grassed waterways.

Her work has multiple benefits for the agriculture industry. One, she’s helping farmers to protect the environment by reducing sediment and nutrient runoff to streams and lakes. Plus, many of the practices save farmers money by reducing repair costs associated with washouts and gullies in fields and avoiding the expense of planting crops in areas that would fail otherwise. Fronczak is also able to interact with landowners who are not involved in agriculture directly and educate these landlords and recreational property owners on “how agriculture works.”

Fronczak’s influence extends to the Hillsdale County Planning Commission, of which she’s a member, and the Michigan Alliance for Environmental and Outdoor Educators, of which she’s an at-large member on the executive committee. Within Farm Bureau, she chairs the Young Farmer Committee and is a member of the Promotion and Education, National Affairs and Policy Development Committees.

Alongside her husband Jacob, Fronczak is also occupied with plans to develop a small farm market to sell meat and vegetables. She holds a master’s degree in freshwater ecology from Bowling Green State University.

Matt Frostic – Applegate, Sanilac County

Matt Frostic, 34, manages two farms that produce soybeans, wheat, corn, sugar beets, alfalfa and feeder cattle. He is directly involved in the farms’ crop production and cattle activities, including feeding, purchasing, marketing and contracting. In addition, he manages the labor, maintains all equipment, and does the bookkeeping and recordkeeping for Frostic Farms Inc.

For Frostic and his wife Traci, agricultural education is an everyday job, too. Starting at home, the couple is raising their three children to be future leaders and industry spokespersons. Already, the kids have taught their peers and teachers “common farm knowledge.” The pair also participates in numerous Farm Bureau Promotion and Education activities and has held farm tours for children and their parents. They have also reached out to homeschooling educators.

Kids aren’t the only benefactors, though. Frostic is also involved in numerous Farm Bureau lobbying activities that educate legislators about agriculture and how certain actions will impact the industry.

Not surprisingly, Frostic has a lengthy Farm Bureau resume. He’s spent 10 years on the county Board of Directors and served two years as vice president. His other leadership roles include chairing the county Policy Development and National Affairs Committees for six years and co-chairing the Young Farmer Committee. He has a bachelor’s degree in public administration from Oakland University.

Jeff Vander Werff — Casnovia, Ottawa County

Jeff Vander Werff, 28, is a specialty and field crops consultant with the grower-owned cooperative Hamilton Farm Bureau. In this position, he helps farmers plan fertility and spray programs and advises them on general management practices, environmental and safety matters, and marketing strategy. He also has been instrumental in developing Hamilton Farm Bureau’s Environmental Health and Safety Program.

Through his work, Vander Werff helps farmers improve their profitability and make their farms more environmentally friendly. His interactions allow him to also inform producers about the benefits of Farm Bureau membership and other statewide programs, including the Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program.

Aside from his full-time job, Vander Werff and his wife Alyssa co-own VWO LLC, a 115-acre fruit farm. In what he calls his “contribution to farmland preservation,” Vander Werff also is in the process of entering a four-way, multi-generational partnership with Alyssa, his father and uncle to ensure the future viability of the Vander Werff family’s farm operations.

Vander Werff’s Farm Bureau involvement includes serving on the county board, chairing the Communications Committee and co-chairing the Young Farmer Committee. He’s also a lieutenant/acting captain with the Kent City/Tyrone Township Fire Department and a council member and emergency coordinator for the Village of Kent City.

-30-