Clay County native wins $25,000 prize

ANAHEIM (CA)-After being named the Tennessee Young Farmers & Ranchers Excellence in Agriculture winner in the fall of 2025, Alyssa Clements of Clay County went on to compete on the national level here at the American Farm Bureau Federation Convention and was named national runner-up.

“It was an honor to win the state award and it’s an even greater honor to have represented Tennessee on the national stage and be named national runner-up,” said Clements.  “I’m getting close to aging out of Young Farmers and Ranchers and it is great to capstone my experience in the organization with this achievement.”

Growing up with grandparents who ran a tobacco and cattle farm and parents working in rural healthcare, agriculture was engrained in Clements at a young age.  During her school years, she was very active in 4-H and FFA, and then went on to obtain her bachelor’s degree in animal science from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville.

She also has a master’s degree in ruminant nutrition from the University of Illinois and a M.B.A. from Tennessee Technological University.  She began her sales career in animal science in 2015 and has been working in the industry ever since.

Clements serves as a sales specialist for Purina Mills, LLC and Protrition, a joint venture with Tennessee Farmers Cooperative.  Her area covers a large region in middle Tennessee and south-central Kentucky, where she assists producers in developing nutrition plans around forages and farm-grown feedstuffs.  At home, Clements and her husband, Adam Boucher, are proud to be raising their son, Amos, on her family’s farm.

“My motto is that I’m fueled by farmers,” said Clements.  “They’ve given so much to me to allow me to get to this point in my career and it’s my goal every day to give back to them.”

Clements has been involved in YF&R since her college days, serving in various capacities and attending several local and state conferences.  Most recently, Clements participated in the American Farm Bureau Federation advocacy fly-in in Washington, D.C., where she advocated on behalf of Tennessee farmers.

She has served on the Clay County YF&R committee for several years and is now proud to be serving on the Clay County board of directors, as of two years ago.

The Excellence in Agriculture Award recognizes young farmers who derive the majority of their income for an off-farm occupation, but who actively contribute and grow through their involvement in agriculture, their leadership ability and participation in Farm Bureau and other organizations.

As state winner, Clements received $1,000 from Farm Bureau Insurance of Tennessee, $500 from Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation, $1,000 in Tennessee Farm Bureau services, and a John Deere Gator sponsored by Farm Credit Mid-America.

As national runner-up, Clements will receive a $25,000 credit toward new Case IH equipment, courtesy of Case IH.