2010 STATE YOUNG FARMERS & RANCHERS COMMITTEE

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District 1
Nick & Jessica Bowser
Mayetta, KS

Nicholas and Jessica Bowser from Jackson County represent the 1^st district.  Nick and his brother Jarrod farm together in Mayetta.  The farm consists of a Gelbvieh cow herd, feeder calf back grounding and a farrow-to-finish hog operation.  Row crops produced on the farm range from corn, soybeans, milo, wheat and sunflowers.  The farm also has a brome grass hay operation.

Nick received an agronomy degree from K-State and a master’s degree in corn breeding from Iowa State University.  He serves as the president of the Jackson County Farm Bureau board and serves on the Jackson County Livestock Association board.  Jessica currently works for the NRCS as the Glacial Hills Resource Conservation & Development Coordinator.  She received a degree in agricultural communications and journalism from K-State and a master’s degree in Ag Education from Iowa State University.

District 2
Randall & Erin Debler
Alma, KS

Randall and Erin Debler are honored to represent the 2^nd District on the State YF&R Committee.  They along with their 22-month old son, Dalton, reside 10 miles south of Alma in the beautiful Flint Hills.  Randall and Erin are shareholders in Rock Hill Ranch, Inc. with Paul and Nancy Miller.  Rock Hill Ranch is a 250-herd commercial fall cow/calf operation that sells age and source-verified feeder steers and grows all of their own replacement heifers.  The ranch operates 3,000 acres and puts up all of its winter forage needs including alfalfa, brome, and native hay while marketing the excess hay.  Randall is self-employed by the ranch while Erin’s contribution to the operation, in addition to keeping the ranch books, is to work full-time off the ranch as a Financial Analyst with Frontier Farm Credit in Manhattan.  

Randall and Erin are members of St. John Lutheran Church in Alma, were Randall has served as Vice-Chairman of the Church Council and was recently elected to the Board of Christian Education.  In addition to his church responsibilities, Randall was a member of the 2007 KLA Young Stockman’s Academy and is currently serving on the Wabaunsee County KLA County Committee.  Erin serves on the Altar Guild at their church and is a Board member and the Health & Safety Chair for Wabaunsee County Farm Bureau.    

District 3
Michael & Christy Springer
Sycamore, KS

Michael and Christy Springer represent the 3^rd district on the State YF&R Committee.  They reside in Sycamore along with their sons Mason, Cooper and the family dog Merle.  Michael and Christy are partners in a third generation family farming operation, started by Michael’s grandfather Lee nearly 60 years ago based in Montgomery County.  The family operation consists of 5,000 acres of cropland and a 2,700 sow farrow to finish swine operation.  Michael is the managing partner of the swine operation which employees 20 full-time people and markets nearly 60,000 market hogs per year.  Christy is proud to be a stay-at-home mom, maintains the production records for the swine operation, payroll for the crops division and dabbles in custom invitation and flyer design.

Michael and Christy have trouble saying no to community and agricultural activities.  They participate in Sycamore’s annual 4^th of July parade & BBQ.  Christy is currently serving on the Montgomery County Farm Bureau Board as Women’s Chairman and also serves on a Neewollah committee which is Independence’s annual Halloween celebration. Michael is a member of the Montgomery County Extension Council Board of Directors, current president of the Kansas Pork Producers Council, and member of the KFB Swine Advisory Committee.  Michael recently trained to be an Operation Main Street speaker and gives speeches to area civic groups about the pork industry in his spare time.  In her spare time, Christy enjoys shopping, scrapbooking and cooking with the boys. Christy wants you to know that in Michael’s spare time, he works!  They attend the Sycamore United Methodist Church with their family.

The Springer’s have a deep passion for agriculture and are thankful for the opportunity to raise their boys on a farm in rural Kansas.

District 4
Jason & Lexy Goyer
Winfield, KS

We live near Winfield in Cowley County, where we farm along the Walnut River with Lexy's parents.  On the farm, we raise wheat, milo, corn and soybeans, using conventional and no-till methods.  Jason and his father-in-law also have an excavation company where they often deal with soil conservation projects.  Jason also serves as a board member on the Cowley County board.

