Contact:

Heidi Gant

317-692-7828

hgant@infb.org

(Indianapolis) – Oct. 15, 2026 – Justin Johnson of Whitley County, Megan and Justin Platt of Shelby County, and Courtney Mann of Putnam County are the winners of Indiana Farm Bureau’s top awards for Young Farmers & Ag Professionals (YF&AP) -- the Excellence in Agriculture, Rising Star and Achievement awards.

All three awards recognize young farmers and ag professionals for their leadership and involvement with Farm Bureau, in addition to their commitment to strengthening agriculture across Indiana. A panel of judges evaluated this year’s participants.

Justin Johnson, Whitley County, is the winner of the Excellence in Agriculture Award. The award honors Farm Bureau members who derive the majority of their income from off the farm and who actively contribute and grow their involvement in Farm Bureau, the agriculture industry and other community organizations. Johnson will receive an $8,000 cash prize courtesy of Farm Credit Mid-America, a $3,000 cash prize courtesy of Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance and an all-expenses-paid trip to Charlotte, North Carolina, to compete in the national Excellence in Agriculture competition at the 2027 American Farm Bureau convention in January.

Megan and Justin Platt, Shelby County, won the Rising Star Award, which honors outstanding members between the ages of 18-30 who are active in Farm Bureau, display personal and professional growth by participating in those activities, and are passionate about agriculture. The Platts will receive a $2,000 cash prize and an all-expenses-paid trip to New Orleans, for the 2027 Farm Bureau FUSION Conference.

Courtney Mann, Putnam County, won the Achievement Award, which recognizes and rewards young farmers who derive the majority of their income from a farming operation and are judged on their leadership involvement and farm management techniques. Mann will receive a $5,000 cash prize courtesy of Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance, a $6,000 cash prize courtesy of Indiana Farm Bureau, Inc. and an all-expenses-paid trip to compete in the national Achievement Award competition at the 2027 American Farm Bureau convention in Charlotte, North Carolina, in January. She also will be awarded the David L. Leising Memorial Award.

Winners and finalists will be formally recognized during the Indiana Ag Gathering presented by INFB in December. Learn more about this year’s winners below or watch their videos here.

Justin Johnson, Whitley County

Justin Johnson grew up surrounded by agriculture on both sides of his family and was integrated into Farm Bureau activities as a young kid. Although his grandparents sold their farm operation before he graduated high school, Johnson found a way to blend his two passions – agriculture and technology – into a future career.

Johnson earned his bachelor’s degree in agricultural systems management and farm management from Purdue University, where he also served as president of his Collegiate Farm Bureau chapter. He won the state Collegiate Discussion Meet and the Young Farmers & Ag Professionals Discussion Meet, which he says helped strengthen his communication skills, broaden his perspective and prepare for future leadership.

Johnson is also involved on the board of his county Farm Bureau, serving as the YF&AP chair and public relations coordinator. He’s a L.E.A.D. (Leadership, Education, Action, Development) program graduate and has participated in both the rural broadband and the innovation and technology issue advisory committees.

“Very few people get the opportunity to grow up on a farm and that’s a blessing,” said Johnson. “I could have gone in any direction with my career, but agriculture is in my blood.”

Johnson now works for a large agricultural equipment dealership as a customer success technician where he helps farmers use precision technology and maximize the value of their farms. That role also incorporates his passion for advocating to expand rural broadband access to the last mile.

“Winning this award is an honor because of the chance I get to represent the state of Indiana on a national level,” said Johnson. “My grandparents served on the first Young Farmer committee, and my parents have both been active on our county board and at the state level. Their example helped instill in me the value of leadership, service and involvement.”

Megan and Justin Platt, Shelby County

Megan and Justin Platt have a passion for education and agriculture that has benefited young people in Shelby County for several years now.

Megan grew up on a third-generation beef cattle production farm and was a 10-year 4-H member who continued her education at Purdue University where she earned her bachelor’s degree in agriculture education. She’s now an ag teacher and FFA advisor.

Justin earned his degree in chemistry with a minor in environmental management from Ball State University and now works as a quality control chemist for a global agribusiness and food company.

Soon after they got married and started their own beef cattle operation, a friend invited them to be on the county Farm Bureau board and they’ve been involved ever since. Megan currently serves as president of Shelby County Farm Bureau and Justin is the chair of their county Young Farmers & Ag Professionals program. Together they created a youth advisory board to get high school students more involved in learning about agriculture and Farm Bureau.

The Platts hope to do their part to increase awareness of livestock farming and agricultural operations over the next five years, connecting more people to the hard work involved in producing food and fiber.

“It’s really easy to feel defeated when you’re starting out and trying to do things on your own,” Megan said. “Winning the Rising Star award tells us we’re going in the right direction.”

Courtney Mann, Putnam County
Agriculture has always been a part of Courtney Mann’s life growing up on her family farm where they raise corn, soybeans and wheat across west central Indiana.

She was a 10-year 4-H member and was actively involved in FFA. Although her family has always been involved in Farm Bureau, Mann started her Farm Bureau journey by joining the Collegiate Farm Bureau chapter at Purdue University where she earned her bachelor’s degree in agriculture economics.

Since returning to work on the family farm, Mann has become more involved in her county Farm Bureau YF&AP committee, participated in the 2026 tax and budget issue advisory committee and influenced state policy priorities by participating as a resolutions committee member.

“I want to continue being involved in Farm Bureau because I think it’s important for those of us in agriculture to have a voice and a seat at the table, especially when it comes to policymaking at the local, state and national level,” said Mann.

Outside of Farm Bureau, she is the chair of her Farm Service Agency (FSA) county committee and a graduate of AgrIInstitute’s Indiana Agricultural Leadership Program Class 20, which prepares leaders to advance agriculture and serve the industry’s related communities. She also earned her MBA from University of Southern Indiana.

Her main role in her family’s farm operation is risk management, working with grain marketing, crop insurance and government programs.

“The ‘why’ that keeps me motivated is working with my family,” said Mann. “My family means everything to me and working together in our family business to give opportunities to future generations is something I’m extremely proud of. It really means a lot to me to receive this award and a full circle moment because my parents won this award in 1993.”

Mann has been farming for more than 10 years now and recently purchased her own farmland. Over the next several years, she hopes to see the family farm evolve to become more efficient in crop production practices and maintain soil fertility while protecting the ground for future generations.

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About Indiana Farm Bureau: For more than 100 years, Indiana Farm Bureau (INFB) has protected and enhanced the future of agriculture and our communities. As the state’s largest general farm organization, INFB works diligently to cultivate a thriving agricultural ecosystem to strengthen the viability of Indiana agriculture. Learn more at INFB.org