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Ryan Feist is Minnesota’s Outstanding Young Farmer

By Staff | Jan 25, 2010

Ryan Feist

“We have the ‘Old McDonald’ thing going around here with the cattle mooing and the rooster crowing,” says Ryan Feist of his family’s Wells farm.

But it also is home to the 28-year old Feist who could do some crowing himself since the Minnesota Jaycees recently named him Outstanding Young Farmer for 2009.

In addition to a full-time job and farming with his brother and father, young Feist also has made the time to belong to the Wells Jaycees. It was through this organization he was initially nominated as a candidate for their Outstanding Young Farmer award.

“Crystal Dulas nominated me,” says Feist. The director of special projects for Dulas Excavating in Wells, she nominated Feist because he had shown a dedication to moving forward and assuring the future of farming.

“It took a lot of paperwork,” recalls Feist of the application process.

Since 1954, the Minnesota Junior Chamber has been recognizing the importance of strong young leaders of the agricultural industry of our state. Nominees, such as Feist, have to submit information about their farm, background, and knowledge of the industry and are judged on the following criteria: progress in an agricultural career; extent of soil and water conservation practices; and contributions to the well-being of the community, state and nation.

After gathering all of the information required, Feist didn’t expect to hear back once he submitted his application for the Outstanding Young Farmer award.

To read more of this story, see this week’s Register.