Cypress Inn, Tenn. – Wayne County young farmers Phillip and Whitney Berry were awarded one year’s free use of a Kubota tractor in honor of being named second place winners in the Tennessee Farm Bureau Young Farmers & Ranchers Achievement Award contest. The results of that contest were announced last year during the Tennessee Young Farmers Summer Conference held at the Farm Bureau Expo Center in Lebanon, where the poultry, beef cattle and hay farmers competed against 17 other county contestants across the state.
“I’ve competed in the achievement contest for several years and I’m very honored, never thought this day would come,” said Phillip Berry. “Kubota is a great asset and partner with Farm Bureau and I’m truly grateful to receive this tractor.”
Thanks to Brown Equipment in Loretto, the Berrys recently received their award at a presentation at the Wayne County Agriculture Center that Kubota helped to build with a $100,000 grant from the company’s first Hometown Proud Contest in 2021. Family members, county Farm Bureau members and many other community leaders gathered to celebrate the young farmers and their special recognition. Kubota representatives were also there to celebrate and present the Berrys with the tractor, an M7-152K, which they can use for free for up to a year or 250 hours.
“We’re excited to be a part of this celebration and recognition,” said Justin Ferguson, Kubota regional sales manager. “We’re not a little tractor company anymore. We’ve got a full range of tractors and agriculture is part of our core now. This little gesture by us goes a long way to helping folks like the Berrys. They take it and run with it and do more to help agriculture in this state.”
Phillip has continued to grow his farming operation over the years where they have four poultry houses with more than 40,000 layer hens through Aviagen as well as raise several head of beef cattle and hay on about 1,300 acres in southern Wayne County. Phillip has been active with the Young Farmer & Ranchers program for several years, winning the district award many times and currently serves as the Wayne County Farm Bureau president.
In addition to the year’s free use of the Kubota tractor and insurance coverage from Farm Bureau Insurance of Tennessee, the Berrys also received $500 in qualified Farm Bureau services and $500 in services from Farmers Service.