From the cotton fields in the South Plains of West Texas and the broilers and cattle of the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia to America's Dairyland in Wisconsin and the broad diversity of pigs, sheep, corn and soybeans in Ohio, the U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance's next class of Faces of Farming & Ranching capture the passion behind agriculture and the drive for sustainability and technology on today's SMART Farm.

NO-TILL FARMER: Emily Buck farms 1,000 acres of no-till farmland near Columbus with her husband, John.

Unveiled at the National Association of Farm Broadcasting (NAFB) Convention in Kansas City, the winners include Lauren Arbogast of Virginia, Jeremy Brown of Texas, Emily Buck of Ohio, Katie Roth of Wisconsin and Lauren Schwab of Ohio. These farmers will share their personal stories on a national stage with consumers, influencers and end users to help earn consumer trust and confidence in U.S. food and agriculture.

"Agriculture today is driven by technology and an unparalleled commitment to animal care, and this group of exceptional farmers and ranchers are such an accurate portrayal of the entire agricultural community," says Brad Greenway, USFRA chairman and a South Dakota crop and livestock farmer. "With their sustainable practices ranging from no-till and cover crops to pollinator habitat and state-of-the-art animal facilities, I'm proud to have these five represent USFRA and all of agriculture."

Newest class
Members of the next class for Faces of Farming & Ranching follow. Find videos of all of them on YouTube.

PIGLET CARE: Lauren Schwab works on a 1,200-sow breed-to-wean family pig farm in Butler County.

Lauren Arbogast farms with her husband, Brian, and their two sons on a diverse operation in Rockingham County, Va., consisting of five houses of chickens (broilers), a cow-calf herd of 450, a calf backgrounding site of 400, and crop rotations. See Lauren Arbogast’s YouTube video here.

Jeremy Brown farms with his wife, Sarah, and their three children on a 3,000-acre farm on the South Plains of West Texas, growing cotton, organic cotton, wheat, rye, grain sorghum, peanuts and sesame. See Jeremy Brown’s YouTube video here.

Emily Buck farms with her husband, John, and their daughter on 1,000 acres of no-till farmland near Columbus, Ohio, in the Lake Erie and the Mississippi River watersheds. They farm corn, soybeans and a flock of 40 Southdown ewes. See Emily Buck’s YouTube video here.

Katie Roth and her husband, TJ, farm with their partners, John and Luann Shea, in the southwest corner of America's Dairyland in Wisconsin. They milk 260 Holsteins, and all of their feedstuffs are grown on the farm, including corn, soybeans, alfalfa and wheat. See Katie Roth’s YouTube video here.

Lauren Schwab works on her 1,200-sow breed-to-wean family pig farm in Butler County, Ohio. As the farrowing house manager, she is a Week 1 specialist to ensure all piglets get off to the best start. See Lauren Schwab’s YouTube video here.

As seen in the videos, sustainability is a key component on all these farms. The public will get to know this group of farmers and ranchers through public appearances, national media interviews, web chats, blog posts, social media activities and more.  

For more information on the Faces of Farming & Ranching program and the winners, visit fooddialogues.com/farmers-ranchers.

Source:USFRA