Two Carroll County farm couples have been selected as finalists for a statewide award from Indiana Farm Bureau.

Ty and Sacha Brown and Mark and Kathy Justice, all of Carroll County, are finalists, along with Matt and Heather Allyn of Posey County for the Young Farmer Achievement Award.

The Young Farmer Achievement Award recognizes young farmers whose farm management techniques and commitment to their communities set a positive example for those involved in production agriculture, while the Young Farmer Excellence in Agriculture Award recognizes young farmers who are involved in agriculture in ways other than as farm owners.

The Browns own their own independent farm and are also involved in the farming operation owned by his parents. Together, the two operations include a 2,000-head feeder-to-finish hog operation, a Beck's seed dealership, corn and soybeans, and a grain merchandizing business. They have three children, Hannah, Jayden and Landon, ranging in age from seven to one.

The Justices have been farming on their own since they bought a farm a couple of years after graduating from college. They now raise 780 acres of soybeans and specialty corn varieties. While Mrs. Justice helps out on the farm, she also manages a retail store for hog equipment in Camden. The couple has a twoyear old daughter, Morgan.

The winner will be announced at the Indiana Farm Bureau convention, which will be held Dec. 8-9 in downtown Indianapolis. The state winners will then represent Indiana at the national Farm Bureau convention in Salt Lake City, Utah, in January.