The annual Fruit + Vegetable 40 Under Forty awards program celebrates individuals who are the next generation of leaders, representing the best in the industry. The following 40 honorees were selected because they are truly making, positive marks in our industry.

Join us in celebrating the Class of 2024 in person at the Great Lakes Vegetable & Farm Market EXPO in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in December.

Thank you to Stoke Seeds for supporting this year’s 40 outstanding individuals by sponsoring this year’s Fruit + Vegetable 40 UNDER Forty awards.

• Class of 2018
• Class of 2019
• Class of 2020
• Class of 2021
• Class of 2022
• Class of 2023
• Class of 2024

Class of 2020

Aaron Libby

Libby & Son U-Picks

Amy Metrick

Metrick's Harvest View Farm & Market/Penn State Extension

Andrea Kirchoff

Tim Campbell Farm

Ariana Torres

Purdue University

Ben Smith

Michigan State Horticultural Society

Benjamin Keim

Keim Orchards

Benjamin Sklarczyk

Sklarczyk Seed Farm LLC

Brett Blaauw

University of Georgia

Charles Hamilton

Grow West, Inc. & Pressley Ranches, LLC.

Cory Blumerick

GreenStone Farm Credit Service

Creela Hamlin

Lake Michigan Berry, LLC

Dario Chavez

University of Georgia

Darren Sinn

Berry Fresh LLC

Donald Seifrit

Pennsylvania State University Extension

Drew Afton

Nestle/Gerber

Emily Pochubay

Michigan State University Extension

Felipe Pacheco

Georgia Department of Labor

Hannah Burrack

North Carolina State University

John Price

Archlynn Farm

Jordan Rasch

Green Tree Orchards LLC

Josh Pagura

Pagura Farms LLC and Slocum Farms LLC

Justin Morgan

Morgan Composting

Kari Molter

Molter Produce

Kevin Bittner

Bittner Singer Orchards

Kyle Wafler

Wafler Farms, Inc

Laurie Swanson

Great Lakes Ag Labor Services, LLC

Margaret Worthington

University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture

Melissa Morlock

MM Farms LLC

Nathan Bender

Tasteful Selections, LLC

Nicholas Tipper

Application Insight

Nick Oomen

Oomen Brothers, Inc.

Rob Glover

Rob Glover Farming, LLC

Sarah Reel

Double R Farm

Shannon Higginbotham

Cheyenne’s Road Market & Farm

Steve Rachut

Steve's Sweet Corn and Century Growers

Susan Colucci

HM Clause, Inc./Harris Moran Seed Company

Trevor Hardy

Brookdale Fruit Farm

Wenjing Guan

Purdue University

Yi Wang

University of Wisconsin - Madison, Department of Horticulture

Zack Hayden

Michigan State University Department of Horticulture