COLUMBUS – Becky Brill was named Top Farm Woman and her husband Gary was named Top Young Farm Man at the Ohio Young Farmers annual conference.
The Brills are members of the North Union chapter. They own 416 acres and rent an additional 600 acres which produces corn, wheat and soybeans along with swine, chickens, sheep and beef cattle.
Brills’ farm primarily consists of the swine operation.
Their best management practice is the flush system. Pens are no longer hand cleaned since converting the flush system where water is pumped from the pond into the buildings.
The water flows along the outside wall within the pen in a gutter to continuously remove manure and helps to cool the hogs in the summer.
Becky is also employed by Union County Child Assault Prevention.
They have two children, Luke, 13, and Sara, 11.
Other regional finalists were Vicki Schnipke of Delphos chapter; Karl Elder of Fairfield Union chapter; and Brian Powell of Ridgewood chapter.
Hummel. The recipient of the Hummel scholarship is Kecia Johnson of the Riverview chapter and her parents are Mike and Connie Johnson.
She is involved with the Wilmington College Agricultural Society, Agricultural Honor Society and Leadership Plunge.
She has also been involved in 4-H, Youth Farm Bureau and Coshocton County Junior Leaders.
Wheat, grains. Jim Miller of the Delphos chapter was the wheat and small grains winner with a yield of 94.996 bushels per acre.
Miller planted Wellman 9410 Sept. 26 with a seeding rate of three bushels per acre He harvested the wheat July 4 with a moisture of 12.5 percent.
He also used inoculated seed and applied 28 percent.
Other regional finalists include Harold Hutchinson of Allen East chapter; Leigh Miller of Lancaster chapter; Brian Powell; and Michael Vallery of Madison Plains chapter.
Corn. Leigh Miller was the corn winner with a winning yield of 202.2 bushels per acre.
Miller planted Pioneer 34M 94 April 29 with a seeding rate of 28,000 seeds per acre.
He fall applied 200 pounds of 0-0-60 and used 150 pounds of 10-34-0 for starter fertilizer.
Miller used 24 quarts of Bicep Magnum, 1.25 quarts of Gramoxone and a half pint of 2-4 D for his herbicide program.
Other regional finalists were Matt Durbin of Buckeye chapter; Steve Finton of Ridgewood chapter; Michael Vallery; and Joe Young of Fairfield Union chapter.
Soybeans. Miller also was the soybean winner with a yield of 63 bushels per acre.
Miller planted Asgrow 3701 May 9 at a seeding rate of 90 pounds per acre in 7-inch rows.
He also applied Round-Up Ultra two times at a rate of 1 quart per acre.
The beans were no-tilled with 200 pounds of potash.
Other regional winners include Karl Elder; Jim Friedrich of Delphos chapter; Steve Finton; and Michael Vallery.
Membership growth. The membership growth winner was presented to the Ridgewood chapter in Coshocton County.
Jay Davis serves as the advisor.
Leadership. Jim Skeeter Martin of West Holmes chapter won the Ohio Young Farms Inc. Excellence award.
He has been involved in the organization for 17 years serving on the local level as the president, vice president and secretary, and also at the state level.
He has also attended three national institutes along with winning several state Ohio Young Farmers awards.
He farms 540 acres of corn and 465 acres of soybeans. He also owns an excavating business in which he builds ponds, digs basements and puts in septic systems.
Beef award. Karl Elder won the beef award.
His operation consists of 30 cows and more than 50 feedlot cattle. He had a 108 percent calf crop. The calves are weaned and put in the feedlot.
He is in a 50 percent partnership with his father.
The feedlot cattle had a 2.15 daily pounds of gain with a 7.87 average feed conversion. The cattle are sold at an average of 1,300 pounds to United Producers.
Other regional finalists include Mike Graham of TriValley chapter and Philip Hefner of Allen East chapter.
Swine award. Brian Powell of Ridgewood chapter won the swine award.
Powell his wife Andi are the parents of two children, Cody, 14, and Anna, 7.
He farms 335 acres of crops that consist of corn, wheat, soybeans and hay. He also contract feeds 2,100 hogs per year and works at Ridgewood Local Schools as a bus driver.
Brian’s swine operation is a contract wean-to-finish business.
He gets the hogs at 11.28 pounds and feeds them out to 243.22 pounds.
He had a 2.41 feed conversion.
Ag promotion. Delphos chapter won the ag promotion award.
It co-hosted the 2002 summer tour and visited preschool classrooms.
The chapter has also worked with other community organizations.
Delphos also won the chapter safety award for promoting farm safety.
The chapter gave demonstrations of grain bin safety and dangers of suffocation with flowing grain.
The chapter also works with local county extension services and local radio and newspapers promoting farm safety.
It also won the James Dougan Leadership award.
Chapter award. Oak Harbor chapter won the chapter award.
It conducted 28 meetings throughout the state last year and donated to many organizations.
It also conducted a pig scramble, antique tractor pull, a hunter education course and a family Christmas potluck.
The other finalist for this award was Delphos chapter.
Outstanding service. Outstanding service citations were presented to Chris Hefner of Allen East Chapter and Mike Miller of Delphos chapter.
