Fourteen finalists have been announced across Michigan Farm Bureau’s 2025 Young Farmer awards program, celebrating outstanding young leaders in the state’s prodigious farm sector.
The Young Agriculture Employee Award recognizes farm employees and ag professionals for their contributions to the success and long-term profitability of their workplace. Nominees are also judged on their leadership involvement in Farm Bureau, agriculture and the local community. Here are this year’s finalists in the Employee category:
Cameron Cook — Clinton County
Outside her full-time job as a chattel appraiser with GreenStone Farm Credit Services, Cameron Cook’s time is spent helping her parents on their 300-cow rotational grazing dairy farm, and its 650 acres of corn, soybeans, wheat, alfalfa, triticale and sorghum.
“My greatest achievement has been coming back home to Clinton County and being a 4-H leader, sharing life skills and amazing experiences and opportunities with local youth,” she said.
Her future goals include accreditation as a certified chattel appraiser and polishing her leadership skills to better serve her customers.
“The value of Farm Bureau for me is the network we build,” Cook said. “It is important to be involved and have a voice in order for us to help farming succeed in the future.”
Olivia Gager – Gratiot County
Olivia Gager is a real estate appraiser for GreenStone Farm Credit Services, specializing in dairy farms, farmland and rural residences. Among her proudest achievements is obtaining her Certified General Appraiser license — the highest attainable, permitting her to appraise agricultural and commercial properties.
“I’ve been involved in agriculture my whole life and feel I contribute a sense of integrity to our business,” she said. “In a world where everything is so transactional, I pride myself on creating professional and personable relationships with our customers.”
Moving forward she aims to continue volunteering for organizations like FFA, helping students grow into advocates for agriculture.
“These students are the future of agriculture, and in turn the future of Farm Bureau,” she said. “It’s important to me that they have a support system to help foster their professional growth.”
Andrew Littlefield – St. Joseph County
As a machine operator and fabrication specialist with Rich Baker Farms, Andrew Littlefield helps raise 2,750 acres of soybeans, commercial and seed corn, hay and wheat. There’s also 2,400 head of finishing hogs and 50 head of cattle.
“I’m most proud of being a 4-H Leader and helping local youth grow their knowledge and confidence,” he said.
His future plans include growing his own family farm until he’s working it full-time.
“The value of Farm Bureau membership is being able to connect and network with other young farmers,” he said, “allowing me to learn more about the industry.”
Jasmine McNary — Sanilac County
As an agricultural education teacher for grades 11-12, Jasmine McNary maintains a livestock inventory including five head of cattle, 16 sheep, 30 egg-laying chickens, 150 meat chickens, 24 meat rabbits, two sows, eight fair hogs and four goats.
“I’m proud of improving animal health and increasing herd sizes within the program, as well as increasing the number of students involved,” she said. “One of my ambitions for the future is to increase student involvement within Farm Bureau during and after high school. A second goal is to increase our success in FFA competitions as a reflection of improved teaching strategies.”
McNary credits her Farm Bureau membership for helping build a supportive networking for all her agricultural endeavors.
“I like to reap the value in the education and networking opportunities to take back and share with my students,” she said — connections that connect her students with real-world learning opportunities. “Involvement in Farm Bureau has provided me with the tools to be a better agricultural educator.”
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