Derek W. Neuhoff’s father told him that when you enjoy what you are doing, it won’t seem like work. A member of the Southridge FFA Chapter in Huntingburg, Ind., Neuhoff decided to follow in the footsteps of his father in growing and sustaining the family farm. They plant and harvest wheat, soybeans, corn and grain sorghum, which has deepened Neuhoff’s passion to learn more about crop production. He will attend Purdue University to study agricultural systems management and agribusiness. He is supported by his parents, Harold and Brenda, and his FFA advisor, Susan Wagner. This award is sponsored by Crop Production Services and National Crop Insurance Services.

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Evan Schaefer of the Miami Trace FFA Chapter in Ohio went from seven acres of sweet corn to 513 acres of diversified crops in the third year of his SAE project. This land acquisition increased his net worth by $136,000. The new acreage is divided equally into corn and soybean rotational production systems, which allows him to experiment with new farming practices that can break through yield barriers. He looks forward to continuing to expand his operation in the future. He is supported by his parents, Tim and Mary Jo, and his FFA advisors, Bruce Bennett and Tracy Dendinger.  This award is sponsored by CHS.

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Riley A. Lewis of the Prairie Heights FFA Chapter in Lagrange, Ind., started working on his family’s dairy and crop farm, Lewis Century Stock Farm, at the age of 8. Since then, he has increased his responsibilities to include driving the tractor, doing crop work, researching irrigation options and managing employees. He now owns eight cows and 10 heifers.  Lewis hopes to own and operate his own dairy herd in the future. He is supported by his parents, Brian and Debbie, and his FFA advisors, Ron Noll and Ben Leu. This award is sponsored by Ram Trucks.

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Katerri Ann Schmitmeyer of the Versailles FFA Chapter in Ohio is a dairy herdsman at Line-View Dairy Farm, her father’s dairy operation. The farm currently consists of 270 dairy cows, 100 dairy heifers, 300 dairy steers and 1,200 acres of crops. Schmitmeyer is involved in all aspects of the operation, including milking, feeding, vaccinating, vaccination and supervising employees. After obtaining a degree in agribusiness, she plans to return to her family’s farm. She is supported by her parents, Douglas and Brenda Schmitmeyer, and her FFA advisor, Dena Wuebker. This award is sponsored by Kuhn North America and Nasco.

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Kaila Wussow of the Bonduel FFA Chapter in Wisconsin received her first Jersey calf around the time of her first birthday. Since then, she has strived to raise animals that do well both in and out of the show ring. Her cattle have been recognized at national shows for their type and production abilities, and she is grateful for the large network of cattle enthusiasts that she has gained by showing cattle. She is supported by her parents, Ronald and Nicolle, and her FFA advisor, Doug Raymakers. This award is sponsored by New Holland.

Tyler Woodrow Nelson of the Canyon FFA Chapter in Texas works at Nelson and Son’s Cattle Feeders, a 16,000-head capacity beef cattle feed yard owned by his grandfather and father. As the assistant manager, he is in charge of record keeping, feed rations and employee relations. He also helped to plan and implement the expansion of the operation from 12,000 to 16,000 head capacity. Nelson intends to pursue a doctorate in ruminant nutrition and become a beef cattle nutritionist. He is supported by his parents, Justin and Tami, and his FFA advisors, Jeff Klose and Jeff Sherman. This award is sponsored by Midwest PMS LLC and Red Brand.

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Kylie Jayne Patterson of the East Central FFA Chapter in San Antonio, Texas, was not born into the cattle industry. Even so, her desire to be involved in the future of the industry prompted her to start a purebred herd of Brahman cattle. She strives to raise high-quality genetics, provide for Texas markets and make her cattle operation self-sufficient. She also seeks to bridge the gap between agrarian society and rural America and has made more than 20 public appearances with her cattle to connect the public to agriculture. She is supported by her parents, Daniel and Lorie.

This award is sponsored by Bayer Animal Health and Rabo AgriFinance.

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While walking through his school greenhouse, Chance Cain Hingson of the Lowndes High FFA Chapter in Valdosta, Ga., noticed interesting differences in plants of the same species. This prompted him to launch numerous research projects, one of which looked at the effects of environmental factors on blueberry plants. He found that high tunnels can increase the sugar and antioxidant content of blueberries. The research skills he gained will help Hingson pursue a career as a doctor of radiology and continue working on his family farm.  He is supported by her parents, Heath and Jaimi, and his FFA advisors, Dr. James Corbett, Quinton Hadsock and Michael Barnes. This award is sponsored by FMC.

Caleb J. Brannon of the Calloway County FFA Chapter in Kentucky is the owner and operator of Brannon AgriEnergy, a business that grows, researches, and markets switchgrass and other experimental bioenergy crops. Although he has partnered with his local extension agent, seed company representatives and energy crop companies, he was solely responsible for the management of the fields, from planting to harvesting. Brannon intends to pursue agronomy in college and will continue to grow Brannon AgriEnergy. He is supported by his parents, Tony and Lisa, and his FFA advisors, Bill Sampson and Jacob Falwell.  This award is sponsored by the National FFA Foundation and National FFA Organization.

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After conducting beef cattle estrus experiments for three years, Lori Elizabeth Edwards of the Sonoraville FFA Chapter in Calhoun, Ga., found that the natural estrus cycle was the most cost-effective breeding protocol. These results will inform decisions in her herd of 30 commercial cattle. She also shared the results with cattle producers at Georgia Cattleman’s Association meetings, high school students and  elementary school students. Edwards believes her increased knowledge of cattle breeding and the scientific method will benefit her future career as an agriculture educator. She is supported by her parents, Todd and Amy, and her FFA advisors, Sara Clark and Trish Williams. This award is sponsored by the National FFA Foundation and National FFA Organization.