YFA Members Win Awards
Natasha Paris Earns Excellence in Ag Award N
atasha Paris was selected as the winner of the Wisconsin Farm Bureau’s Young Farmer and Agriculturist Excellence in Agriculture Award at the organization’s virtual 101st Annual Meeting on Dec. 5. Natasha Paris is an agri-science teacher and FFA advisor at Ripon High School. She and her husband, Jordan, own ParKelm Farm, a pasture-based livestock operation. “This contest highlights individuals and how they have positively impacted Wisconsin agriculture and Farm Bureau and inspire others to do the same,” said former WFBF President Joe Bragger. “Natasha is an outstanding advocate for agriculture.” Paris has been a Farm Bureau member since 2015 and serves as the YFA chair and vice president of Green Lake County Farm Bureau. She will compete at the American Farm Bureau Federation’s Annual Convention in January. In addition, she can participate in the 2021 YFA trip to Washington, D.C. GROWMARK, Inc., will offer the winner either an all-expense paid trip to the GROWMARK
Annual Meeting or $1,500 credit towards goods and services at the local FS Cooperative. Other participants included: Stephanie Abts of Manitowoc County; Julie Wadzinski of Barron County; and Kellie Zahn of Shawano County.
The Excellence in Agriculture Award is presented to a Farm Bureau member between the ages of 18 and 35 who is actively engaged in agriculture but derives the majority of his or her income from an off-farm agricultural career. The winner is selected based on his or her knowledge of agriculture, leadership in Farm Bureau and other civic organizations.
As part of the Excellence in Agriculture competition, Paris gave a virtual presentation.
Julie Sweney Tops YFA Discussion Meet
Last December, Sweney participated in the Final 4 of the 2019 YFA Discussion Meet. Sweney of Dodge County was selected as the winner of the Julie 2020 Wisconsin Farm Bureau Young Farmer and Agriculturist
Discussion Meet contest during the organization’s virtual 101st Annual Meeting on Dec. 5.
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Rural Route
The Discussion Meet contest is a panel discussion in which Farm Bureau members between the ages of 18 and 35 are judged on their ability to express their ideas and opinions and reach a solution on current issues affecting agriculture. Sweney grew up on her family's dairy farm in Dodge County. She is a 2011 graduate of the WFBF Leadership Institute and serves on the Dodge County Farm Bureau board of directors as membership chair. Julie enjoys being a member of Farm Bureau so she can help promote agriculture within her community. She is the director of marketing and communications at FarmFirst Dairy Cooperative, serving dairy farmers throughout the Midwest. Sweney will represent Wisconsin during the American Farm Bureau Annual Convention in January. The winner also can participate in the 2021 YFA trip to Washington, D.C. GROWMARK, Inc., will offer the winner either an all-expense paid trip to the GROWMARK Annual Meeting or $1,500 credit towards goods and services at the local FS Cooperative. Along with awards from Farm Bureau, Rural Mutual Insurance and GROWMARK, the winner was presented a chainsaw courtesy of Grainger. The other Discussion Meet finalists were Riley Bricco, Waupaca County; Erin O’Toole, Kewaunee County; and Natasha Paris, Green Lake County.
WISCONSIN FARM BUREAU FEDERATION
