DUNCAN FALLS, Ohio – Lincoln Deitrick, of Muskingum County, is the winner of Ohio Farm Bureau’s Young Agricultural Professionals 2026 Outstanding Young Farmer competition. The competition helps young farmers strengthen their business skills, develop marketing opportunities, and receive recognition for their accomplishments.

Deitrick’s farming business includes row crops, a commercial cattle feedlot, seasonal hog finishing, and a self-serve meat trailer that offers direct-to-consumer beef, pork and eggs.

An operation of that magnitude requires planning and teamwork. “As the farming aspect has grown, I’ve just learned to find more people like that along the way and utilize their services,” Deitrick said. “I prioritize everything, whether it’s seasonally or daily. On the crop side, I lean pretty hard on my agronomist. We sit down and decide, ‘Okay, here’s what I’m going to plant where,’ and we put together a game plan. He’s the one who helps me put the ‘cheat sheet’ together before the spring.”

For the feedlot, Deitrick relies on a nutritionist for a nutrition game plan, local sale barns for a marketing plan, his veterinarian for a vaccination and treatment plan, and a payroll service. He also relies on another partner. “On top of all that, I rely heavily on my wife to help with the financial side of things; she pays all the bills,” he said.

Deitrick grew up showing registered Angus cattle at local and national shows and continues to maintain a cow-calf registered Angus herd in partnership with his family. Those early years in the show ring prepared him for the “business side” of running a commercial farm.

“It really helped me develop a love for cattle. Being with them and working with them taught me so much about responsibility and work ethic,” he said. “My mom and dad were firm believers that if we were showing cattle, we were the ones who were going to put in the work. They didn’t just sit back; we were right there involved. It taught me obedience and responsibility. I really do enjoy the feedlot – it’s different from the show world, but at the end of the day, we’re still working with cattle.”

Deitrick continues to think about his long-term family legacy when setting operational goals. “I try to maintain a five- and 10-year plan to keep the goals moving forward,” he said. “But I’m keeping an open mind because our twins are two and Jacob is 8 months old right now. I want to watch them, see where they want to get involved, and help them find their place in the world.”

The Young Agricultural Professionals (YAP) program provides leadership development and professional growth opportunities for farm bureau members aged 18-35. Deitrick attended his first YAP conference in 2023 and sees the benefits.

“I got the meat trailer idea from networking and talking to people about finding niche markets,” he said. “Another big thing I gathered was grain marketing. I haven’t perfected my program just yet, but I’ve gotten started because of the conference breakout sessions. I have a much better understanding now of how to put one together and what they mean.”

The meat trailer is an extremely small part of Deitrick’s operation – a niche market he started in 2024 to reach consumers. It’s a self-serve market on the farm.

“The hamburger is probably the most popular; I sell the most hamburger out of everything, and I don’t blame the customer. It is good hamburger!” he said. “My motive is that everything is local. We source the cattle locally and grow all the feed on the farm. We make the feed here and then send it to Phillips Meats to be processed, and then bring it back.”

Deitrick works closely with the local soil and water conservation office and believes it’s vital to prioritize conservation practices alongside profitability. He also understands the role of government assistance in supporting sustainable agriculture.

“Keeping an open mind about conservation and having a long-term payback – understanding that some immediate costs have a longer-term return – helps keep that balance,” Deitrick said. “Sometimes it’s relying on government assistance to help with these programs. I’m not asking for a handout; these programs come with a lot of work and responsibilities. At the end of the day, what we’re gaining is a better environment for everybody.”

As the winner of the competition, Deitrick received a $3,000 cash prize, an expense-paid trip to the 2026 Ohio Farm Bureau Annual Meeting, and an expense-paid trip to the 2027 American Farm Bureau Annual Convention in Charlotte, N.C., to represent Ohio in the national competition. The cash prize will go toward building a covered manure storage building and another barn to feed out more cattle.

On what advice would he give to a young person starting in farming in today’s climate, Deitrick said, “Surround yourself with good people and only good positive people. Your surroundings will create your future. I once gave a sermon at the fairgrounds, and my message was: ‘Show me your friends, and I’ll show you your future.’”