North Carolina Farm Bureau’s Young Farmers & Ranchers program offers training and fellowship that guides those who will be the leaders of North Carolina agriculture into the future.

Their accomplishments are recognized, in part, through the Young Farmers & Ranchers Achievement Award, which honors young farmers primarily involved in farming, and the Excellence in Agriculture Award, which honors young farmers who are involved in agriculture, but whose primary income is not on the farm. The three finalists for each award have been named.

North Carolina Farm Bureau’s Young Farmers & Ranchers program is for farmers ages 18 to 35.

The winners of the 2013 Achievement Award and 2013 Excellence in Agriculture Award will be named at North Carolina Farm Bureau’s Annual Meeting, Dec. 2-4 in Greensboro.

The Achievement Award and Excellence in Agriculture winners will have the opportunity to represent the state in the national competition, held during the American Farm Bureau Annual Meeting, Jan. 13-16, 2013,  in Nashville.

ACHIEVEMENT AWARD FINALIST
Barton and Marion Mitchell

Barton Mitchell, 32, of Siler City, grew up on a dairy farm and today has about 100 brood cows along with four flocks a year of 13,500 broilers per flock. He and his wife, Marion, moved onto her family’s 70-acre farm in 2002. Today, the two generations are in a partnership and operating 250 acres. Mitchell also operates an agricultural fencing business that specializes in constructing cattle watering systems and a custom hauling business that hauls chicken manure for local farmers. In his application, he said he “wants to be an active voice for promoting agriculture within his community and is able to do this by his local civic involvement.”

In addition to Farm Bureau, Mitchell is active in other agricultural organizations and the Ruritan Club. Among his goals for the farm are becoming the top grower for the poultry company with which he contracts, expanding the beef cattle herd to 200-250 brood cows and constructing one or two more poultry houses.

The Mitchells have three children who are the fifth generation on the farm. Marion is a nurse at a local hospital.

ACHIEVEMENT AWARD FINALIST
Aaron and Heather Stack

Aaron Stack, 34, and Heather Stack, 36, of Laurel Hill, are bringing farming back into their family.

Aaron’s family had gotten out of farming, but Aaron maintained an interest in it and spent much of his time with neighbors who gave him his first farm jobs. Aaron began farming with his stepfather, Bryan Hagler, in 2007 and the two have grown the operation together. Hagler Farms produces cotton, beans, corn and wheat.

“We work together to manage day-to-day operations, as well as the bigger decisions, such as equipment, land acquisition and what crops to plant in which fields” their application states.

Aaron says he and Hagler share a goal of increasing from 4,000 acres of farmland to 5,500 acres by 2015, and Aaron wants to actively seek out opportunities to help farmers at the local and state level.

Aaron has also advised in the planting and care of the school agricultural garden at Wagram Primary School, where Heather is a teacher.

The Stacks have two children.

ACHIEVEMENT AWARD FINALIST
John and Rachael Burt

John Burt, 30, and Rachael Burt, 32, of Fuquay-Varina, began their farm in 2007—in between John’s two tours of duty to Iraq. The Burts operate on 1,388 acres, and they say they’ve shifted from primarily a row crop operation to catering to their urban customers through a direct-market approach.

They opened their horse barn in 2007, and Rachael brought in the first boarders in 2009, while John was in Iraq. They also produce horse-quality hay, coastal Bermuda grass and orchard grass.

“Our customers wanted quality, locally grown hay, so we expanded to meet those needs,” they say.

They are also a cow-calf operation, and produce all their own grain and feed for the herd. Their plans include expanding their horse-boarding operation, increasing grass production and advising start-ups while promoting agriculture.

The farm has been in John’s family since the 1700s and has been passed down through nine generations.

The couple became sole proprietors and full-time farmers in 2011. The couple says farming is important, but family comes first. The Burts have a son.

EXCELLENCE IN AGRICULTURE AWARD FINALIST
Justin and Michelle Gillespie

Justin Gillespie, 30, and Michelle Gillespie, 29, of Leicester, operate Gillespie Lawn Care, a business that offers agricultural fencing, residential lawn care and winter firewood sales.

He is also the agriculture education teacher and FFA adviser at North Buncombe High School, while she is an in-home nurse and teacher assistant at North Windy Ridge School.

The couple also assists Justin’s father at his commercial beef cattle operation.

Both Justin and Michelle share their passion for agriculture and reach young people with a positive outlook for agriculture through their involvement with Ag in the Classroom, FFA and 4-H.

“There is a great connection between agriculture education’s purpose and the Farm Bureau’s purpose,” they say.

Their goals over the next five years include educating other eligible farmers about the beneficial opportunities available through the Young Farmers & Ranchers program, and Justin would also like to help update the agriculture education curriculum to include the specifics of the Farm Bureau organization.

The Gillespies have two children.

EXCELLENCE IN AGRICULTURE AWARD FINALIST
William S. Thompson, Jr.

William S. Thompson Jr., 31, of Lawndale, is one of 10 animal health technicians within the livestock field forces of the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Veterinary Division. His job is to enforce all livestock-related laws and regulations within the state. However, he also owns and operates a livestock enterprise that is a purebred cattle operation and seller of livestock fencing and livestock equipment.

He is also a director of the Mountain State Fair, a purebred livestock auctioneer and heavily involved in his family’s farm.

“I consider myself knowledgeable in the field of animal ag and promote it daily to educate the general public that family farms are operated by people who care for the animals they produce and are stewards of the land they live on,” he says.

Among Thompson’s goals for the next five years are serving as president of the county Cattlemen’s Association, serving as director of the state Hereford Association and organizing a youth livestock show circuit that would award scholarships.

EXCELLENCE IN AGRICULTURE AWARD FINALIST
Jason and Amanda Aycock

Jason Aycock, 34, and Amanda Aycock, 33, of Louisburg, have 450 brood cows and two feedlots that handle 5,000 head of feeder cows annually. He is also a project manager for Mid-Atlantic Infrastructure Systems, an underground utility company serving colleges and hospitals in North Carolina and Virginia. She is also a critical care nurse at WakeMed Health & Hospitals.

Cattle farming was a childhood dream for Jason, and the Aycocks started their farming operation with 25 calves and 30 acres. Both of them are involved in the production and business of their operation.

“Our farming story, ‘starting from scratch,’ from a childhood dream to our present day farm, is a labor of love, dedication and determination,” they say.

Their goals for the next five years include helping their county YF&R program grow and continuing to tell their story. Jason would also like to see a farm mentoring program established in the county.

The Aycocks have two children.