Supporting agriculture’s future leaders

Young Farmers & RAnchers

Online Scholarship Application

The 2026 YF&R Scholarship Application
All applications must be submitted through the online portal.
One application will automatically enter applicants for all scholarships for which they are eligible. General Eligibility Requirements listed below.

Application Deadline

All applications and required supporting materials must be submitted by May 1, 2026.

Achievement Award

The Achievement Award recognizes young farmers and ranchers who have excelled in their farm or ranch and have honed their leadership abilities to superiority. Participants are involved in production agriculture with a majority of their income subject to normal production risks. Judges evaluate competitor’s excellence in management, growth and scope of their enterprise and self-initiative that have been displayed throughout the farm or ranch.

State Winner Prizes

Truck courtesy of Southern Farm Bureau Casualty
100 hours of use of a John Deere tractor
300 hours of use of a Kubota tractor
$500 cash courtesy of Ford
$1,800 cash toward the purchase of farm technology
Expense paid trip to compete in the American Farm Bureau Federation Young Farmers & Ranchers Achievement Award Contest

Runner Up Prizes

$500 cash courtesy of Southern Farm Bureau Casualty
$500 cash courtesy of Federal Land Bank Associations of Mississippi

Discussion Meet

The Discussion Meet competitive event simulates a committee meeting where discussion and active participation are expected from each participant. This competition is evaluated on an exchange of ideas and information on a pre-determined topic. Participants build basic discussion skills, develop a keen understanding of important agricultural issues and explore how groups can pool knowledge to reach consensus and solve problems.

State Winner Prizes

4-Wheeler courtesy of Southern Farm Bureau Life Insurance Company
$500 cash courtesy of Ford
$500 cash courtesy of Federal Land Bank Associations of Mississippi
Expense paid trip to compete in the American Farm Bureau Federation Young Farmers & Ranchers Discussion Meet Contest

Runner Up Prizes

$500 cash courtesy of Ford
$500 cash courtesy of Federal Land Bank Associations of Mississippi

Excellence in Agriculture Award

The Excellence in Agriculture Award spotlights young Farm Bureau members who are agricultural enthusiasts but have not earned a majority of their income from an owned production agriculture enterprise in the past three years. Competitors are evaluated on their understanding of agricultural issues, leadership experiences and achievement, and their ability to communicate their agricultural story.

State Winner Prizes

Zero Turn Lawn Mower courtesy of Southern Ag Credit
$500 cash courtesy of Southern Farm Bureau Casualty
$500 cash courtesy of Federal Land Bank Associations of Mississippi
Expense paid trip to compete in the American Farm Bureau Federation Young Farmers & Ranchers Excellence in Agriculture Award Contest

Runner Up Prizes

$500 cash courtesy of Southern Farm Bureau Casualty
$500 cash courtesy of Federal Land Bank Associations of Mississippi

Collegiate Discussion Meet

The Collegiate Discussion Meet competitive event simulates a committee meeting where discussion and active participation are expected from each participant. This competition is evaluated on an exchange of ideas and information on a pre-determined topic. Participants build basic discussion skills, develop a keen understanding of important agricultural issues and explore how groups can pool knowledge to reach consensus and solve problems. The Collegiate Discussion Meet is open to students enrolled in a Mississippi college or university.

State Winner Prizes

$2,000 scholarship
YETI cooler courtesy of Mississippi Farm Bureau Insurance
Expense paid trip to the Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation Annual Meeting
Expense paid trip to compete in the American Farm Bureau Federation Young Farmers & Ranchers Discussion Meet Contest

Runner Up Prizes

$500 scholarship

For more information about any of the above awards and contests, contact Young Farmers & Ranchers Coordinator Samantha Laird at slaird@msfb.org or 601-573-7913.

Scholarships

Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation Leaders in Agriculture Scholarship

This scholarship was established in 2017 to celebrate the future leaders in Mississippi agriculture. Applicants for this scholarship must be enrolled in an agriculture degree at Alcorn State University. This scholarship is presented to an applicant applying through the Young Farmers & Ranchers Scholarship Foundation.

