Achievement Award

Young Farmers & Ranchers: Leadership Conference Achievement Award Excellence in Agriculture Award Discussion Meet Committee of the Year Spotlight Meet Your YF&Rs Calendar of Events Food Check-Out Week YF&R Gives Back Request Information

Deadline: June 22, 2012 4:00 p.m.

Download Application Form
Achievement Application (Excel)

The Achievement Award competition judges the operating efficiency of young farmers and ranchers and is based on leadership, creativity and proven success.

Congratulations to Michael and Amber McDowell of Sacramento County! The McDowells were named the 2011 Achievement Award winners during the California Farm Bureau Federation's 93rd Annual Meeting in Sparks, Nev. The award recognizes the McDowells for their farm management skills, leadership quality and service to Farm Bureau and their community.

About the McDowells

Michael and Amber McDowell first met at a county YF&R meeting. Michael is a fourth generation farmer and Amber is an agriculture and science teacher at a suburban/urban high school. The McDowells farm pears (U-pick and commercial), alfalfa, wheat, and corn on 756 acres, sell free-range chicken eggs and operate a gamebird farm and McDowell Hunting Preserve. The farm raises 1,300 pheasants, 250 chukars, and 100 quail a year. The McDowells are founders of the Sacramento River Delta Grown Farm Trail and Agri-Tourism Association.

In their free time they enjoy hunting, shooting trap and sporting clays, boating, wakeboarding, spending time with their families and vacationing. They also take active roles in their Farm Bureau and YF&R programs and participate in community organizations focusing on agriculture, wildlife, the environment, and church. They make their home in the Delta region of Sacramento County with their 2-year-old daughter, Sierra.