Hard Work Learned on the Dairy Farm Guides Tangipahoa Co-op Employee to Victory
By: Neil Melançon
Baton Rouge, La.—When Camry Martin found out she won the 2020 Louisiana Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers Excellence in Agriculture award, she was doing what she normally does.
Martin has worked at the Kentwood Co-op for the last five years and every day involves handling all kinds of requests from farmers and suppliers alike. When she found out she won, she was alone in the office, trying to cover all those bases.
“I was all alone at the co-op and both our managers were out,” Martin said. “I was running around like crazy and all of a sudden my phone starts blowing up!”
Being busy is nothing new to her. Martin grew up on a dairy farm, where she had chores seven days a week.
“Ever since I was little, I knew I wanted to be involved in agriculture,” she said. “I was involved in my family’s farm, as well as showing cows in 4-H and the FFA. Then in college, I got more involved in ag. I worked at another local co-op before I came here.”
Martin’s passion for agriculture shows. A tough day on her family’s farm inspired her to write a Facebook post that went viral, being shared more than 90,000 times.
“My family had been in dairy since 1953,” Martin said. “That’s all they’ve known. It’s always a struggle, always having to change to survive. Many Americans do not understand the struggle it takes to provide for the country.”
Unfortunately, the dairy in Sunnyhill, La. closed last year. However, Martin said it’s been a blessing in disguise. It’s given her father and grandfather a much-needed retirement and Martin the motivation to help people like her.
“It was a hard day, but it was the best decision,” she said. “One of the main reasons I do what I do is to serve the people who have always served us. Without them, we wouldn’t have a job or food.”
Martin had only recently found out about Farm Bureau, but is now the chair of the Young Farmers and Ranchers Committee in Tangipahoa Parish. She’s excited about the award and the prizes, but it’s the people that really have her motivated.
“Hopefully, the national convention will happen and we’ll get to go,” Martin said. “My favorite part is fellowship with others--you meet so many great people. It’s nice to be around others with same goals and lifestyle. The prizes are nice, but what comes with it is even better.”
The YF&R Excellence in Agriculture Award competition is designed as an opportunity for young farmers and ranchers to earn recognition while actively contributing and growing through their involvement in Farm Bureau and agriculture. The ideal candidate, or candidates, for the Excellence in Agriculture Award is an individual or couple who does not have the majority of their net income subject to normal agricultural production risk.
For or the winning the Louisiana Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers Excellence in Agriculture Award, Martin will receive a $7,500 credit toward the purchase of a 4-wheel ATV, courtesy of Louisiana Land Bank; a $250 Choice Hotel gift card, courtesy of the Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation; a $250 Farm Bureau Bank gift card, courtesy of the Louisiana Farm Bureau Insurance Companies; and a trip to the American Farm Bureau Federation Convention in San Diego, California, January 2021, courtesy of the Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation.
In San Diego, Martin will represent Louisiana for the American Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers Excellence in Agriculture Award. The winner on the national level receives a new Ford truck, courtesy of Ford. The first runner up receives a Case IH Farmall 50A Tractor, courtesy of Case IH. The second runner up receives a Case IH 40” Combination roll cabinet and top chest, courtesy of Case IH, along with $2,200 worth of Stanley Black & Decker merchandise, courtesy of Stanley Black & Decker. The third runner up receives a Case IH 40” Combination roll cabinet and top chest, courtesy of Case IH. Prizes are subject to change.
Founded in 1922, the Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation is the state’s largest general farm organization representing more than 148,000 member families.