Katie Martin of Putnam County is this year’s Excellence in Agriculture winner for Tennessee Farm Bureau Young Farmers & Ranchers. The results were announced during the banquet of the YF&R Fall Educational Tour in Henry County at Paris Landing State Park.
Growing up on a third-generation family farm in Cookeville, Martin was raised around horses and agriculture. She was actively involved in 4-H and FFA and graduated from Tennessee Tech with a bachelor’s degree in agribusiness management before obtaining her master’s degree in agriculture leadership, education and communications from the University of Tennessee.
Martin currently serves as a 4-H agent in Smith County where she has the opportunity to reach more than 1,000 youth each year. She helps students participate in various competitions and contests and also co-hosts a TV show, “Cultivating Communities,” which is aired on several local TV co-ops. Outside of her career, Martin and her family started a part-time flower farm in 2020 where they sell flowers to the public and strive to connect farming to the local community. She and her husband, Doug, are proud to be raising the next generation with their son, Easton.
Martin has been involved in YF&R since she was 18 and could join the organization. She has served as Putnam County’s YF&R chair and district IV representative, participated in American Farm Bureau’s Women’s Communications Bootcamp, and in 2019, she won state honors in the discussion meet contest and made it to the sweet sixteen round at the national level representing Tennessee.
The Excellence in Agriculture Award recognizes young farmers who derive the majority of their income for an off-farm occupation, but who actively contribute and grow through their involvement in agriculture, their leadership ability and participation in Farm Bureau and other organizations. Martin competed against 14 other county contestants from across the state to be named the state winner.
As state winner, Martin receives $1,000 from Farm Bureau Insurance of Tennessee, $500 from Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation, $1,000 in Tennessee Farm Bureau services, a John Deere Gator sponsored by Farm Credit Mid-America and a trip to the American Farm Bureau Convention in Puerto Rico in January 2023 where she will compete for national honors with other state winners.
Leigh Fuson of Dekalb County was selected as this year’s second-place winner. Third was Laura Purtle of Williamson County, fourth was Megan Southerland of Greene County and fifth was Megan Jernigan of Coffee County.
