One highlight of the Great Lakes Crop Summit will be a tribute and awards presentation for three of Michigan’s finest farmers. They are standouts in agriculture, known for outstanding farm management, innovation, conservation and leadership.

For each of the past 19 years, Michigan Farmer has bestowed the prestigious Master Farmer award on three people who have demonstrated how to farm more effectively, efficiently, environmentally and economically.

This year’s winners, who are highly successful and operate and manage their farms with a high level of proficiency, include Joe Bryant of Shepherd, Dave Milligan of Cass City and Louis Wierenga Jr. of Hastings.

The award acknowledges a lifetime of achievement and not a single year. Master Farmers are nominated by their peers and chosen by a committee of agriculture industry leaders.

The Master Farmers are honored during a luncheon on the second day of the Great Lakes Crop Summit, Jan. 26 in Mount Pleasant, Mich.

The winners receive plaques and pins presented by Michigan Farmer magazine. Feature articles on the winners will appear online this week at MichiganFarmer.com and will be printed in the February issue of American Agriculturist.

Sponsors include Brownfield Ag News, which produces videos on each Master Farmer, as well as Michigan Agricultural Commodities, Greenstone Farm Credit Services, Wilbur-Ellis, the Michigan Soybean Promotion Committee, Michigan Wheat Program and Corn Marketing Program of Michigan.

Past Michigan Master Farmers include:

2005. Fred Tubbs, Mark Huggett and Walter Stafford

2006. Dennis Hasenick, Bob Dykhuis andDave Morris (honorary)

2007. Pete Clark, Wally Huggett and Armon Southworth

2008. John Crumbaugh, Todd Young and Kurt Ewald

2009. Andy Snider, Dale Weburg, George Weburg and Clark Humrich

2010. Paul Rood, Jeffery Sandborn and Carl Moore

2011. Ken Swanson, Gary Bardenhagen and Bill Irrer

2012. Ronald Helmreich, John Felzke and Frank Lipinski

2013. Earl Barks, John Swanson and Tony Jandernoa

2014. Richard Dobbins, John Schaendorf and Harley Sietsema

2015. Olan and Kent Humm, Robert “Alan” Moore, and Richard Lauwers

2016. Delbert Crumbaugh, Brian Haskin and Andy Welden

2017. Tim Brodbeck, David Williams, and Ken and Ida Wadsworth

2018. Ed Cagney, Tom Braid and Robert Ohse

2019. Bruce Noll, Dean Haubenstricker and Jim Domagalski

2020. Clark Gerstacker and Kevin Winkel

2021. Frank Vyskocil, Wayne Waldron Farms and Jim Wilson

2022. Bill Hunt, Dennis Gardner and Greg McCarthy

2023. Joe Bryant, Dave Milligan and Louis Wierenga Jr.