INFORMATIO
ON/CRITERIA
A SHEET
WISC
CONSIN STATTE
OUTSTAND
DING YOUNG FARMERS A
AWARDS WE
EEKEND
Y
Farmer (WI OYF) proggram is providi ng the following guidelines annd information to help
The Wisconsinn Outstanding Young
the applicant complete
c
their application
a
to the state OYF Awards
A
Weekeend held in Jannuary each yeaar.
Outstanding Young
Y
Farmerr application guidelines:
g
1. The application
a
musst be in typed foormat.
2. Page 1 is self-explaanatory. (Outstaanding Young Farmer
F
Nominaation Form). Thhe upper portioon of page 2 (W
Wisconsin
OYF State Application and Generaal Information) is to be compl eted with the N
Nomination Forrm. Page 2 alsoo
contaains questions 1 through 8. Complete
C
your answers
a
to thee eight questionns on no more than four 8.5” x 11”
white sheets of paper (front side only)
o
in a typed format. The aallotted pages m
must have top, bottom, and side
margins of no less than
t
¾ of an inch. Do not usee less than an 111 font. Indicatte the nomineee’s full name ceentered at
the toop of each pagee. Space usedd may vary for answering
a
eacch question. Indicate by number and the staated
questtion, where eacch answer begins. Single-spaaced typewritteen answers aree required with a double spacce
betweeen paragraphs. Be as factual as possible. Please SAVE
E in word (.doc or .docx formaat) with your naame as
the fille name. Resppond to each question compleetely. Avoid ussing "does not apply" becausee everything appplies.
Don't feel that you must
m use all of the space provvided but makee sure you coveer all of the keyy points. Coveering 4-6
key ittems fully is better than trying to cover 10-122 items and noot explaining theem fully and noot doing them jjustice.
3. Wherre appropriate, quantify your responses.
r
Staate facts and nnumbers whereever possible.
4. Your completed appplication is the only informatioon the judges uuse prior to inteerviews at the sstate event. This is not a
time to
t be humble. If possible, havve a third-partyy (such as a paast OYF Finalisst, OFA Membeer, County Ag A
Agent,
etc.) critique
c
your appplication before you submit it.
i You want too be certain thaat you have inccluded your acttivities
and achievements
a
that
t exemplify you
y as an outstanding young farmer.
PROGRESS IN
N AGRICULTU
URAL CAREE
ER (50% of the judging
j
criteriaa)
1. How and when did nominee
n
get sttarted? Were you raised on a farm and want to continue thhe family traditiion and
why? Did you workk for a farmer att one time and decide this waas the career you wanted. Did you have another
careeer and decide too switch to an agriculture
a
careeer? How old were you whenn you started fa
farming and how did this
influeence your careeer choice?
2. Whatt challenges haas nominee faced and overcome? Did you fface a financial, personal or pphysical challennge that
you had
h to overcom
me? Was your operation
o
adveersely impactedd by a natural ddisaster? Tell how this has im
mpacted
you inn your farm opeeration. It is addvantageous too explain how yyou have overccome challengees and adversiities.
3. Whatt help has nominee received, including inherritance, gifts, faamily partnershhip, etc.? Help can be in manny forms.
Have you received any
a that has asssisted you in getting
g
to the ppoint you are inn your agriculture career? This could
be giffting of the landd or equipmentt, monetary giftts, mentoring, eetc.
4. Has nominee
n
experrimented with new
n production practices or deeveloped new machinery? If so, describe. H
Have you
tried some
s
new and innovative prooduction techniques? Are youu experimentingg with any new
w seed or livesttock
breedds? Have you modified
m
equipm
ment to meet your
y needs beccause the equippment was nott available?
5. Why did nominee enter farming and what are his/her goals? What are they now? Did you just want a job or did
you want a career? What goals did you set when you entered farming? Have you achieved your goals? If not,
what steps are you taking to achieve your goals? What are your short or long-term goals?
6. What is the nominees’ spouse’s occupation and/or contribution to the farm operation? The judges consider the
spouse’s contribution in many forms. How involved is the spouse in the farm operation? In the WI OYF
competition, we judge the couples as candidates. (At the national level, they judge individuals as the candidates).
EXTENT OF SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION PRACTICS (25% of the judging criteria)
7. Explain the role soil and water conservation practices play in nominee’s farming operation? When commenting on
the soil and water conservation practice area, be sure to elaborate to the extent possible. You may want to touch
base with your local soil conservation district to ascertain what measures you have implemented to preserve or
conserve the natural resources.
CONTRIBUTION TO COMMUNITY, STATE, AND NATION (25% of the judging criteria)
8. What are the organizations that the nominee is a member of in his/her community? First, simply list the
organizations and years you have been in each and, if applicable, list names of who is involved (husband or wife or
both). Then summarize those contributions you consider to have been the most important. Elaborate on one or
more areas which you feel has impacted your community, state or nation and how they are of significance. This is
your opportunity to express your opinions, values, goals, and visions or how your farm/family ties into the "big
picture". Include membership and offices held in organizations by the nominee and spouse. Don't include county
or state fair placings or things that happen when you were a teenager. You can mention a program such as 4-H or
FFA, but what have you done since 4-H and FFA? Being a member of an organization is good, but judges will
place more emphasis on offices that have been held such as a chairperson, director, manager, president,
secretary, treasurer, coordinator, etc. The organizations do not have to be limited to agricultural organizations. Be
sure to include other organizations that you have held positions over the years, e.g. volunteer fire squad, deacon in
the church, township planning board, youth advisor, etc. Offices held is important in that it will show leadership
roles you have assumed.
