The Cultivating Master Farmers Class of 2023 gathered for their last official mentor meeting last week in Bloomington, Ill., for conversations about farmland, government and managing farm inputs.

Lena Head and her husband, Reeder, are young farmers from Decatur, Ill., and Lena says they’ve thoroughly enjoyed being a part of the CMF program, which pairs a select group of young farmers with a group of Master Farmers for a two-year curriculum.

“Between our Master Farmer mentors and our fellow young farming peers, we have built some friendships that will last a lifetime, and we’d do it again in a heartbeat if we could!” she says.

Head says the best part of this last meeting for her was the chance to talk with Master Farmer Darell Sarff about where to get involved in the ag industry, as she debates serving with a statewide commodity group.

“He shared his perspective on why and how it would be a valuable experience for me, and how I can best serve our industry — it was great to be able to tap into Master Farmers like Darell who’ve already been part of the various industry organizations,” she adds.

Sarff, a 2018 Master Farmer from Chandlerville, Ill., says he enjoyed the bonding and the communication between young and Master farmers. “That was at a level I hadn’t seen at other meetings,” he says.

Sarff also sang the praises of Randy Niver, Bayer agronomist from Vermilion County, Ill., who wrapped up the two-day event.

“A highlight to me was the agronomist from Bayer. His presentation was the most practical that I can remember from any agronomy class I’ve sat through,” Sarff says, adding that he texted a friend on the way home and suggested getting in touch with him.

The CMF Class of 2023 wraps up this summer, with graduation on July 21 — which will also be orientation for the Class of 2025. Applications for that class are available online, and the deadline for young farmers to apply is March 31. Master Farmers who are interested can contact Holly Spangler at [email protected].

Cultivating Master Farmers is sponsored by Growmark, Compeer Financial, Farm Credit Illinois, Bayer, Illinois Farm Bureau and Prairie Farmer.

CMF Class of 2023

Young Farmers

Master Farmers