Three individuals were honored with the Missouri Farm Bureau (MOFB) Outstanding Service to Agriculture Award during the organization’s 109th annual meeting at the Lake of the Ozarks. The presentations were made by MOFB President Garrett Hawkins during the opening session of the organization’s annual meeting on December 4.
The award is given annually to select individuals who have demonstrated their desire to work closely with Farm Bureau and have supported agriculture throughout their careers. This year, they are Kristin Perry, former executive director of Missouri’s Agriculture Leaders of Tomorrow (ALOT) program; Mark Wolfe, director of the Missouri State Fair; and Cyndi Young, farm director for Brownfield Ag News.
Kristin Perry retired as director of ALOT this year. During her 22 years as director, she led, scheduled and guided 11 classes, guiding 275 Missourians through their ALOT programs. Her leadership has collectively taken class members through the halls of Missouri’s Capitol, the U.S. Congress, and many agricultural tours in the state and internationally. Class alumni have gone on to serve in appointed or elected leadership roles for local, state and national organizations and government. Prior to leading ALOT, Kristin and her husband, Bob, started Agricultural Laboratory, Inc. in 1982. The Pike County business helps producers across the state and around the world make management decisions by analyzing soil, feed, fertilizer, water and plant tissues. Perry completed her law degree in 1995 at the University of Missouri, about 22 years after receiving her BS in education. She also served on, and chaired, the Missouri Clean Water Commission. Kristin and Bob also celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary this year.
Mark Wolfe has served as Director of the Missouri State Fair since 2009, and as the fair’s building manager for four years. He will retire this month. Raised on a family farm in Texas County, Wolfe learned about beef and dairy cattle operations. He obtained his Bachelor’s degree in ag business at Missouri Valley College, where he played baseball and football. An active member of the International Association of Fairs and Expositions, Wolfe was recently honored with the Missouri Association of Fairs and Festivals Hall of Fame Award. In 2012, he received an Honorary American FFA Degree. Mark and his wife, Julie, reside in rural Saline County where Julie owns and operates a successful greenhouse business.
Cyndi Young joined Brownfield in 1998, and today, as the network’s farm director, she oversees a team of journalists that covers agricultural news across the Midwest. Young grew up on a seventh-generation family farm in west central Illinois. After student teaching high school ag classes, she started her farm broadcast career in 1985 at WJIL Radio in Jacksonville, Illinois. She has traveled extensively throughout the U.S. and 16 countries covering agriculture. She’s earned dozens of honors and helped shepherd new generations of talent into the industry. Young has been a member of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting (NAFB) for 35 years and in 2021 was inducted into the NAFB Hall of Fame. In 2009, she received the coveted “Oscar in Agriculture,” and in 1997 was named “Farm Broadcaster of the Year.” Cyndi and her husband, Jim, live in Moniteau County near Jamestown, where they raise beef cattle.
Photos of the 2024 Ambassadors are available via this link. For additional information or to set up an interview with the recipients, contact Janet Adkison, Director of Public Affairs and Advocacy, at 573-893-1467.