Lortie Makes a Bid for Star Farmer
Published: Friday, June 12, 2026
Standing among the finalists for the State Star Farmer award at the 97th Indiana FFA State Convention next week in Noblesville, Ind. will be 19-year-old Faith Lortie of Kimmel, an aspiring dairy farmer.
Lortie began showing dairy cattle when she joined 4-H as a child, and her project was born out of a love for show cattle and a desire to rekindle a family legacy.
"The reason I took an interest in dairy is because of the background my family has in it. Actually, the farm we live on and I raise my herd on my great grandpa bought and started his own dairy farm," she said.
That herd was passed down to her grandfather but was sold when her father, Joe, went to college.
"It was my goal to bring a dairy operation back to this farm," she said. "To be a fourth-generation dairy farmer is something I've really enjoyed about this project."
Another top goal of hers was to become known for high quality show animals in Indiana.
"I bought my first heifer in 2018, and it just kind of went from there," she said.
JML Haven was born, and today Lortie breeds nearly all of her own cattle. Her Star Farmer project consists of a herd of 20 registered Holstein cattle, which she markets for the show circuit.
When asked what it felt like to learn that she was a state finalist, the Central Noble FFA member said it felt like it was "next level."
"It was a moment that I had been hoping for a long time," she said. "It was a goal I'd set back in middle school, so to see that full circle moment in getting that call, it was really rewarding."
She added that it is even more exciting to her than being among the national finalists for the proficiency because "it's back in my own state."
Lortie's dairy entrepreneurship proficiency project began in the seventh grade. Since then, she has won proficiency awards for her dairy operation her sophomore, junior and senior years in high school, and was a national finalist for the proficiency award last year.
Lortie said this project has taught her a lot about hard work, dedication and responsibility.
When asked about the challenges she faced throughout her project, Lortie pointed to her youth and inexperience. Starting and leading a dairy farm in the seventh grade showed her just how complicated and intense the industry can be, and she faced a steep learning curve. But she found the cure for that in hard work, education, mentorship and taking the time to gain experience.
Another challenge she faced was milk distribution.
"My operation has to work differently due to its size and scale," she said.
Her herd is too small to sell milk commercially, so it took some ingenuity to find a market. Lortie found that market in feeder cattle, using the milk to cut down on feed costs. She also found that her brother's beef feeders earned a boost in meat quality and marbling from the milk.
Another important lesson she has taken away from this project is teamwork. Lortie said it takes a team to run a dairy farm. She credits her family members for being that team for her.
Daily chores, including milking and feeding the cows, are not optional on a dairy farm, no matter what is going on outside of the dairy operation. Lortie said her daily chores often took her one and a half hours, twice a day. And that was just to maintain status quo.
To improve her Holsteins, Lortie learned to analyze and adapt to industry trends and various situations on the farm. As she continued in her project, she found ways to be more cost effective on her farm and improve herd performance.
Last year, her farm was named premier breeder at the Indiana State Fair.
"That really solidified that my goals were being achieved," she said, referring to her goal to be known throughout the state for quality show animals.
As she has gotten closer to and achieved her goals, she found they began to change.
Lortie learned a lot about the agricultural industry and leadership roles within it, and that gave her perspective concerning her role within the sector.
"It's taught me a lot about the opportunities the dairy industry has as well as giving me an outlet to be a leader or a role model for other younger members of the industry," she said.
That shifted the focus of her project as it evolved.
"When I started, I wasn't necessarily thinking about this, but now being able to help new exhibitors and new members of the industry is something I have a real emphasis on in my project," Lortie said.
Now, she sells her cattle to young showmen who are just starting out and works with them to help them improve.
Faith is the daughter of Joe and Megan Lortie. She is the oldest of four children. Her siblings include Braden, 17, Mackinley, 15, and Mesa, 13. She recently finished her first year at Blackhawk East Junior College and plans to transfer to a four-year university to study agricultural communications. Her plans include continuing to grow JML Haven and starting a career in either agricultural broadcasting or ag journalism, and possibly starting a livestock photography business.
The Star Farmer Award will be presented during the Indiana FFA State Convention, June 15-18.
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