By Marlee Jackson
(334) 613-4219

ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA, Jan. 12 - America's top young farm family hails from the heart of central Alabama. Drew and Lauren Wendland of Autauga County received the Achievement Award during American Farm Bureau Federation's Annual Convention Jan. 12 in Anaheim, California.

The accolade honors the Wendlands' impact at Autauga Farming Co. (AFC) in Autaugaville, plus Farm Bureau involvement, civic service and agricultural advocacy.

It's an achievement Drew first dreamed of more than a decade ago.

"We are very honored and humbled to bring this award home to the state of Alabama," Drew said. "It a reflection of the opportunities we have had to grow and develop through Alfa to be better equipped to serve our business and our community. God has blessed me with the opportunity to spend my days working and raising a family in Autaugaville. This award is just icing on the cake. I am proud of the legacy of AFC, the team that makes it work today and the opportunities that we have looking forward. It's not my farm. It's just my turn."

The Wendlands' family farm includes row crops, cattle and hay, plus timber, a fertilizer business and custom work for neighboring farms. Their most precious crop, however, includes sons Mills, Smith and Rhett.

Alabama Farmers Federation Young Farmers Division Director Hunter McBrayer commended the Wendlands' hard work and humility.

"Drew and Lauren represent exactly what our Young Farmers program stands for - faith, family and farming," McBrayer said. "They are the fifth generation of a faithful family and look to God for their strength and grace in seasons of success and times of trouble. They are a strong family, all working together to honor the legacy of those who came before them while thinking about the future."

Achievement Award competitors are between the ages of 18 and 35 and receive more than half of their income from production agriculture. The Wendlands qualified for the contest as winners of the Alabama Farmers Federation 2025 Outstanding Young Farm Family competition.

Based on a thorough application, they were named Top 10 Achievement Award finalists during AFBF Convention. An interview with a panel of expert judges followed.

As Achievement Award winners, the Wendlands receive $35,000 toward a vehicle courtesy of Ford. That's in addition to the $80,000 prize package they received as winners of the state contest. The Wendlands are Alabama's second Achievement Award winners. Daniel and Carla Trantham of Calhoun County earned the accolade in 2023.

Known for shrewd decision-making that maximizes efficiency, profitability and stewardship, Drew is Autauga Farming Co.'s crop production manager. His father, Andy, and his youngest brother, Dan, have other duties, divvied by strengths and experience. Iin addition to support work on the farm, Lauren is a family nurse practitioner in Selma.

Ties to the farm community tighten the thread of agriculture woven through the Wendlands' life. They serve within the Autauga County Farmers Federation and its Young Farmers program, plus national organizations and state entities, like the State Hay & Forage Committee. Drew is a graduate of the elite A.L.F.A. Leaders program Class V. The Wendlands attend Church Street Methodist in Selma.

A man of faith, Drew finds inspiration in wisdom handed down from his great-grandfather, Will Howard Smith.

"He said of his father, McQueen Smith, that everything he did was marked with firmness, self-discipline, self-restraint, a high regard for right and wrong, and ambition to succeed in all undertakings," Drew said. "For 31 years, I've been able to see my dad and my granddad exemplify those characteristics. I just hope and pray those are the same characteristics I leave in people's mind when they remember me."