Jessica Lance Wins Georgia Farm Bureau's Statewide Young Farmer Award - September 2021

from the Morgan County Citizen

Morgan County Farm Bureau member Jessica Lance recently won the Georgia Farm Bureau Young Farmers & Ranchers Excellence in Agriculture Award. Lance was recognized during

an awards presentation July 17 at the GFB YF&R Leadership Conference held on Jekyll Island.

As the state winner, Lance received a John Deere Gator and trailer courtesy of Southern Farm Bureau Life Insur-

ance, and courtesy of GFB, $500 cash and an expense-paid trip to the 2022 AFBF Convention in Atlanta, where she will represent Georgia in the national contest.

This award recognizes an individual or couple for their involvement in Farm Bureau and agriculture, and their leadership ability. Ideal candidates for this award are employed in some aspect of agriculture, however, the award is not solely based on the applicant’s occupation.

During the GFB Young Farmers & Ranchers Leadership Conference, Lance and �nalists Brian Fleming, of Hart County, and Ashley White, of Fulton County, gave presentations outlining what they do in their local communities to advocate for agriculture. The contestants also identi�ed challenges farmers are facing and how the issues can be resolved.

Lance grew up working on her parents’ produce farm in South Carolina. After teaching school for two years, she returned to the family farm to manage the family’s agricultural trucking business. This experience led Lance to start her own logistics company in 2017 that hauls raw grains from farms to processors, and livestock feed to feed mills and farm-

ers. Her company, The Go Ag Group, also hauls fertilizers, biosolids and landscape products.

Lance and her husband Brian started a Red Angus cow-calf operation in 2019. She is an active member of the MCFB YF&R Committee for which she has served as treasurer since 2017.

Shown, from left, are Will Godowns, chairman of the Georgia Farm Bureau Young Farmers & Ranchers Committee, award winner Jessica Lance, and fi nalists Ashley White and Brian Fleming.