Financial Statement: The judges want to see where you are at financially. Please do this on the included chart, by first
showing your starting assets and liabilities, and then by showing your current assets and liabilities. This information will be
kept in the strictest confidence, but is required for your application to be complete. Your signature will certify the legitimacy
of your financial statement.
If you have any other questions, please feel free to contact:
Harold or Cindy Matton, 715-833-9649 or [email protected]
Renee or Brian Schaal, 262-534-5255 or [email protected]
Daphne Holterman, 920-988-6482 or [email protected]
Good luck!
O
Outstanding You
ung Farm
mer Nom
mination
n Form
D
Deadline: November 1st P
PERSONAL IN
NFORMATION
N Birth Date: N
Name: Yr. Mo. Age: M
Marital ses name: Single 
Married Spous

SStatus: M
Mailing P: City: State: ZIP
A
Address: SShipping P: City: State: ZIP
A
Address: H
Home Phone: Cell Phone:: ____________
____________
___________
____________
_______________________
_____________________ FFax: Email Address: ____________
____________
___________
____________
_______________________
_____________________ TType of Farm Operation: ____________
____________
___________
____________
_______________________
_____________________ C
Children (Nam
mes and Agess): ____________
____________
___________
____________
_______________________
_____________________ ____________
____________
___________
____________
_______________________
_____________________ SSchools Atten
nded, Degree
es Earned, formal continu
uing educatio
on, etc.: ____________
____________
___________
____________
_______________________
_____________________ ____________
____________
___________
____________
_______________________
_____________________ D
DISCLOSURE: A
All facts included in this information form are true and
d can be used for p
publication (exceppt Financial Statem
ment, which will bee kept In strict confidencce). My signature cconstitutes acceptance of any award
d on local, state, a nd national levelss of competition. M
My ssignature also atte
ests that I will attend the National Outstanding Young Farmers Awards CCongress if chosenn as one of the nattional finalists. SSignature of: __________
____________
___________
____________
_______ Datee: ___________________ N
Nominated byy (organizatio
on or individu
ual): _______
_______________________________________________ WISCONSI
W
N OYF STTATE APPLICATION
N AND GEENERAL INFORMA
ATION Numb
ber of years ass a farm operattor: Percentage off total income earned from faarming: % Numb
ber of days spe
ent in “off‐farm
m” employmen
nt: What is the “ooff‐farm” employment? Is Nominee: So
ole Proprietor  Parrtner 
Salaried Manaager  Other: If other than the sole proprietor, w
what percentaage of policy an
nd managemennt decisions do
o you make? % Indicaate the total nu
umber of acress operated: Tillable: G
Grazing or non‐‐tillable: Of thee above total, indicate the nu
umber of acress: Owneed individually: Owned in paartnership:
PPercentage ow
wned in partnership: % Renteed individually: Rented in paartnership:
PPercentage ow
wned in partnership: % The fo
following questions must be answered on u
up to four add
ditional pages (front side onlly). Please see the Outstandiing Young Farm
mer Nomination
n Form Information/Criteria Sheet for add
ditional instrucctions on how tto answer the questions. GRESS IN AGRICULTURAL CAREER (50% of tthe judging criteria) PROG
1
1. How and w
when did nominee get started
d? 2
2. What challlenges has nom
minee faced an
nd overcome?
3
3. What help has nominee received, inclu
uding inheritance, gifts, familyy partnership, etc.? 4
4. Has nomin
nee experimentted with new p
production praactices or deveeloped new maachinery? If so,, describe? 5
5. Why did no
ominee enter ffarming and w
what were his/h
her goals? Whaat are they now
w? 6
6. What is the
e nominees' sp
pouse’s occupaation and/or co
ontribution to the farm operration? NT OF SOIL AN
ND WATER CON
NSERVATION P
PRACTICES (25
5% of the judgi ng criteria) EXTEN
7
7. Explain the
e role soil and w
water conservation practicess play in nominnee’s farming o
operation. O COMMUNITY
Y, STATE, AND NATION (25% of the judging criteria) CONTTRIBUTION TO
8
8. What are tthe organizatio
ons that the no
ominee is a member of in his//her community? (be sure to
o read detailed
d information on the criteria sheet befo
ore answering this question)
FINA
ANCIAL STATEEMENT ITEM Curren
nt Assets (1 yr. o
or less) Interm
mediate Assets (2 yr. to 7) YEAR
R STARTED _____
____ (as a
a full time operato
or) CU
URRENT YEAR (or last tthree‐year averag
ge) Fixed Assets (8 or more) Total Assets Curren
nt Liability (1 yr. or less) Interm
mediate Liability (2 yr. to 7) Fixed Liability (8 or more) Tota
al Liability NET WORTH CERTTIFICATION “I cerrtify that the ab
bove informatiion is correct aand accurate to
o the best of m
my knowledge.”” Signaature of Nominee: ______
____________
___________
_______________________________Datee:_____________________
_