Once again, we are competing in the "Outstanding Young Farm Family" Competition. We won the cotton division and are one of the top three finalists. We actually just had the judges come out to our farm last week and did on camera interviews. Here's the article from Neighbors Magazine. I just copied the part explaining the competition and about our family, so if you want to read the entire thing click here.
Finalists Compete For State Outstanding Young Farm Family
May 24, 2016
By Mary Johnson and Debra Davis
Three Outstanding Young Farm Families (OYFF) were chosen as finalists in a statewide contest open to farmers 18-35 years old who stand out as agricultural leaders on their farms and in their communities.
Finalists are featured in this edition of Neighbors. Judges will tour their farms this summer and select the overall winner. Each family will be honored at the Alabama Farmers Federation’s 44th annual Commodity Producers Conference July 30, when the winner will be announced.
The OYFF will receive a prize package worth more than $60,000, including a new General Motors pickup truck from Alfa Insurance, an 825i John Deere Gator from Alabama Ag Credit and Alabama Farm Credit and use of a John Deere tractor by local John Deere dealers and John Deere.
The first and second runners-up each will receive $500 courtesy of Alabama Ag Credit and Alabama Farm Credit. All three finalists will receive Big Green Egg cookers from the Federation.
The winning family will represent Alabama in the American Farm Bureau Federation Young Farmers and Ranchers Achievement Award contest in January in Phoenix, Arizona.
The Miller Family Blount County
From the back porch of their Blount County farmhouse, Lance and Stephanie Miller can see the cotton field where he proposed in September 2005. This October, they will celebrate 10 years of marriage and farming.
“I had no plans of being a farmer,” said Stephanie, who met Lance at Jacksonville State University. “The one thing we got from college was each other.”
With a public relations background, Stephanie switched gears from a potential NASCAR marketing career to life on the farm.
“I knew the farm wasn’t moving anywhere near a racetrack, so I started a blog and Facebook page for the farm,” she said.
After college, Lance said his family urged him to consider jobs besides farming, but he couldn’t resist.
“They knew how hard farming was,” he said. “I worked elsewhere for a little while, but it didn’t suit me. So I came back to the farm and worked with my Uncle Jimmy.”
In addition to their four poultry houses, the Millers grow peanuts, cotton and soybeans.
The couple are active Alabama Farmers Federation members where Lance is State Young Farmers Committee chairman and Blount County Farmers Federation treasurer. Stephanie is Blount County Young Farmers secretary and chairs the county Women’s Leadership Committee and Farm-City committees.
The Millers were the Federation Cotton Division winner in the Outstanding Young Farm Family contest and are among three finalists.
Lance said his greatest accomplishment is continuing the family tradition on their Century and Heritage Farm.
“Actually being able to farm in this day and age is the achievement I’m proudest of,” Lance said.
The Millers have two children, Reed, 4, and Jade, 10 months. They are members of Grace Baptist Church in Snead.
By Mary Johnson and Debra Davis
Three Outstanding Young Farm Families (OYFF) were chosen as finalists in a statewide contest open to farmers 18-35 years old who stand out as agricultural leaders on their farms and in their communities.
Finalists are featured in this edition of Neighbors. Judges will tour their farms this summer and select the overall winner. Each family will be honored at the Alabama Farmers Federation’s 44th annual Commodity Producers Conference July 30, when the winner will be announced.
The OYFF will receive a prize package worth more than $60,000, including a new General Motors pickup truck from Alfa Insurance, an 825i John Deere Gator from Alabama Ag Credit and Alabama Farm Credit and use of a John Deere tractor by local John Deere dealers and John Deere.
The first and second runners-up each will receive $500 courtesy of Alabama Ag Credit and Alabama Farm Credit. All three finalists will receive Big Green Egg cookers from the Federation.
The winning family will represent Alabama in the American Farm Bureau Federation Young Farmers and Ranchers Achievement Award contest in January in Phoenix, Arizona.
The Miller Family Blount County
From the back porch of their Blount County farmhouse, Lance and Stephanie Miller can see the cotton field where he proposed in September 2005. This October, they will celebrate 10 years of marriage and farming.
“I had no plans of being a farmer,” said Stephanie, who met Lance at Jacksonville State University. “The one thing we got from college was each other.”
With a public relations background, Stephanie switched gears from a potential NASCAR marketing career to life on the farm.
“I knew the farm wasn’t moving anywhere near a racetrack, so I started a blog and Facebook page for the farm,” she said.
After college, Lance said his family urged him to consider jobs besides farming, but he couldn’t resist.
“They knew how hard farming was,” he said. “I worked elsewhere for a little while, but it didn’t suit me. So I came back to the farm and worked with my Uncle Jimmy.”
In addition to their four poultry houses, the Millers grow peanuts, cotton and soybeans.
The couple are active Alabama Farmers Federation members where Lance is State Young Farmers Committee chairman and Blount County Farmers Federation treasurer. Stephanie is Blount County Young Farmers secretary and chairs the county Women’s Leadership Committee and Farm-City committees.
The Millers were the Federation Cotton Division winner in the Outstanding Young Farm Family contest and are among three finalists.
Lance said his greatest accomplishment is continuing the family tradition on their Century and Heritage Farm.
“Actually being able to farm in this day and age is the achievement I’m proudest of,” Lance said.
The Millers have two children, Reed, 4, and Jade, 10 months. They are members of Grace Baptist Church in Snead.
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