SANDY, Utah. December 6, 2022 – Mason and Erika Anderson of Millard County were the winners of the Utah Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers (YF&R)‘Achievement Award’. The award was presented at the recent Utah Farm Bureau Annual Convention and is considered the top honor for young farmers and ranchers in Utah.

The YF&R program helps young Farm Bureau members shape their future and American agriculture through leadership development and personal growth opportunities. Three competitions are held to enable members to showcase their leadership experience, communication skills and successful business plans as they compete against the best of the best from each state Farm Bureau.

The Achievement Award is a competition that recognizes those young farmers and ranchers that have excelled in their farming or ranching operations and honed their leadership abilities to superiority. Participants are involved in production agriculture with a majority of their income subject to normal production risks.

Mason & Erika Anderson (far right and 2nd from right) are presented with a John Deere Gator for winning the 2022 YF&R Achievement Award, as sponsored by Cache Valley Bank (far left) and Stotz Equipment (center).

“This was a thrill to win this award,” said Erika Anderson. “We are grateful for all Farm Bureau has offered us through education, experiences and knowledge, and We’re excited to represent our county and state at the national level.”

The contestants are evaluated on a combination of their farming operation growth and financial progress of operation, Farm Bureau leadership and leadership outside of Farm Bureau. More specifically, the judges look for excellence in management, growth and scope of the enterprise and self-initiative that are displayed throughout the operation.

Mason and Erika live and farm in Oak City, where farm and ranch on the same land that Mason’s ancestors homesteaded. They grow alfalfa hay, corn, small grains, and wheat, in addition to a 200+ cattle ranch.

The couple are strong advocates for agriculture and helping those in her community and abroad to be familiar with how food gets on their plate.

“Competing for this award has been a great way to help us refine our agricultural business and improve as advocates for our industry,” Mason Anderson said. “There were a lot of other great candidates, which points to the quality of young agricultural leaders we have in Utah.”

The Andersons, representing the Millard County Farm Bureau, competed with five other finalists from around the state for the award. For winning the Achievement Award, they received a John Deere Gator ATV courtesy of Cache Valley Bank and Stotz Equipment, and an expense-paid trip in January to the American Farm Bureau Federation annual meeting in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Mason and Erika will compete at the American Farm Bureau (AFBF) annual convention against Achievement Award winners from across the nation. National winners of the Achievement Award receive $35,000 credit towards a new Ford vehicle and paid registration to the AFBF FUSION Conference in Jacksonville, Florida, courtesy of Ford. The runner-up receives $25,000 credit towards new Case IH piece of equipment, courtesy of Case IH. Others receive prizes courtesy of Stanley Black & Decker.