Bart and Sarah Jones were named ‘Outstanding Young Farm Family of the Year' on Dec. 5 at the Kentucky Farm Bureau's annual meeting at the Galt House Hotel in Louisville.

Owners of a large farming operation located both in northern Macon County and southern Allen County, the couple won an extensive prize package including a Kubota RTV courtesy of KFB Insurance and Kubota, $1,000 cash from Premier Crop Insurance, a $1,000 voucher from Pioneer Seed, a $500 voucher from Southern States Cooperative, a $300 voucher from Miles Seed, a $250 voucher from Valvoline and a portable safe from Misty Morn Safe Company.

They also will get an expense-paid trip to San Antonio in January to compete in the American Farm Bureau's national young farmer finals.

Judging for the contest is based primarily on farm management skills, financial growth plus Farm Bureau and community involvement. Couples and single persons up to 35 years old are eligible.

The Joneses' Red Hill Farms consists of 120 purebred sows, 200 Red Angus and Simmental cows and 120 acres of burley tobacco. The swine operation provides breeding stock to customers throughout the United States as well as some foreign countries. They produce high-quality cattle for a sale each March and have expanded burley production from six acres in 1998 to the current 120 acres in response to the abolishment of the production quota program.

Bart manages the daily operation and has four full-time employees. He also uses seasonal migrant labor to work with the tobacco. Sarah, a certified public accountant who holds an accounting degree from Western Kentucky University , manages the farm's financial records. She also has an accounting practice.

Bart said he emphasizes customer relations.

“We have learned from the swine business the value of customer relations and are also assisting cattle customers in feed contracting, herd health programs and retained ownership. We also assist customers with their feed commodity contracting needs. These services benefit our operations because customers continue to purchase from us.”

Bart also cures country hams for friends, neighbors and family. His annual sale of bulls and females, initiated two years ago, quickly has become a successful event. “We showcase our cattle, serve lunch and educate our fellow cattlemen on the progressive breeding program and the services we provide,” the successful young farmer said.

The business has expanded dramatically in recent years with the addition of a swine breeding facility and a greenhouse for producing tobacco plants. The Joneses are also considering additional expansion of the tobacco enterprise for 2009, planning to invest in new spraying equipment, additional curing facilities and another 50-horsepower tractor.

“We enjoy farm life and have a strong desire to make a life in agriculture,” Bart explained.

Bart has been a director of Allen County Farm Bureau since 1998 and the couple currently co-chair the county's young farmer committee. Sarah also serves on the women's committee.

The couple are members of both the Kentucky and Tennessee Pork Producers Associations. Bart is a director for the Kentucky Red Angus Association. While studying at Oklahoma State University, Bart was on a national championship meat judging team. He and Sarah won numerous awards at 4-H livestock shows. Sarah was a regional finalist in the FFA's prestigious “Star Farmer” program.