Three finalists in the 2023 Minnesota Young Farmers & Ranchers (YF&R) Excellence in Agriculture competition have been announced. The competition will be held during the Minnesota Farm Bureau Annual Meeting, Nov. 17-18 in Bloomington. 

Taking part this year are:

Amanda Cook, Chisago County 

Amanda currently serves as the Chisago County Farm Bureau Vice President, as well as many other leadership roles in her county. She is a high school agriculture teacher who is currently chartering an FFA chapter and owns a flock of sheep with her family. 


Nathan and Katie Drewitz, Fillmore County

Nathan and Katie are currently members of Fillmore County Farm Bureau where both serve on the board of directors and Katie is vice president. Katie works as an extension educator for several counties and Nathan is a field market development specialist for an agrichemical company. They are currently developing their own vineyard and winery. 


Katie Saterbak, Swift County 

Katie currently serves as the president of the Swift County Farm Bureau. She is a food scientist for a Fortune 500 company, dedicated 4-H volunteer and mentor.  


The Excellence in Agriculture Award is designed as an opportunity for young farmers and ranchers to earn recognition, while actively contributing and growing through their involvement in Farm Bureau and agriculture. Participants are judged on their involvement in agriculture, leadership ability, and involvement/participation in Farm Bureau and other organizations.