Nominate a McLeod or Meeker County farm family or individual for the Farm Family of the Year. Nominations will be taken until Friday, March 18. The McLeod and Meeker County Extension Committees are encouraging local farmers and agribusinesses to fill out the form to honor a farm family or individual. Often, farmers are not honored for their dedication to the industry, community efforts, and the work they do to promote a positive portrayal of agriculture. Be sure to take the time to bring an individual or farm family forward for this honor.
Nominations can include an individual or family, using the criteria below. Farm families should be Minnesota food producers actively involved in agricultural production with one or more agricultural enterprises. Other criteria can also include if the farm family has made significant short-term progress and/or innovative contributions with their agricultural endeavors. For example, consider new producers, someone who has developed an innovative method for a particular environmental problem, adopted a rotational grazing system, added alternative or value-added crops, etc.
All nominees should also have demonstrated a commitment to enhancing and supporting the fields of agriculture and production. They should also have some involvement in their communities and/or related organizations. Finally, the nomination should not have been previously recognized by the Farm Family Program.
Contact the McLeod or Meeker County Extension Offices for a nomination form. You can also visit the University of Minnesota Farm Family of the Year Website to learn more about the program and review the list of past recipients: http://mnfarmfamilies.
cfans.umn.edu/. Forms can be found online for McLeod http://z.umn.edu/mcleodfarmfamily16, or Meeker County http://z.umn.edu/meekerfarmfamily16.
Be sure to nominate a farm family or individual for the Farm Family of the Year in 2016. Nominations are kept on file for the current year and for future years.