A commitment to Kansas agriculture. A giving community spirit. A dedication to family and the farm.

These are the traits that each of the six Kansas Master Farm Families share. The Class of 2023 is an outstanding representation of service to agriculture and their communities.

The Class of 2023 Kansas Master Farm Families includes Hugo and Andrea DeJesus, Manhattan; Doug and Stacey Keas, Plainville; Tim and Robyn Raile, Saint Francis; Ken and Patricia Stielow, Paradise; Conrad and Donna Trost, Concordia; and Kenton and Deb Weltmer and Michael and Ladonna Weltmer, Smith Center.

The class runs the gamut of farm operations in the state. Hugo and Andrea DeJesus are the youngest honorees to date, and they operate a fruit and vegetable farm and agritourism destination just outside of Manhattan.

Doug and Stacey Keas have found excellence in raising crops and livestock near Plainville, having broken the 100-bushel barrier in the Kansas Wheat Yield contest.

From success on the K-State football field, to raising fields of high-quality organic crops that wind up in national branded products, Tim and Robyn Raile have found their niche near Saint Francis.

The Stielows have generations of a ranching legacy in the hills around Paradise, and it’s that bond to the land that helped them overcome a devastating wildfire.

For Conrad and Donna Trost, family is a very important part of “family farm.” They’ve not only expanded their family through adoption, but they’re also bringing the next generations into the business with thoughtful care and planning.

The Weltmers, brothers Kenton and Michael, and their respective wives Deb and Ladonna, have been farming in tandem for 55 years. They are just the second sibling pairing of Master Farm Family honorees in the award’s history.

This marks the 96th class, and a change in the title of the award, to reflect the changing demographics of Kansas farm families. As varied as the 105 counties of the state, so too are the different versions of “farm families.”

However, while the award is now called “Kansas Master Farm Family,” the honorees will still be invited to join the Kansas Master Farmer Association and the Kansas Master Farm Homemakers Guild.

Local Extension councils around the state gather names from their counties and districts and select nominees to be forwarded to the state level. A state selection committee reviews those applications and then chooses a slate of families for each class. The program is co-sponsored by Kansas State University Research and Extension, and Kansas Farmer magazine.

Anyone can submit the name of a family they’d like to see recognized to their local Extension agent, or by calling the K-State Research and Extension administrative office at 785-532-5890.

Extension agents will then contact those families selected to move on to the state level to fill out the longer award application. Nominations for the next class, the Class of 2024, will be due May 1.

Be sure to return to KansasFarmer.com each day this week to read the in-depth stories of each of the six farm families of the Class of 2023. And look for more highlights in the March issue of Kansas Farmer magazine.