1 Steven Akers, Abernathy,TX – Back To Nature/South Plains Compost, factory representative and salesman, composting cotton burrs and cattle manure for lawn and garden industry and farm fertilizer.
2 Jorge Luis Alvarez, Jr., Santa Elena, TX – Ranch Manager at Rancho San Rafael, a wildlife production specializing in an intensive hunting enterprise for bobwhite quail and white-tail deer, cow/calf operation, and hay production.
3 Wes Chandler, Garrison, TX – Railroad tie supplier, K. L. Barton & Sons Tie Company; Owner/operator, Lightning C Cattle, commercial cow-calf & Brahman cow-calf producing F-1 Brafords.
4 Lee Chastain, Arlington, TX – QA Analyst for Alcon, a Novartis Company, Fort Worth, TX, and a partner of Mockingbird Hill Ranch, a fifth-generation, family-owned, registered Hereford cattle operation in Palo Pinto County.
5 Sandra Choate, Athens, TX – Vice President Marketing, Public Relations and Communication for AgWorkers Mutual Auto Insurance and AgWorkers Group of Companies. Co-owner/operator Bar Z Ranch a family owned farm producing commercial cattle and registered Brafords in Henderson County.
6 Colin Chopelas, Corpus Christi, TX – Partner in Chopelas Farms, a family owned fifth-generation farm, producing cotton, corn, grain sorghum, wheat and sesame.
7 Dustin Cleavinger, Lazbuddie, TX – Crop Insurance Specialist for Great Plains Ag Credit. Owner/operator of irrigated farm producing corn, milo, cotton, and wheat as well as raise cattle.
8 Barry Coker, Muleshoe, TX – Owner/Agent with Vic Coker Land Co., specializing in Agricultural Real Estate sales in Texas; Owner of C4 Cattle, a family cow/calf operation.
9 Matt Davis, Muleshoe, TX – Wilbur Ellis Company, Branch Manager, marketing retail agricultural inputs and services. Managing partner of stocker and feeder cattle operations in Castro and Bailey counties.
10 Scott Frazier, Chapman Ranch, TX – Managing partner of Frazier Farms (producers of cotton, corn, grain sorghum, and wheat), Thunder Cattle Company (commercial and purebred cow/calf operation), and Frazier Ag Service (agricultural risk management services).
11 Matt Gruhlkey, Amarillo, TX – Origination Manager for Attebury Grain, LLC overseeing the purchasing of wheat, corn, grain sorghum and cottonseed at all locations across Texas. Involved in Gruhlkey Farms, of Adrian, Texas, a fourth-generation farm/ranch raising wheat and grain sorghum along with a black angus cow herd.
12 Blaine Junfin, Quemado, TX – Kunafin “The Insectary.” Family owned and operated business in the production of beneficial insects. Sales/Consultant: Supplying/Developing biological integrated pest management programs for animal agriculture, crop, orchard and greenhouse producers.
13 Steven Kahla, Waller, TX – Marketing, PR and Corporate Sponsorships Director, Rios of Mercedes, Anderson Bean and Olathe Boot Companies, Oldest Boot Company made in the USA.
14 Mariano Lerma, Waxahachie, TX – Special Investigator with the USDA’s Risk Management Agency, Dallas, TX. Conducts reviews to determine if federal laws, policies, and procedures and to protect the integrity of the crop insurance program.
15 Bradley Lubbers, Dalhart, TX – JBS Five Rivers Cattle Feeding supervisor of environmental affairs, Dalhart, TX. Works with company feed-yards in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Arizona to ensure environmental compliance. Co-Owner/Partner in family-owned irrigated alfalfa, sorghum, wheat, and corn farm.
16 Mary Luedeker, Georgetown, TX – Texas Animal Health Commission, Governmental and Industry Relations and Assistant General Counsel.
17 Michelle Moore, Kelton, TX – Owner/Partner in Grow Moore, LLC, selling and applying compost, fertilizer and chemicals; Owner/Partner in Moore Farms, producing cotton, wheat, feed and beef cattle.
18 Zane Nicholson, Blooming Grove, TX – Co-Owner/Operator of 3 N Farms, Producing Cotton, Milo, Sunflowers, Wheat as well as Cattle production with cow calf herd, feeder cattle, stocker cattle. Also custom harvesting and spraying.
19 Chloe Nunley, Sabinal, TX – 4th generation rancher, Nunley Bros. Ranches, raising Santa Gertrudis cattle. Field representative with Superior Livestock Association. State 2nd Vice President for Independent Cattleman’s Association of Texas
20 Jonah Parker, Cedar Park, TX – District Market Manager for Scott’s Miracle-Gro in Texas covering San Antonio, Austin, Rio Grande Valley, and West Texas. Jonah develops sales strategies with key customers such as Home Depot, Lowe’s, and Walmart to provide relevant product solutions to Texas lawn and garden consumers.
21 Rebecca Rivers, Lubbock, TX – FOX 34 Ag Day Lubbock, Producer and Reporter; Rivers Ranch, family-owned cattle production.
22 Joe (Cuatro) Strack IV, El Campo, TX – Owner and managing partner, J4 Fencing & Services & J4 Custom Builders, constructing AG fence and buildings throughout Texas. Also partner in Strack Whitetails, breeding whitetail deer.
23 Brad Stufflebeam, Brenham, TX – Recipient of the 2012 Houston Mayor’s Award: Champion of Food Justice. Owner/Founder of Home Sweet Farm, Houston’s first Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Farm. Past President of the Texas Organic Farmers & Gardeners Assoc. and USDA Advisory Board Member Southern SARE.
24 Travis Thorne, Bowie, TX – Capital Farm Credit, ACA, vice president/senior relationship manager providing financing to cow-calf and stocker operations as well as recreational land owners in North central Texas; family partner in Clayton Ranch, a family-owned purebred Angus cow-calf operation.
25 Eric Turpen, Littlefield, TX – Real estate broker at Clift Land Brokers, specializing in farm and ranch real estate throughout the Texas Panhandle and Eastern New Mexico. Owner/operator of a grain, cotton, and alfalfa hay farm.
26 Chad Wetzel, Tom Bean, TX – Owner/operator CLW Farm & Seed: dry-land wheat, corn, and grain sorghum production; seed sales; and custom application. Business manager for B&B Wetzel Farms: family farm operation growing wheat, corn, grain sorghum, soybeans, and cotton and cow-calf operation.
27 Cody White, Lubbock, TX – CoBank, ACB, Relationship Manager – Regional Agribusiness Banking Group, providing financing to agribusinesses throughout Texas and New Mexico, and director – Texas Agricultural Coop Council.
28 Leah Wilkinson, Austin, TX – Director of Ingredients, Pet Food and State Affairs for the American Feed Industry Association, responsible for policy issues regarding feed ingredients, pet food and equine feed; handles state government affairs for the western part of the U.S.