Marathon County farmer named 35 Under 35 finalist

Stacey Harrison

Contributor

September 1, 2025

MARATHON COUNTY – Nathan Utecht said agriculture has always been part of his life.

Raised on his family’s dairy farm outside Marathon, Utecht said he’s continuing that tradition – both on the farm and through his work in crop and soil management.

“It’s truly an honor to be part of it,” he said.  

Now, that lifelong dedication is being recognized statewide.

Utecht, 27, is a Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation’s (WFBF) 35 Under 35 program finalist in the sustainable environment category.

In addition to working on Redbud Grain Farms – his family’s operation – Utecht said he is a sales agronomist and applicator, advising other producers on best practices for crop and soil management.

“If I can try it at home and show it works, I’m not just a salesman trying to come and sell it to someone… I can actually use an example to try to bring it to different places,” he said.

Utecht said it’s that dual role – family farmer and agronomist – that led to his recognition as a 35 Under 35 award finalist.

However, he said his passion for all of it started with his family. 

Sustainable roots

Though he was raised on a small dairy farm with about 50 cows, Utecht said his family transitioned the operation to focus more on grain and beef in 2017.

He said the family now manages hundreds of acres of cropland.

Utecht said that transition also deepened their focus on environmental sustainability.

With the farm located on rolling hills, Utecht said erosion control has always been a key focus at Redbud Grain Farms – part of a long-standing effort to keep soil healthy and waterways clean.

“We saw a benefit in the strip crop, and we’ve done that since like 1970,” he said. “Grandpa actually was the one who put the strips in.” 

Building on his agricultural background, Utecht said he studied at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls – earning degrees in dairy science and animal science, along with minors in crop management and agricultural business.

Now, he said he’s putting that education to use on his family’s farm by applying practices aimed at supporting long-term environmental sustainability.

“The biggest thing we’re fighting in our area is: how do we stop erosion?” he said. 

Aside from the strip crop, Utecht said his family also started farming more cover crops in the last couple of years. 

“On the cover crop, I was the one who brought up the idea of doing it,” he said. 

Utecht said cover crops essentially act as a buffer to slow water runoff, while also building organic matter in the soil.

Strip crops, he said, also help with water runoff – essentially splitting the field into several small fields to “slow water down, because different types of roots hold back water better.”

“The biggest thing is, the more we can help our soils grow, the more economically and agronomically it is to us as producers,” he said. 

Utecht said his dual role helps him help others.

“Being on the agronomy side, I can help a lot of my producers try to implement stuff like this, because I’ve seen it done on our farm at home,” he said. “But I’m also able to see what other people have tried and try to push it for other people to try, too. If it works, it’s worth trying.”

Aside from his work as a farmer and agronomist, Utecht said he is also the Marathon County Young Farmer and Agriculturist (YFA) chair for the Marathon County Farm Bureau. 

“My family has always been in or on the farm bureau…,” he said. “To me, it’s a good program to get more involved in. More or less, it was a way to step up and kind of break out of my comfort zone.”

35 Under 35 

Per the WFBF, Utecht’s sustainability efforts and leadership in the community earned him a spot on the 35 Under 35 finalist list. 

Rachel LaCount – director of foundation and sustainability communications for the WFBF – said this is the fourth year of the award, which was an initiative of the Young Farmer and Agriculturist (YFA) Committee.

“It really encourages our younger members of 18-35 to get more involved and identify ways that they’re being sustainable in their careers,” she said.

LaCount said the 35 Under 35 award has five categories:

• Sustainable Environment – recognizes individuals who are good stewards of the land and their resources
• Sustainable Future – recognizes individuals who are preserving generational success on the farm 
• Sustainable Storytelling – recognizes individuals who use their platform to share agriculture’s sustainability successes
• Sustainable Service – recognizes individuals who are serving agriculture through trade skills or advisory roles 
• Sustainable Self – recognizes individuals serving their community through leadership, mentorship and mental health advocacy

Per WFBF’s website (wfbf.com), agriculture leaders and professionals can nominate a YFA member for the 35 Under 35 award. 

Those nominated then need to apply, but LaCount said they encourage members to apply even if they aren’t nominated.

“We really want to recognize the best of the best and give everyone equal opportunity to be recognized,” she said.

LaCount said applicants are required to submit a video and answer a few short essay prompts. 

Applicants, she said, are asked to describe the practices they implement to preserve and protect natural resources, describe their goals and what drives them to keep influencing the future of agriculture and how they measure success. 

“We really want to know what sustainability means to them and how they’re going to continue to be innovative in their careers,” she said.

After all the information is submitted, LaCount said three judges for each category score it using a pre-determined point system.

The top 35 are selected as finalists, and the person with the most points in each category will be announced at the YFA Conference in December. 

“Everyone thrives on that element of competition, so getting to be that top person in each category has been a really great driver for our members,” she said.

LaCount said each finalist gets $100, some swag items and an invitation to an exclusive networking reception.

The top individual in each category will also receive a $500 cash prize. 

“The YFA program in general is a nice [aspect of] the Wisconsin Farm Bureau, because it allows us – as the younger generation coming into farms or starting farms – to talk with people outside of our little communities,” she said. “It brings everyone from the whole state into one spot and allows us to network and share stuff.”

Utecht said for him, sustainability is about preserving and improving resources like soil for the long term – echoing LaCount’s importance of the YFA program and WFBF’s 35 Under 35 awards.

“If we’re not sustainable on the farm, we won’t be around for the next generations,” he said.