“That person should be a Master Farmer. He is an excellent farmer, and he does so much for the community. Surely, he will be selected as a Master Farmer this year.”

I hear statements like that all the time. And yes, there are dozens of farmers and farm families that would be good candidates for the Master Farmer award. But they likely won’t be selected this year — not unless you do something about it. As a reader of Indiana Prairie Farmer, you have the power to nominate someone to be recognized. As the editor, I don’t have that opportunity. Instead, it’s up to each of you to notice traits in someone that make them outstanding farmers and great ag community leaders. Once you recognize it, do something about it. Nominate them!

Mark Legan, Coatesville, Ind., understands the importance of recognizing others. He invested the time necessary to successfully nominate David Hardin of Avon, Ind., in 2022. Gary Stuckey, Odon, Ind., gets it. In fact, he successfully nominated two sets of Master Farmers in 2022, Rob and Karen Dove, and Tom and Carol Nugent, both of Elnora, Ind. James Fritts, Rochester, Ind., thought so highly of Tom Schwenk, also of Rochester, that he helped Schwenk become a Master Farmer in 2023 by nominating him.

Now it’s your turn! Who should you nominate for 2024?

Simple nomination process

How do you nominate someone for the Master Farmer award? Here are five easy steps: