LEBANON, TN — Derek and Micayla Giffin of Obion County are this year’s Achievement Award winners for the Tennessee Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers program. The results were announced during the YF&R Summer Conference held at the Farm Bureau Expo Center in Lebanon, Tenn.
As a fifth-generation farmer, Derek operates Giffin Farms alongside Micayla and also his father and cousin near Union City. The family farm is a diversified row crop operation consisting of more than 1,000 acres of corn, soybeans, wheat and occasionally other small grains to increase diversity and produce their own cover crop seed. The couple also raises a herd of beef cattle where they focus on producing high quality calves for their custom beef enterprise. Off the farm, Micayla works as a state loan analyst for Tennessee’s Farm Service Agency. The Giffins are proud to be raising the sixth generation on the farm with their son, Everett.
Derek and Micayla have been extremely active in the Young Farmer and Rancher program on the state and local level for several years, as well as the Obion County Farm Bureau. Both have also been active in other agricultural organizations including the National Corn Growers Association, NRCS Conservation Board and American Soybean Association.
The Giffins were named this year’s winners based upon farm and financial records from 2021 as well as their leadership on the farm, in their community and in Farm Bureau. The couple competed against 17 other county contestants from across the state to be named the state winner and have the opportunity to compete for national honors in January.
As state winners, the Giffins receive a year’s free use of a brand-new Case IH tractor up to 150 hours. They also receive $1,000 and a Kubota RTV from Tennessee Farm Bureau, an insurance policy to cover the tractor for one year from Farm Bureau Insurance of Tennessee, $500 in qualified Farm Bureau services, $500 in services from Farmers Service and a trip to the American Farm Bureau Convention in Puerto Rico in January 2023.
