Indiana Ag Connection - Finalists Named in Indiana Young Farmer Awards

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Finalists Named in Indiana Young Farmer Awards
Indiana Ag Connection - 09/25/2009

Finalists have been selected for the two statewide awards given to young farmers by Indiana Farm Bureau.

Young Farmer Achievement Award finalists are Paul Rumple, Adams County; Orville and Jessica Haney, Kosciusko County; and Joe and Angela Mann, Putnam County. Finalists for the Excellence in Agriculture Award are Mark and Denise Scarborough, LaPorte County; Jason and Erin Tower, Dubois County; and Steve and Kimmie Gauck, Decatur County.

The Young Farmer Achievement Award recognizes young farmers whose farm management techniques and commitment to their communities set a positive example for those involved in production agriculture, while the Young Farmer Excellence in Agriculture Award recognizes young farmers who are involved in agriculture in ways other than as farm owners.

The winners in both competitions will be announced at the Indiana Farm Bureau state convention, which will be held Nov. 19-21 in Fort Wayne at the Grand Wayne Convention Center. The state winners will then represent Indiana at the American Farm Bureau Federation annual convention in Seattle in January.

Young Farmer Achievement Award Finalists

Paul Rumple, Adams County. Paul's farm operation includes finishing 18,000 hogs on contract. In addition to raising hogs, he does custom hauling for local hog farmers. He also farms over 500 acres of corn, soybeans and wheat. He and his wife, Jennifer, live outside of Decatur with their 16-month-old twin boys, Cash and Grant.

Orville and Jessica Haney, Kosciusko County. Orville and Jessica represent the sixth generation to raise dairy animals on their farm. They farm with Orville's brother and father. The farm currently includes dairy cows, heifers, dairy beef steers and calves. They also grow corn, hay and wheat. The Haneys live near Akron with son Keith, 3, and daughter Claire, 7 months.

Joe and Angela Mann, Putnam County. Joe and Angela are partners in White Oaks Farms with Joe's father and two brothers. More than 7,500 crop acres are under production, growing corn, soybeans and wheat. White Oaks Farms also includes a wean-to-finish swine operation marketing 20,000 hogs per year. The couple also owns Rolling Meadows Plant Farm, a retail greenhouse business. The Manns live near Cloverdale with their three children, Brady, 6, Emily, 3, and Nathan, 2.

Young Farmer Excellence In Agriculture Award Finalists

Steve and Kimmie Gauck, Decatur County. Steve and Kimmie have a small cattle herd and freezer meat business, MapleWay Meats. Kimmie manages the company and is a vendor at the local farmers market. Steve works off-farm for Beck's Hybrids and helps on the family farm, which raises corn, sod, soybeans, wheat and hogs. They live near Greensburg with their son Christopher, 5, and daughter Addie, 3.

Jason and Erin Tower, Dubois County. Jason manages the Southern Indiana Purdue Ag Center, a livestock, forage and forestry research station for Purdue. Erin is the breeding herd manager for MLDD Inc. as well as serving as a field supervisor the Indiana Ag Statistics Service. The couple also operates a branch for Grazing Systems Supply, are partners in the Tower Family Christmas Tree operation and a raise a few cows. They live near Dubois with their son Jake, 6, and daughter Abby, 3.

Mark and Denise Scarborough, LaPorte County. Mark and Denise farm approximately 1,000 acres of corn, seed corn and soybeans. Mark has off-farm employment with Kankakee Valley Construction Company while Denise works for Farm Credit Services. They live near Hanna and have a 10-month-old daughter.