We have one daughter, Gracie, who is 3 and we are expecting our second child in May.  Lexy works part-time for Freeman Eyecare and spends the rest of her time taking care of Gracie and helping out on the farm when needed.  Jason graduated from Cowley County Community College with an associate's degree in automotive technology.  Lexy graduated from K-State with a bachelor's degree in apparel and textile marketing.

District 5
Jeff & Charity Bathurst
Abilene, KS

Jeff and Charity are partners with Jeff's father north of Abilene. They raise wheat, milo, soybeans and alfalfa.  They also have a commercial cow heard of 75 cows. 

Jeff and Charity have been active in the local church leading youth small groups, church committee's, and Jeff helps lead worship playing the guitar.  Charity stays busy at home taking care of little ones and home schooling their 4th, 2nd, and kindergarten children school aged children. 

Jeff also has his real estate license with Omli & Associates out of Salina. 

District 6
Craig & Heather Poore
Alton, KS

District 7
Chad & Leann Hook
Sterling, KS

Chad and Leanna Hook are your District 7 Kansas Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers committee representatives. They have two sons: Cody is 1 1/2 years old, Wyatt is 4 years old - and both of them breathe, eat, and sleep farming.

Leann has worked for Reno county education cooperative at Nickerson Grade school for 10 years. Leann also is involved with Reno Valley middle school as an assistant coach for Volleyball, Basketball, and track. She is also involved in the family farm as the main truck driver during harvest and silage cutting seasons. Chad is employed by TSW Products Inc. in Hutchinson. TSW products manufactures internal precision components for hydraulic pumps and fuel systems. 

The Hooks also work with Leann’s dad on the family farm which consists of roughly 700 acres crop land, 50 cow/calf pairs, and custom feeds 300 to 400 head of feeder cattle for a local feed lot during the winter into late spring months. Chad has been with Rice County Farm Bureau for 3 years and currently serves as vice-president.

District 8
Tyler & Rebecca Rider
Ness City,  KS

Tyler and Becky Rider make their home in Ness City Kansas.  Tyler has an ag-econ degree from K-State and now works as a farmer and rancher.  Along with his family, they grow wheat and have feeder cattle.   Becky graduated from James Madison University in Virginia and now is a stay-at-home-mom to their 19 month old daughter Eve.  Becky spends some of her scarse spare time working on her many craft projects and as co-coordinator for the Ness County MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers). 

District 9
Darrin & Trudi DeWitt
Syracuse, KS

Darrin and Trudi De Witt are from Hamilton County and represent the 9^th District.  They met at the local Sale Barn where Trudi was working part time as a clerk and Darrin was working for his Uncle at a local Feed Yard. 

Darrin and Trudi were married in 2001.  Darrin had his hands full as Trudi had two children from a previous marriage. Darrin and Trudi live in Syracuse with their three children, daughter Darian 15 and sons Tierney 13 and Dalton 4 years old.

In 2003 Darrin and Trudi purchased 480 acres of grassland/farmland/CRP along with the old farm house and improvements of Trudi’s grandparents.   They currently lease out the farm land and run cattle on the grass.  Darrin and Trudi currently run cattle on shares during the spring and summer.  They rent an additional 750 acres of grass for grazing purposes. They are in the process of replacing all the fencing around their grass.  They hope to own their own cattle one day but for now this is working.

Darrin is in his 3^rd year as President of the Hamilton County Farm Bureau Board.  He also serves on the Extension Office’s Ag PDC and sits on the Executive Board.  Darrin works in Crop Production at the local Coop where he gives advice and recommendations to customers.   He sprays over 60,000 acres a year and manages two other spray rigs that cover an additional 15, 000+ acres.  Darrin received special recognition from John Deere for his efficiency on a spray rig.  He averages 82 acres an engine hour in custom application.

Trudi works full time at the Appraiser’s Office in Syracuse and is busy after the office closes chasing kids around, going to ball games and taking care of the home. Trudi is a 4-H Community Leader and a Girl Scout volunteer.

Their children are involved in 4-H, Girl Scouts and love to play sports as well as ride quads and dirt bikes.

District 10
Chris & Tina Tanner
Norton, KS