Blue Cedar Beef Named Tomorrow’s Top Producer Horizon Award Winners
Sponsored by Pioneer, the Tomorrow’s Top Producer Horizon Award recognizes a producer under the age of 35 who demonstrates excellence in the business of farming. This includes marketing, farm finance and technology as well as family and employee relations. Applications are received from young farmers across the country and judged by a panel of industry experts.
Growing up in the Shenandoah Valley, Brendan began building equity and his farming dream through heifers, custom hay bailing and hard work. His reputation attracted the attention of a neighbor who was looking to slow down. The neighbor wanted a young, energetic farmer to purchase his cow herd and lease his 280-acre farm. Brendan stepped up to the plate.
Today the Martin’s operation is diversified and multi-faceted. They raise corn, alfalfa, small grains and hay, and their cattle operation includes a registered Angus and commercial Angus herd, 210 fed cattle and 1,030 feeder calves. In the past couple of years, they have invested in their cattle facilities to increase cow comfort and feeding efficiency. In 2019, the Martins added Blue Cedar Beef, a direct-to-consumer beef business. They ship beef all over the nation every week of the year. They also do custom mowing and litter spreading and recently added a trucking business. Their team includes two full-time and two part-time employees.
Brendan also owns a large animal mobile veterinary practice, Valley Herd Health. Elaine specializes in record keeping, payroll and financial management for the farm as well as keeping a close eye on the cattle herd. As the Martins look toward the future, their goal is not to have the most cows or acres. They are motivated by their return on investment and creating generational impact in the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia.
As part of the award and for demonstrating excellence in farming, the Martins receive mentoring sessions from Kristjan Hebert, the 2020 Top Producer of the Year and a DJI Phantom 4 Drone, courtesy of Corteva.
Top Producer Summit was Feb. 14-16 in Nashville, Tennessee. In conjunction, Trust In Food, a Farm Journal initiative, hosted its annual Trust In Food Symposium. In both formats, the event provided nearly 1,000 attendees from the United States and Canada with more than 40 educational sessions to boost their money, marketing and management skills.
Presenting sponsors of Top Producer Summit included BASF, Beck’s Hybrids, Case IH, Pioneer and Rabo AgriFinance. Supporting sponsors included Belchim, Channel, CLA, Corteva, EnviroKure, IOM Grain, LLC, Kcoe Isom, Lincoln Financial Network, National Corn Growers Association, New Holland and Pivot Bio. Learn more about Top Producer Summit at TPSummit.com.
