During the Top Producer Summit, which was held Jan. 23-25 in Nashville, Top Producer honored five farm operations.
Top Producer of the Year
Silent Shade Planting Company in Belzoni, Miss.
The Jack family, which includes Jeremy and Elizabeth Jack, Stacie Kroger and Willard and Laura Lee Jack, are the 2023 winners of the Top Producer of the Year award, which is sponsored by BASF, Case IH and Rabo AgriFinance. Their operation produces soybeans, corn, cotton and rice, and it also operates a trucking company. The team also includes 10 full-time and 10 seasonal employees. The family aims to be in a constant cycle of improvement — never stagnant.
Top Producer of the Year Finalist
Engel Family Farms in Hanover, Va.
In 1991, Kevin Engel became a first-generation farmer. Today, his operation spans multiple counties in two states and employes 34 full-time team members, as well as his three children. With 200-plus landlords and numerous vendors and agribusiness customers, strong relationships are the core of Engel Family Farms, which produces corn, soybeans, milo, wheat, barley canola and rye.
Top Producer of the Year Finalist
MoDak Dairy in Goodwin, S.D.
For four generations, the Moes family has taken pride in producing high-quality milk in a sustainable manner. This focus on quality and quantity helps keep the dairy on the cutting edge of innovation and also supports a bright future for their 34 employees and community. Today the farm is lead by brothers Greg and Jim Moes and Jim’s son, Jacob Moes.
Tomorrow’s Top Producer Horizon Award
Trey Wasserburger, owner of TD Angus at Rishel Ranch in North Platte, Neb., is the winner of the 2023 Tomorrow’s Top Producer Horizon Award winner. Sponsored by Pioneer, the award recognizes a producer under the age of 35. The operation is centered on purebred Angus cows and bulls. Wasserburger is redefining the conception-to-consumer beef model to live out his dreams of being a cowboy.
Executive Women in Agriculture Trailblazer Award
Marcia Ruff, owner of Ruff Farms in Circleville, Ohio, is the 2023 EWA Trailblazer Award winner. Sponsored by Trust In Food, the award honors female producers who are shining examples for their peers. From her diversified crop and livestock farm, Ruff delights in her many roles on the farm and the opportunity to educate and advocate for agriculture and food production in the classroom.
