Matthew Bormann was caught off guard when he got a phone call this fall, congratulating him for being selected as a finalist for Iowa Farm Bureau’s Young Farmer Achievement Award.

"I felt like I was Miss America, when the contestants hear their name and they are like, ‘Oh my gosh!’" said Bormann, who is finishing up his term as Kossuth County Farm Bureau president in November. "I’m humbled and I’m honored. It’s a neat deal, and I’m glad that I met the criteria for what (the judges) are looking for."

Bormann and his wife, Nancy, are one of three finalists for the Young Farmer Achievement Award. The winner will be an­­nounced at the 2013 Iowa Farm Bureau annual meeting Dec. 3-4.

The Iowa Farm Bureau’s Achievement Award honors young farmers who show outstanding management ability in their farming operations and involvement in community activities.

Along with the Bormanns, who raise livestock and row crops near...