Robert Hill of Lauderdale County is the 2025 Tennessee Young Farmer of the Year. The announcement was made during the Tennessee Farm Bureau Young Farmers & Ranchers Summer Conference at the Farm Bureau Expo Center in Lebanon.
As a fifth-generation farmer, Hill farms with his family in the Gates community of West Tennessee. The family farm consists of around 5,000 acres of cotton, corn and soybeans. Since coming back to the farm full-time in 2014, Hill has helped more than double the operation’s size, including most recently adding sweet corn, pumpkins, watermelons and cut flowers he sells via social media and at farmers markets. While his dad plans to retire from full-time farming at the end of the year, Hill is excited for what’s to come and looks forward to his fiancé, Samantha, joining the family farm after their wedding in late August.
Not only did Hill grow up in a strong farming family, the family also has a strong legacy in Farm Bureau. Hill grew up attending Farm Bureau meetings and got involved at a young age. He has served for several years as the Lauderdale County YF&R chairman and on the county board. He also served on the Tennessee YF&R Committee for two years before being chosen by YF&R members to be state chair in 2024. He was also the second-place winner for this award in 2021.
Hill was named this year’s winner based upon farm and financial records from 2024 as well as his leadership on the farm, in his community and in Farm Bureau. Hill competed against 16 other county contestants to be named the 2025 Tennessee Young Farmer Achievement Award winner.
As state winner, Hill receives a year’s free use of a Case IH tractor up to 150 hours. He also receives a Kubota RTV and a $1,500 cash prize from Tennessee Farm Bureau, an insurance policy to cover the tractor for one year from Farm Bureau Insurance of Tennessee, $1,000 in qualified Farm Bureau services and a trip to the American Farm Bureau Convention in Anaheim, Calif. in January 2026 where he will compete for national honors with other state winners.
Rob and Leah Holman of Obion County are the second-place winners in this year’s competition. The couple farms on Rob’s family’s 175-year-old farm in Union City where they raise corn and soybeans on 2,400 acres. In addition, the Holmans diversified the operation in 2023 by starting a 4,800 wean-to-finish swine operation through Tosh Farms. The couple has been heavily involved in YF&R and Farm Bureau through the years, including Rob serving as state YF&R chairman and on the county board of directors. He has also served Obion County as a county commissioner for the past seven years.
As second-place winners, the Holmans receive free use of a Kubota tractor up to 250 hours, as well as the same trips and cash awards from Tennessee Farm Bureau and service companies.
The 2025 District Achievement Award winners are:
- District I – Robert Hill of Lauderdale County.
- District II – Phillip and Whitney Berry of Wayne County. The Berrys own a poultry operation and raise beef cattle and hay on 1,500 acres. Phillip also serves as the Wayne County Farm Bureau president.
- District III – Kary Robinson of Franklin County. Robinson farms with his family in Belvidere where they raise 3,000 acres of corn, soybeans, wheat, oats and cotton, in addition to their beef cattle herd and their on-farm feed store. Kary also serves as the Franklin County Farm Bureau president.
- District IV – Adam Kemp of Smith County. Kemp farms on his family’s operation in Pleasant Shade where they raise a commercial cow herd as well as have feeder calves, plus put up around 1,000 rolls of hay each year.
- District V – Aaron and Mackenna Loy of Jefferson County. Aaron and his family own a diversified livestock operation with commercial beef cattle and a hog finishing business where they sell meat directly off the farm.
