FERRUM—Four outstanding young farmers earned statewide accolades at the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation Young Farmers Summer Expo July 25-27 in Franklin County.
At the conference, which was themed “Agriculture Shines in Franklin County,” Dustin Francis of Halifax County was named the 2025 VFBF Young Farmers Excellence in Agriculture Award winner. Sarah Craun of Rockingham County was named the 2025 VFBF Outstanding Young Agriculturalist, and Clay and Paula Greene of Augusta County won the 2025 VFBF Young Farmers Achievement Award.
The Excellence in Agriculture Award recognizes individuals for involvement in agriculture, leadership ability and involvement and participation in Farm Bureau and other organizations.
Francis owns and operates a cow-calf operation, where he raises commercial and registered Angus and SimAngus cattle, feeder pigs and poultry, and maintains and produces several acres of hay. He channels his passion for agriculture advocacy into his current role as community relations coordinator for Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative while helping educate youth, local producers and legislators.
He serves on the VFBF Livestock Advisory Committee; the VFBF Young Farmers promotions, Winter Expo and Summer Expo subcommittees; Virginia Cooperative Council board of directors; Halifax County Agriculture Development Advisory Committee; and as vice president of the Halifax County Cattleman’s Association.
The Outstanding Young Agriculturalist recognition program honors high school juniors and seniors for academic, community and agribusiness achievement.
OYA winner Craun is the daughter of Patti and Kevin Craun. She graduated from Turner Ashby High School and plans to pursue a degree in animal science and minor in biology at Kansas State University after obtaining her associate’s degree at Blinn College.
She hopes to eventually work in the livestock pharmaceutical industry and develop sustainable solutions to animal health challenges.
Craun has held many leadership roles in 4-H and FFA, including serving as national and state 4-H youth livestock ambassador, and secretary and vice president of Rockingham Federation FFA. She also was recently named the Virginia FFA State Star Farmer and winner of the Virginia FFA State Beef Production Entrepreneurship Proficiency Award.
The Achievement Award recognizes outstanding young producers for their business success and volunteer involvement, while helping them evaluate their farm business plans and set goals to strengthen their operations.
Achievement Award winners Clay and Paula Greene farm full-time on their multi-generational family farms. Paula works on her family’s dairy and beef operation while Clay assists with his family’s beef cattle farm, where they raise cow-calf pairs and background feeder heifers. He also operates a custom work enterprise and retails hay and forage supplies.
Clay returned to the family farm in 2011 and has played a key role in the cattle operation and growing the farm’s custom services. Since joining the operation full time in 2018, Paula has made efforts to modernize the dairy through strategic investments and management improvements, resulting in increased production and efficiency.
In addition to their full-time farming ventures, the couple serves on the VFBF Young Farmers Committee, Clay serves on the Augusta County Farm Bureau board, and Paula is a member of the VFBF Dairy Advisory Committee, in addition to other Farm Bureau leadership roles.
Francis and the Greenes will receive travel packages to the 2026 AFBF Annual Convention, where they will compete for the AFBF Young Farmers & Ranchers Excellence in Agriculture and Achievement awards.
Media: Contact Kelly Roberts, director of VFBF special programs, at 804-290-1032.
