Riley Brazo is a 2020 Michigan Farm Bureau Young Farmer Ag Employee Finalist and sweet sixteen discussion meet finalist. He works with Fawn River Farms, where they raise seed corn for Bayer Crop Sciences, commercial corn, and 6,000 hogs. Riley’s favorite time on the...

Phil Dougherty is a turkey farmer in Alto. He, his wife Jennifer, and his four kids have been raising heavy toms for three years. Phil worked on dairy farms while he was growing up, and he started his career as an electrician. His wife’s family also has their own...

Courtney Matthias grew up on a livestock and crop farm, and she wanted a job that combined her love of science, cattle, and people. She went to MSU to become a large animal veterinarian, and she has been with the Sterner Veterinary Clinic for three years. She spends...

Paul Pridgeon is a seventh generation farmer on Pridgeon Farms, where he and his family raise hogs and crops. He, his wife Nikki, and their three daughters just moved closer to the farm to secure a 30-second commute to work. Paul went to Central Michigan for his...

Tye Thompson started selling produce at 14 years old. He continued running his business as he earned his horticulture degree from MSU, and now he has four roadside stands where he sells multiple varieties of fruit and vegetables. Tye isn’t from a farm and didn’t grow...

Matt Munsell owns Munsell’s Poultry Processing in Fowlerville, where he lives with his wife Amanda and daughter Elnora. Along with processing poultry for farmers markets, restaurants, and backyard growers, he and his family grow 1000 acres of crops, plus raise steers...

Deidre Iciek is a comprehensive nutrient management plan consultant, and she and her family also own Iciek Dairy in Gladwin. As a CNMP consultant, she works with farms to make sure their manure management systems are compliant, which includes help with reporting,...

Afton Blight of Blight Farms took a year off before college and worked at a non-profit in South America. There she learned she liked working outside, enjoyed the seasons of Michigan, and wanted to see the results of her work – namely to watch crops and livestock grow....

Markeisha Wesley is graduating with a BS in agribusiness management from Michigan State University. She’s also worked as the assistant manager for the Detroit Kitchen Connect Program, which is an Eastern Market Corporation program that trains and supports food...

Lyndsay Earl is a member representative at Michigan Milk Producers Association, which is a milk co-op. Originally from a dairy farm, Lyndsay graduated in animal science - agribusiness management specialization - from Michigan State University. She enjoys working with...

Amy Spitznagel owns Idyll Farms, a goat farm and creamery located in Northport, Michigan. Following a career as a teacher, flight attendant, and actress, Amy and her husband Mark decided to embrace the farm-to-table and environmental movement with a pasture-based goat...

Caitlin Luck is a senior at Michigan State University majoring in agricultural education. Her family farm in Sand Creek grows corn, soybeans, and wheat. She knew since seventh grade she wanted to go into agricultural education at MSU, and all her activities through...

Ben Zaleski, Michigan Ag Council Ambassador, became interested in agriculture by growing up around it in Port Austin and participating in FFA in high school. He’s a junior at Michigan State University, where he’s majoring in Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources...

Erin Keller recently graduated with her BS in Biosystems Engineering from Michigan State University, and now she’s an engineer at Consumers Energy. She became interested in agriculture through her science classes at MSU, her interest in sustainability, and her...

Jacob Hoskins, who recently graduated from Ferris State University, just started as a program technician for the U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency in St Johns. After working on farms in high school and enjoying the industry, he knew he ultimately...

Lauren recently graduated from Michigan State University with a dual major in agribusiness management and food industry management from the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. She’s now working in the appraisal department at GreenStone Farm Credit Services....

Haili Gusa became interested in agriculture through FFA, where she served as a chapter, regional, and state officer. Her involvement led to showing pigs at the county fair, entering many speaking competitions, and ultimately becoming an ag ambassador due to her love...

Emma Grant is a junior at Michigan State University, where she’s double majoring in horticulture and crop and soil science, and minoring in ag business. Her hometown is Suttons Bay, and she’s enjoyed running the farmers market there for the last two years. After...

Madelyn Cary lives on her family’s farm where they grow cash crops and raise cattle. They also recently began running the Elwell Elevator. She’s beginning at Michigan State University in the fall to study agribusiness management with the goal of coming back to work on...

Hailey Andres just graduated from University of Michigan-Flint with a degree in graphic design and marketing. When she joined FFA at New Lothrop High School, she became interested in agriculture and shaped her career around it. She now is interning with GreenStone...

Michael Ceja, Michigan Ag Council Ambassador, is studying business management at Delta College. His sophomore year of high school he got involved in FFA and got interested in ag advocacy and youth leadership. Last year he won the state collegiate discussion meet for...

Grace Platte is one of our Michigan Ag Council Ambassadors. She's studying agricultural education at Michigan State University, and she works two jobs and she manages social media for the College of Agricultural & Natural Resources, and she works for MSU Extension...

Tony Motz farms with his dad, where they grow corn, soybeans, and wheat on 3000 acres in St Johns. He also started Motz Meat, where he raises steers to sell as freezer beef. Tony earned his degree in agribusiness at Michigan State University, and he enjoys finetuning...

Kip Siegler is a farming YouTube sensation, with over 14,000 subscribers, 66 videos, and 1.3 million total views in just nine months. He’s a dairy and crop farmer in Imlay City, where he milks 200 cows and raises hay, corn, soybeans, and wheat on 1700 acres. Kip farms...