The search for America’s next top farm dog

Aug 18, 2020

The American Farm Bureau is accepting nominations for its Farm Dog of the Year contest

By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com

The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) is looking for the next superstar farm dog.

The organization is accepting applications for its 2021 Farm Dog of the Year contest until Aug. 20. Farm dog owners must be Farm Bureau members to enter.

The winners will be announced in September.

Dog owners are required to submit written responses to questions and photos of their pet. Video clips can be submitted as well but they aren’t a requirement.

Entrants will be judged on “helpfulness to the farmer and his/her family, playfulness and obedience.”

The competition, now in its third year, celebrates the four-legged companions who work alongside America’s farmers as they produce food for people and dogs alike.

Dogs are often considered man’s best friend and even during the pandemic, a dog owner can count on their pet to be there when needed.

“Even in these uncertain times, farm and ranch work doesn’t stop, and farmers count on farm dogs to be right there to face these challenges together,” Zippy Duvall, president of AFBF, said in a release.

A panel will select a total of five winners.

The grand prize winner will be recognized as the 2021 Farm Bureau Farm Dog of the year, receive one year’s worth of Purina dry dog food and a $5,000 cash prize to be presented at a ceremony during the AFBF convention in January 2021.

Four runners-up will each receive a $1,000 cash prize.

In addition, the People’s Choice Pup, which will be selected from a list of 10 online profiles, will receive a $50 cash prize. Voting for that contest will begin in October.

Farms.com has reached out to dog owners and past winners for comment.

And be sure to check out this list of the top six dog breeds found on farms.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.