Fourteen finalists have been announced across Michigan Farm Bureau's 2026 Young Farmer awards program, celebrating outstanding young leaders in the state's prodigious farm sector.

The Young Farmer Achievement Award recognizes successful young farmers (individuals or couples) who derive a majority of their income from an owned production agriculture enterprise and showcases their achievements in the business of farming.

Each finalist is awarded $400 in cash and MFB apparel sponsored by Farm Bureau Health Services. The 2026 state winner will receive a $1,000 AgroLiquid gift certificate, an equipment lease, and an all-expense paid trip to the AFBF Annual Meeting in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Let's meet this year's finalists in the Achievement category:

Chylie Sweeney - Sanilac

Chylie Sweeney and her husband Mark operate Speaker Farm Market & Orchard, near Melvin in southern Sanilac County. Working side-by-side most days, they raise a variety of fruits and vegetables, from apples, tomatoes, sweet corn and zucchini to squashes, cucumbers, peppers and pumpkins.

They also keep a 60-head herd of sheep, rotate hay production across several properties, and maintain an on-farm bakery where pies are scratch-made.

Purchasing the orchard and storefront in 2024 expanded the business and allowed Chylie and Mark to achieve full-time farming status. The 20-acre site includes the apple orchard, storefront and bakery. Since the purchase, Chylie has expanded their offerings to include more agritourism options, including some u-pick options.

From there the plan is to keep growing, adding more agritourism components and creating memorable experiences to better engage visitors - and to keep them returning year after year, better connecting the greater community with food and agriculture.

As an involved Farm Bureau member, Sweeney has found the organization opening several doors to opportunity.

"To me, the connections I make in my local area and across the state are so important," Sweeney said. "I'm learning and growing as a leader every day."

Karl and Katie Wernette - Mecosta

Outside Remus, Karl and Katie Wernette run a cow-calf operation focusing on efficiency and environmental impact. They rotationally graze around 350 cows on 2,000 acres of pasture and an ever-increasing 300 acres of cover crops and residues across their farm and other farmers' acres.

Wernette Cattle Company, which they run alongside Karl's father, also helps move the needle on cattle genetics by hosting the MCA-MSU Bull Evaluation program. They host 80-100 bulls annually to evaluate them for efficiency and other key factors.

Their focus on sustainability drives new initiatives on the farm.

"We're proud of our partnership with MSU's Lake City Research Station and the Noble Research Institute," Wernette said. "By adding monitors to our farm, we're able to evaluate the effect of rotational grazing on carbon sequestration."

Added to their business are direct-to-consumer sales through Wernette beef, 300 acres of cash crops, and 350 acres of hay. They also source and prepare nearly 800 cattle each year for Michigan feedlot operators.

"Farm Bureau has helped us build our network and provided opportunities to grow as leaders," said Katie, who teaches agriscience at Alma High School.

Looking ahead, with their three young children in mind, continued growth and expansion are very much on the to-do list.