Two of the most popular annual events held in Logan County are brought to the community by the Northeastern Junior College Chapter of the Colorado Young Farmers. These activities won the group the 2010 Outstanding Colorado Young Farmer Community Service Award title. They received the recognition at the organization's State Institute held earlier this year, not only for these two major events, but for a number of projects they did this past year that were designed to benefit someone other than themselves.

The two major events being referred to include the Kids Pedal Tractor Pull and the Human Tractor Pull competitions. Each activity asks the participants, regardless of age, to dig deep into their own character as well as their physical and mental strength to create an energy that in the end, wins them a prize. It's all done in the name of good sportsmanship and fun. And in the process, it exposes the participants and the audience to an element of agriculture, regardless whether they are directly involved in the industry.

The NJC Young Farmers have held a sanctioned kids' pedal tractor pull in Sterling during the Logan County Fair for the last eight years. In 2005 they also began sponsoring a sanctioned pull at the Crook Fair, and in 2006 they took the competition to the Fleming Fall Festival. This last year (2009), they began a contest at the Sedgwick County Fair in Julesburg. Because there is a national pedal pull competition held in Mitchell, South Dakota each year, it seemed only appropriate for Colorado to develop a state contest so that top winners can be chosen to go to the nationals. The NJC Young Farmers now also runs the state
contest each year in conjunction with the Old Threshers event in Yuma. All children, ages 4 to 12 who have finished in the top three of their age and gender group at one of the sanctioned pulls, can come to Yuma and compete for a state title. In some instances, the children that enter these competitions are from the city, perhaps visiting a country relative during the fair and so they are indirectly being exposed to, and learning about agriculture while they are competing.

This last year, more than 210 "hooks" happened, meaning that this many times, children crawled up on a pedal tractor hooked to the appropriate weight for their age brackets, and mustered up the courage to, using only their own personal strength, pull it across a designated distance in the fastest time possible.

The NJC Young Farmers do not charge the children anything to compete and even goes so far as to pay the state sanction fees for Colorado so our state winners may compete at the national contest if they choose to make the trip to Mitchell.

Like the pedal tractor contest, the human tractor pull held during the Logan County Relay for Life draws an equal amount of interest. For the last three years, contestants put together a team of five individuals who are challenged to physically pull a tractor of a specific size and weight, a designated distance in the least amount of time. In past years, the competition was only open to men, but in 2009, the Chapter decided to also have a women's division. The contestants are competing for bragging rights, but their entry fees are collected by the Young Farmers and donated to the American Cancer Society event. The competition draws a large spectator base and a local radio personality emcees the action, adding a special element of entertainment as well. A total of nine teams--six men and three women-competed this year, raising more than a $1,000 for the cause.

The NJC Young Farmers also helped with several other projects in 2009. Several members served as waiters for the Northeastern Junior College Foundation's Hope Scholarship Gala which included a night of dining, fundraising and dancing to raise money for the recently developed scholarship program which helps qualifying students from all over Colorado to pay for their college education.

Members help the Logan County Cooperating Ministries food bank with the annual delivery of holiday baskets. The farmers always volunteer to literally go the extra mile and take the addresses that are the furthest from town, sometimes more than 100 miles round trip. "Many of us are already very familiar with all the country roads, so it makes sense for us to make these deliveries," explains Brian Tappy, Chapter president.

Last but not least, the NJC Chapter sponsors the senior beef showmanship plaque at the Logan County Fair each year and also sponsors the Learn to Read program at Caliche Elementary School. Both of these are financial donations to causes the members believe have significant value. Money raised at an annual ladies night is also donated to Logan County high
schools where members are involved, to help pay for after-prom
activities.

Without doubt, the NJC Young Farmers are one of the most active groups in northeastern Colorado. Jerry Michel of Atwood is the group's advisor.

Barbara L. Baker
Director of Marketing Services
Northeastern Junior College
Sterling, CO 80751
(970) 521-6611 (office)
(970) 520-7464 (cell)
(970) 522-4945 (fax)