Randy Schwalm (left),  representing Northern Feed and Bean, who sponsors the annual Outstanding Colorado Young Farmer Agri-Service Award, helped honor Kelly Huenink (right) in 2008.

Huenink named CYF’s 2008 State Agri-Service Award Winner

Kelly J. Huenink of Hudson, CO, a member of the St. Vrain Valley Young Farmer Chapter and the operation and finance manager for Walter Farms Incorporated, was named recipient of the Outstanding Colorado Young Farmer Agri-Service Award for 2008.

This award is presented each year to recognize a CYF member who is employed in agri-business, but does not have ownership in an agri-business operation. Winners are selected based upon their overall agri-service program, leadership activities and civic, church and community service work.

Huenink, 39, has a vast background in agriculture organization leadership, agriculture education and farm and ranch management. She has long been considered one of the most significant female ag leaders in Colorado. More than one person at the award ceremony could be heard calling this award ‘long overdue’.

Huenink grew up on the Western Slope with parents who managed a large ranch in Eagle County. After high school, she attended Northeastern Junior College, moved on to Colorado State University to earn a bachelor’s degree in agriculture education and to collect her vocational credentials in production agriculture and farm and ranch management for Colorado. She most recently completed post-bachelor’s work in agriculture business from Kansas State University.

Early in her professional career, she taught vocational agriculture at Holyoke and then at Valley High School. She moved into the collegiate area for 12 years, seven of which she spent teaching farm and ranch management courses at Northeastern Junior College.

In 2004, Huenink began working for the Colorado Corn Growers, running its FARM profit division where she found herself helping a number of the organization’s members with their bookkeeping processes and procedures. In addition, she began doing some free lance accounting work through AgriCare Accounting. This activity would, in part, lead her to a full time position with Walter Farms in the spring of 2007.

Walter Farms is a family-owned and operated farming and ranching operation located north of Hudson which has both commercial and registered Angus herds. The ranch works diligently to improve both genetics and profit margins. Through her affiliation with AgriCare Accounting, Huenink took on the task of helping a family member involved with the ranch to computerize all of its accounting, including accounts payable and payroll. “When this family member decided to leave the ranch, all of the computerization was going so well that I was asked to move to their farm and assume the full time finance management responsibilities and  keep the computerization going,” explains Huenink.

Since taking on the full-time role, Walter Farms has enrolled in a EQIP program through the NRC and has started a large back-grounding operation as a way of diversifying and creating a more steady monthly income. Huenink sometimes even finds herself out working with the cattle, an activity she has loved since her childhood. She also will oversee the advertising of cattle for Walter Farms when its time for ranch sales.

Huenink’s own family, including her parents and a brother, also operates a farm and ranch east of Kersey, Colorado, raising hay and cattle. She is a 25 percent owner in this enterprise as well. Today, Huenink continues to also work with AgriCare, aiding owner Steve Coleman with the bookkeeping of approximately 20 clients.

This lady’s list of accomplishments reads like a Who’s Who in Colorado Agriculture.  She has been a member of the Colorado Young Farmers since she was first eligible to join. Since then, she has not only been a member, but also a co-advisor and an advisor to her peers. She’s held offices in the chapters she’s been involved in both Logan and Weld counties, currently serving as chapter president for St. Vrain.

As perhaps one of the best mentors of young agriculturists in this state, Huenink is editor of the CYF’s state newsletter and she’s been a vital member of the team that revised the Young Farmer Manual for all chapter advisors across the state. In 2007, when Colorado hosted the organization’s national institute, Huenink was publicity chairman for the Colorado National Planning Committee, which was a three year commitment.

Herself once a Colorado FFA officer, Kelly has been very involved with that organization, serving on the Colorado FFA Foundation and also assisting as asked with the goings on of the state officer team and FFA Foundation activities. She helps with the operation of the state convention every year in some capacity. Recently, she served on two curriculum writing teams for Colorado Ag Education in the area of ag business. She is currently writing agriculture curriculum for the Rafiki Foundation which serves 10 schools in Africa.

As if she isn’t personally diversified enough already, Huenink is passionate about her faith and volunteers for several programs at her Greeley church in both the adult and youth areas. She coordinates a middle school mentoring program and is personally a mentor to two six grade students. She has been trained for missionary work with the Rafiki Foundation and has hopes of someday traveling to Africa to utilize what she’s learned.