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Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation
Agricultural News and Information
State Excellence in Agriculture Recipients
William and Julie White of Oktibbeha County were recently named winners
of the Young Farmers & Ranchers Excellence in Agriculture Award. They
were recognized for their involvement in agriculture, their leadership
ability and their involvement and participation in Farm Bureau and their
community. The Excellence in Agriculture Award is presented to those individuals
or couples who do not have the majority of their income subject to normal
production risk.
William and Julie received a Grasshopper zero-turn lawnmower and will
represent Mississippi in state in national competition in Nashville, Tennessee,
in mid-January.
William is the facilities coordinator for the Mississippi State University
(MSU) Leveck Research Station, and Julie is the Oktibbeha County Extension
Director for the Mississippi State University Extension Service. At the
Leveck Research Station, William manages 300 registered Angus, Charolais
and Hereford cattle and 100 horses. He also coordinates research and hands-on
teaching for the MSU Animal and Dairy Science Department and College of
Veterinary Medicine.
Julie provides coordination for the overall county Extension program,
which includes agriculture, family and consumer science, and 4-H. Her
primary focus area is youth and adult agriculture programs that include
livestock, poultry, equine, forestry, horticulture and other agronomic
crops.
In addition, the Whites are the fifth generation to farm their 200-acre
family farm. Both were raised on family farms – one on a small commercial
cow/calf operation and the other on a small dairy farm. They currently
run a small commercial cow/calf operation and raise their own hay and
feed to reduce input costs.
“We work to produce quality calves to sell at market, but our main
goal is to be good stewards of the land provided to us by our ancestors,”
William said. “We both have a strong passion for agriculture and
are instilling that passion in our children on a daily basis by providing
them the opportunities that our parents gave us to learn how to work on
the farm and care for the land and animals. As our children get older,
we plan to slowly transition into a registered cattle operation to provide
them with the opportunity to show and market quality cattle.”
“Our jobs and our family farm give us the opportunity to work together
to promote agriculture and the cattle industry through various camps and
tours that provide educational experiences,” Julie said. “It
is our philosophy that we need to imprint children at a young age about
agriculture and where their food and fiber come from. Also, it is essential
for them to understand that farmers are good stewards and work daily to
feed and clothe the world.”
Julie and William say that farmers today need to take responsibility for
promoting their own farms as well as the agricultural industry as a whole.
The Whites feel that a unified agricultural voice is critical, despite
the many different methods of production used on farms and the many different
types of agricultural commodities produced on farms across the state and
nation.
“Agriculture cannot defend itself from those who oppose it if a
unified action is not taken,” William said. “Together, not
only can we defend agriculture, but we can promote and strengthen our
agricultural industry, especially among those who have become generations
removed from farm life.”
“There are many tools today, such as the Internet and social media,
that provide a quick, easy and inexpensive way for producers to allow
the consumer to learn about everyday life on their farms,” Julie
said. “If each farmer could change the perception of just one person
each year, the perception of agriculture as a whole would slowly change.
It’s all about making agriculture local to the consumer.”
The Whites participate in Farm Bureau and other agricultural and civic
organizations.
They are active in their county Farm Bureau, where he serves as chair
of the YF&R and beef committees, and she serves as a board advisor
and as vice chair of the women’s and ag in the classroom committees.
They were members of the YF&R State Committee for two years, and she
served the committee as secretary. He serves on the beef advisory and
social media committees. They have both worked with various other YF&R
committees.
The Whites are involved in numerous local and state agriculture organizations,
including the Oktibbeha County Cattlemen’s Association, which he
has served as president and she serves currently as secretary. She also
serves as secretary for the Oktibbeha County Forest Farmers Association
and the Oktibbeha County Ag Club.
She is a past president of the Mississippi Association of Extension 4-H
Agents. He has been named Outstanding Cooperator for the Oktibbeha County
Soil and Water Conservation District, and she has received the Clover
Award from the Mississippi Association of Extension 4-H Agents. The Whites
are active members of their community and church. They have two children,
ages 7 and 5.
For more information about the Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation Young
Farmers & Ranchers Program, contact YF&R Coordinator Kirsten Johnson
at (601) 977-4277.
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