CHICAGO —The outstanding efforts of young Illinois farmers and leaders took center stage Sunday morning during the Illinois Farm Bureau (IFB) Annual Meeting, scheduled Dec. 7-10, in Chicago.

The 2024 County Young Leader Awards program highlighted the hard work and dedication of Young Leaders and county Farm Bureaus (CFB) across the state, including community projects and member engagement efforts.

A complete list of recipients – along with a brief description of each award – can be found below. For awards recognizing a CFB in each membership group, sections are broken down by membership size, with Group 1 being the smallest and Group 5 being the largest.

• Young Leader Achievement Award: This award recognizes Young Leaders for their achievements on their farm and in leadership positions.
  • Ethan and Katie Brown, Montgomery County

• Excellence in Agriculture Award: This award recognizes Young Leaders who are actively contributing and growing their involvement in Farm Bureau and the agriculture industry.
  • Sadie Asher, Henry County

• Most Outstanding Young Leader Program: These awards honor CFB programs aimed at developing 18-35-year-old members into agriculture leaders, including networking and professional development events, educational activities and partnerships with Collegiate Farm Bureaus. One CFB in each membership group is selected as the winner:
  • Membership Group 1: Edwards County, 4-H & Young Leader Cemetery Clean-Up
  • Membership Group 2: Wayne County, Howl at the Moon Fundraiser
  • Membership Group 3: Christian County, Ag Safety Day
  • Membership Group 4: Rock Island County, Pedal Tractor Pull
  • Membership Group 5: St. Clair, Family Fun Day 

• Top County Young Leader Chair Award: This award recognizes county chairs that excel in Farm Bureau involvement and leadership, as well as motivating fellow county committee members to become involved in county, district and state activities. Winners in each membership group receive onstage recognition, a plaque and an expense-paid trip to attend the American Farm Bureau Federation’s Young Farmer and Rancher Leadership Conference in Omaha, Neb., March 8-11, 2024.
  • Membership Group 2: Michael Browning, Franklin County
  • Membership Group 3: Justin Allaman, Warren-Henderson County
  • Membership Group 4: Alison Gibbs, Woodford County
  • Membership Group 5: RJ Nugent, Will County

• Friend of Young Leaders Winners: This award gives county Young Leader committees the opportunity to nominate someone who has had a positive impact on their programs. Winners receive onstage recognition, a plaque and a cash prize. Recipients include:
  • Gail Nettles, nominated by Woodford County Young Leaders
  • Rich DeSchepper, nominated by Knox County Young Farmers
  • Dale Kestel, nominated by Will County Young Farmers

• Young Leader FB ACT Winner: FB ACT asks members to respond to legislative action requests on timely issues. Young Leaders who responded to all action requests this past year were entered into a drawing. The first name pulled gets a choice between attending a Leaders to Washington trip or Governmental Affairs Leadership Conference. The second through fifth names called get the opportunity to attend Governmental Affairs Leadership Conference. This year’s winners are:
  • Nowell Moore, Woodford County
  • Brian Nelson, Knox County
  • Drew Desutter, Knox County
  • Nathan Peak, Pike-Scott County
  • Ryan Reeverts, Ogle County