Fourteen finalists have been announced across Michigan Farm Bureau’s 2026 Young Farmer awards program, celebrating outstanding young leaders in the state’s prodigious farm sector.
The Excellence in Agriculture Award is designed to recognize young farmers (individuals or couples) for their involvement in agriculture, leadership ability and participation in Farm Bureau.
Each finalist is awarded $400 in cash and MFB apparel sponsored by Farm Bureau Health Services. The 2026 state winner will receive a $1,000 AgroLiquid gift certificate, an equipment lease, and an all-expense paid trip to the AFBF Annual Meeting in Charlotte, North Carolina.
This year's Young Farmer Excellence winners are Samantha & Chase Bos of Ottawa County; see more about her here. Here are the other finalists in this year's Excellence category:
Erica Drake — Washtenaw
As the fourth generation at Drakelan Farms, Erica Drake’s goal is to leverage the farm’s legacy to ensure the next four generations enjoy the same opportunity to toil in the soil.
Alongside her parents and brother, Drake raises direct-market freezer beef and about 200 acres of alfalfa, barley, corn and soybeans. By day she’s a water technician in Ann Arbor, maintaining underground distribution systems.
“My typical day is spent working with infrastructure, helping ensure customers in town have fresh water coming in — and everything else flowing out!”
Back in the world of crops and livestock, Drake is a proud 4-H leader.
“Sharing my passion for agriculture with young members of my community” to her means giving back to the programs that supported her passions as a young woman.
“As a young member of my local ag community, I was very fortunate — still am! — to have mentors who invested their time and knowledge in me,” Drake said. “I’m delighted to pay this forward now as a youth mentor myself.”
She credits Farm Bureau involvement with keeping her current with opportunities to hone her leadership skills, add new ones, grow her outreach voice and “experience things I wouldn't have ever pushed myself to do.
“There is always something new to learn and new people to meet!”
Nathan and Amber Krohn — Barry
Like many young farming couples, Nathan and Amber Krohn maintain off-farm employment to support their passion for working the land. For Nathan that means working for a John Deere dealership in aftermarket sales, while Amber is a senior manager with a global professional services firm providing tax and consulting services.
The Barry County couple’s long-game focus is on 180 head of beef cattle, a flock of club lambs and 1,000 acres of cash crops, hay and pasture. They market beef and pork products straight to consumers at Pickard Meats, north of Hastings.
“It truly takes a village,” Amber said. “Starting our family while continuing to operate a farm and two ag businesses — still working full-time off the farm — is something we’re both proud of.
“It’s been an incredible journey and we’re deeply grateful to be building a life where our children grow up in agriculture, surrounded by generations working together.”
Both credit Farm Bureau involvement for their connections in a like-minded community of peers.
“We really value the opportunity to connect, learn from one another and support each other’s goals,” Nathan said. “We make the most of resources and bring new ideas back to our farm to support our success.”
Charles Loveland — Jackson
Smokey Oak Farms in Jackson County consists of almost 600 acres of grain, beans and forages supporting a small herd of beef cattle yeilding breeding stock and cuts for retail beef sales. Sales is also what Charles Loveland does by day, representing Golden Harvest Seeds across southeastern Michigan.
The team behind Smokey Oak today includes Loveland’s wife and three children, who all welcome contributions from siblings, nieces and nephews. But the farm itself was Charles’ idea:
“My proudest accomplishment is buying my farm and starting this operation from scratch,” he said. “Being able to see where we started — and where we are today — really shows how well it’s grown.
“We’re excited to see where it will go.”
That continuing progress and evolution centers on keeping the next generation engaged: “One of my goals as the farm grows is being able to bring my kids more substantially into the operation.”
All of the above is underwritten by habitual involvement in both his county and state farm organizations.
“Farm Bureau has meant so much to me,” he said, “from the amazing networking opportunities to leadership development...
“I’ve spoken with legislators, traveled the country meeting other farmers and building lifelong friendships.”