Amount: $3,000

Deadline: May 1

Young Farmers & Ranchers Foundation Scholarship

Young Farmers & Ranchers Foundation Scholarships are presented each year to Farm Bureau member students studying in an agriculture field. These scholarships are designed to provide opportunities to students who possess strong academic abilities and leadership qualities, and show a financial need. Typically, four YF&R Foundation Scholarships are awarded each year. Up to two of these scholarships are available to incoming freshman. These scholarships are open to students attending any Mississippi university or community college.

Amount: $3,000

Deadline: May 1

Hugh M. Arant Scholarship

This scholarship was established in 1995 after the death of Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation’s sixth president, Hugh M. Arant. Applicants for this scholarship must be enrolled in an agriculture degree at Mississippi State University, and must have completed their first year of school. This scholarship is presented to an applicant applying through the Young Farmers & Ranchers Scholarship Foundation.

Amount: $3,000

Deadline: May 1

Don Waller Scholarship

This scholarship was established in honor of Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation’s seventh president, Don Waller. Applicants for this scholarship must be enrolled in an agriculture degree at any Mississippi university or college, and must have completed their first year of school. This scholarship is presented to an applicant applying through the Young Farmers & Ranchers Scholarship Foundation.

Amount: $3,000

Deadline: May 1

David Waide Scholarship

This scholarship was established in 2011 honor of Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation’s eighth president, David Waide. Applicants for this scholarship must be enrolled in an agriculture degree at any Mississippi university or college, and must have completed their first year of school. This scholarship is presented to an applicant applying through the Young Farmers & Ranchers Scholarship Foundation.

Amount: $3,000

Deadline: May 1

Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation supports Mississippi students pursuing careers in agriculture by investing in education, leadership, and the future of our state’s most vital industry. Through our Young Farmers & Ranchers Scholarship Foundation, Mississippi Farm Bureau has helped cultivate the next generation of agricultural leaders for more than four decades, awarding scholarships to hundreds of students preparing to return to our state’s farms, businesses, classrooms, research institutions, and rural communities equipped to lead and serve. Each year, MFBF and its County Farm Bureaus collectively award more than $200,000 in scholarships, strengthening Mississippi agriculture one student at a time.

2026 Young Farmers & Ranchers Competitive Scholarship Program

The Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation Young Farmers & Ranchers Committee is proud to offer eleven competitive scholarships through the MFBF YF&R Scholarship Foundation for the 2026 academic year.

Available Scholarships

Each scholarship is awarded in the amount of $3,000:

Six General Young Farmers & Ranchers Scholarships
For students attending any Mississippi university or community college.
Hugh Arant Memorial Scholarship
For a student attending Mississippi State University.
Don Waller Honorarium Scholarship
For a student attending any Mississippi university or community college.
David Waide YF&R Scholarship
For a student attending any Mississippi university or community college.
Mississippi Farm Bureau Leaders in Agriculture Scholarship
For a student attending Alcorn State University.
MFBF Region 8 Young Farmers & Ranchers Scholarship
For a student who is a county Farm Bureau member in Forrest, George, Greene, Hancock, Harrison, Jackson, Lamar, Marion, Pearl River, Perry, or Stone County and attending any Mississippi university or community college.

General Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must meet all of the following criteria:

Be a Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation member or the child of an MFBF member.
Grandchildren are not eligible unless the grandparent is the applicant’s legal guardian.
Be majoring in an agricultural area of study at a Mississippi college or university.
Incoming freshmen are eligible to apply; however, no more than three scholarships will be awarded to entering freshmen each year.
Graduate students are eligible to apply; however, no more than three scholarships will be awarded to graduate students each year.

Important Notes

Incomplete applications or applications submitted without all required supporting materials will be disqualified.
Plagiarized essays will result in disqualification.
Applications from previous years will not be accepted. Please verify that you are using the current-year application.
Paper or emailed applications will not be accepted. All applications must be submitted through the online portal.

Who To Talk To

Young Farmers & Ranchers Department Contacts

Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation’s Young Farmers & Ranchers Department assists the State Young Farmers & Ranchers Committee in implementing agricultural programs across Mississippi.

Please contact the following staff for more information.