North Carolina Farm Bureau honors scholarship recipients,Young Farmers & Ranchers award winners
R. Flake Shaw Scholarship Winners
The R. Flake Shaw scholarship program provides an important service to deserving youth in the state that have a desire to further their education and pursue a career path in agriculture.
Twelve students across the state received this year’s Shaw scholarship, North Carolina Farm Bureau’s top academic award. Since it began in 1967, the program has given almost $4 million in scholarship money to agriculture students.
University
Austin Gene Brown, Cleveland County
Laurel MaLynn Gray, Iredell County
Emily Mavis Eldridge, Johnston County
Dylan Jackson Potter, Pamlico County
James Wilson Haines, Pasquotank County
Emma Linn Humphrey, Randolph County
Emma Leigh Jolly, Sampson County
Abbegail Suzanne King, Swain County
Community College
Corey Michael Davis, Hyde County
Kellie Elizabeth Finley, Orange County
Ethan Vincent Carawan, Pamlico County
Brittany Alexis Barnhill, Robeson County
See more: On the Local Level: Winter 2020-21
Achievement Award
Ryan and Jamie Clark of Madison are this year’s North Carolina Farm Bureau Young Farmers & Ranchers Achievement Award winners. Both grew up in Rockingham County on their family farms. Ryan was a firefighter and Jamie worked in human resources when they married in 2009.
In 2016, they were able to purchase their own 45-acre farm. Ryan was able to leave his off-farm job and work full time on Clark Family Farms raising 45,000 breeder hens and 6,000 roosters for Mountaire Farms, managing the 75-head cattle operation, producing hay and crops, and running a produce business. Jamie still works in human resources in Stokes County government and helps on the farm.
In the future, they hope to expand their farm and, most importantly, instill the importance of agriculture in their children.
See more: Young Farmers Continue the Tradition
Excellence in Ag Award
Travis and Sarah Covington from Mebane are this year’s North Carolina Young Farmers & Ranchers Excellence in Ag Award winners. Travis grew up following his “Pawpaw” around on the farm. Sarah grew up on a horse farm but knew very little about ag.
Today, they live and work on their 100-acre ranch, Hawfields Cattle Company, which was part of Travis’ grandfather’s estate. They raise Scottish Highland cattle and focus on farming sustainably and efficiently. They use social media to promote agriculture and share accurate ag information on Instagram@hawfieldscattle and Facebook @hawfieldscattlecompany. Also, Travis works as a fire safety specialist at University of North Carolina and Sarah is a family medicine provider with Duke.
See more: How Young Produce Farmers Turned Their Hobby Into a Full-Time Venture
