INDIANAPOLIS – Justin Myers has wanted to be a farmer since he was little. At 8 years old, he purchased his first laying hens, and at 12, he bought his great-grandfather’s farm. Myers, from the Forreston (Ill.) FFA chapter, is one of four finalists for the American Star Farmer award from the National FFA Organization.

During the FFA convention in October, Myers will be interviewed by a panel of judges before the winner is announced. He said he’ll prepare for the interview by having multiple practice interviews with industry professionals, retired agriculture teachers, state staff and past American Star winners.

The American Star Awards recognize FFA members who have developed outstanding agricultural skills and competencies by completing a supervised agricultural experience (SAE) program, according to FFA. The SAE allows members to learn by doing, such as owning and operating an agricultural business or interning at an agricultural business, the organization said.

Myers has completed seven SAEs.

“Early in my SAE career, I learned about tracking income and expenses, and then I started taking control of buying new equipment, so I learned how to compare prices of different options,” he said. “Then I started learning and using profit/loss statements and figuring my break-even costs.

“Toward the end of my career, I learned about balance sheets and used all of the things I listed while working with my Compeer officer (to buy his great-grandfather’s farm), and I purchased my own land using a USDA Beginning Farmer Loan. I will continue to use these financial skills for the rest of my life.”

Myers’ mother had to co-sign the note for Justin to buy his great-grandfather’s farm in Collum, Ill., because the bank said he wasn’t old enough to do it on his own.

“I had heard my mom’s dad tell stories about growing up there in the 1940s,” Myers explained. “I had sat on the tractor my great-grandfather had farmed with and knew I wanted to help preserve the past, but what could a 12 year old do?

“My dad and I spoke with our Compeer loan officer and decided I had enough money saved from selling eggs and steers to buy that farm. I got a loan and bought the 35 acres for $7,500 per acre. It was a little scary to spend that much money at 12 years old.”

Myers has been making payments since then and he hopes to pay it off within the next few years. The farm is two hours away, so it wasn’t feasible to farm it himself. He’s been renting it for $300 an acre.

“The tenants were surprised to learn their landlord was a young kid,” he noted.

Myers said he loved playing with his farm toys as a child, helping his dad with the animals and riding with him in the tractor and combine. After buying his first laying hens, he started selling eggs.

Myers joined 4-H and showed his chickens at the Stephenson County (Ill.) Fair and won many awards, including Best of Show for the 4-H Poultry Show. The first year he participated in the fair’s junior livestock auction, his pair of chickens brought $300; the second year, they were sold for a record $1,000.

He had his hens for almost six years. When he was in junior high school, he decided to start buying feeder cattle with his dad. He eventually sold the chickens to focus on the cattle.

His dad bought a piece of land with 9 tillable acres and decided Justin should farm it.

“I planted soybeans on it using an old grain drill because our planter was too big to get into the field,” Myers said. “I ended up getting 50 bushels per acre and was quite happy to deposit that check in the bank. I have been increasing my acres every year since then.”

When he was in the 7th grade, he said he bought a New Holland 273 Hayliner square baler at a neighbor’s farm machinery sale. That led him into baling and selling hay. Last year, he made 150 acres of hay.

Myers joined FFA when he entered high school. He competed in diversified crops all four years – he went to state his freshman, junior and senior years, and won state his senior year.

He was treasurer of his FFA chapter his junior year, and co-president his senior year. He was named District Star Farmer and competed at the state level.

“My agriculture classes and FFA were my favorite parts of high school,” Myers said. “My favorite part (of FFA) was meeting other people and being around other kids who were interested in agriculture. My dad was in FFA when he was in high school.”

Myers is a sophomore at Highland Community College, where he’s working toward an ag business degree with an emphasis in crop production. Last year, at 18, he bought his second farm, which has 73 acres.

“I plan to finish my degree at Highland and come back to the family farm and farm alongside my dad and start to take over more land and farm for the rest of my life. All of the things I have done since I was little have gotten me to where I am today. I love working outside and farming – that’s all I want to do.”

The rest of the American Star finalists are:

American Star Farmer:

Bailee Amstutz, North Union FFA chapter, Ohio

Kaleb James Ellis, Cochrane-Fountain City FFA chapter, Wisconsin

Cooper Kline, North Rock Creek FFA chapter, Oklahoma

American Star in Agribusiness:

Benjamin Biros, Seneca FFA chapter, Illinois

Luke Brand Schilling, Eastern Hancock FFA chapter, Indiana

Wesley Thomas Winch, Fennimore FFA chapter, Wisconsin

Jose Yepez, Greenville FFA chapter, Texas

American Star in Agricultural Placement:

Jaron Black, Streator FFA chapter, Illinois

Jamin Miles, Appling County FFA chapter, Georgia

Landon Roling, McCook Central FFA chapter, South Dakota

Noah Thomas Wiley, Labette County FFA chapter, Kansas

American Star in Agriscience:

Sarah Beck, Corsicana FFA chapter, Texas

Lauren Roling, McCook Central FFA chapter, South Dakota

Tessa Tauke, Beckman Catholic FFA chapter, Iowa

Jose A. Villanos, LaRue County FFA chapter, Kentucky