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Carter and Abby Morgan of Vermillion County and Johan and Déjanne de Groot of Huntington County have been named the winners of two of Indiana Farm Bureau’s top awards for young farmers and ag professionals.

The Morgans won the Excellence in Ag Award, which honors Farm Bureau members who do not derive the majority of their income from an owned, production agriculture operation but who actively contribute and grow their involvement in Farm Bureau and agriculture. In addition to farming with his family, Carter serves as a soil health consultant at the local Soil and Water Conservation District, where he promotes conservation practices such as no-till, cover crops and conservation management. Abby is the 4-H Extension educator in Montgomery County.

The de Groots won the Achievement Award, which recognizes INFB members who earn the majority of their income from production agriculture and measures applicants on their leadership involvement and farm management techniques. They own a diversified farm operation, which includes a large dairy farm of approximately 2,600 cows, as well as acreage for alfalfa and corn production.

The winners of both contests were announced on the INFB Facebook page on Aug. 22. Both will now go on to represent Indiana at the national contest, which will be held in January at the American Farm Bureau Federation convention in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

The runners-up are: Rachel Hyde, Hamilton County (Excellence in Agriculture); Michael and Jentzi Lash, Orange County (Excellence in Agriculture); Brandon and Kayla Neibert, Newton County (Achievement); and Whitney Nickless, Knox County (Achievement). 

More information on the winners, the finalists and the awards themselves will be found in the November issue of The Hoosier Farmer and on www.infb.org.