KFB farmer of the Year application accepted

With spring planting now underway, Kentucky Farm Bureau (KFB) looks to sow a few seeds of its own as it calls for applications for the 2011 KFB Farmer of the Year award.
The organization initiated a Farmer of the Year awards program as a way to recognize KFB members for their commitment to excellence in agriculture, efficiency in farming practices, sound financial management and outstanding leadership in their county Farm Bureau and other civic organizations.
Eligibility and guidelines are included with the application, and can be downloaded at kyfb.com/federation/. All applications must be postmarked by July 1.
Entries will be narrowed down to the top three applicants over the summer, and finalists will be announced on Aug. 15.
Judges will visit the three finalists in mid-September to conduct interviews and see their operations in action. The KFB Farmer of the Year will be announced at the organization’s 2011 state annual meeting in Louisville on Dec. 2.
KFB’s Farmer of the Year winner will receive $1,000 from Kentucky Farm Bureau Federation and will be presented with a commemorative award during the organization’s annual meeting in December. Finalists will receive $250 from Kentucky Farm Bureau Federation.
In addition to the statewide recognition and prizes, KFB’s Farmer of the Year winner will represent Kentucky in the SwisherSweets/Sunbelt Expo Southeastern Farmer of the Year contest, the South’s most prestigious agricultural award, in Moultrie, Georgia, October 16-18, 2012. The state winner will also receive $2,500 from Swisher International, a customized jacket and a $200 gift certificate courtesy of The Williams Dickie Company, and a $500 gift certificate from Southern States Cooperative. Kentucky’s winner will compete against nine other state winners for the chance to win a $15,000 award from Swisher International and several other sponsor-based prizes.