2008 State Fair Photos

Kentucky Jaycees Honor the

2008 Outstanding Young Farmer

LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY – The Kentucky Junior Chamber (Jaycees) is pleased to announce the winner of the 2008 Kentucky Outstanding Young Farmer Award (KOYF).

In a ceremony conducted on the Toyota Manufacturing Blue Ribbon Stage at the Kentucky State Fair, A.J. Johnson of Hopkinsville, Kentucky was named this year’s KOYF award recipient.

Thirty year old A.J. Johnson, of Hopkinsville, knew at a young age that he wanted to be a farmer. After receiving his Bachelor of Science in Agriculture Economics from Murray State University, he returned to Hopkinsville, Kentucky with the goal of owning and operating his own farm. Since 2005, A.J. has practiced environmentally safe farming, tilling a minimum amount of soil to avoid erosion and limiting the amount of chemical to avoid water pollution. A.J. is a member of the Hopkinsville-Christian County Jaycees, Hopkinsville Fraternal Order of Eagles and Christian County Young Farmers. He resides in Christian County with his wife, Ashley, and their two daughters, Elizabeth and Abigail.

The KOYF Program, sponsored in 2008 by the Kentucky Association of Fairs and Horse Shows, is the pre-cursor to the National Outstanding Young Farmer (NOYF) Program, which was created over 50 years ago, to foster better urban-rural relations by creating a greater public interest in, and understanding of, today’s farmer and his or her challenges; to bring about a great interest in farmers; and to help build an awareness of the farmers’ importance and impact on America’s economy.

While many community organizations focus on a single area of service to their communities, the Kentucky Jaycees focus on building leadership skills through community involvement. Through the Outstanding Young Farmer program, the Kentucky Jaycees encourage local Jaycee organizations to recognize young farming entrepreneurs across the Commonwealth.