Chris Chinn, from Clarence, Missouri, and Bo Stone, from Rowland, North Carolina, earned two of the four spots in a nationwide competition conducted by the alliance, which includes more than 80 farmers and ranchers organizations.

Mr Chinn is a fifth-generation family farmer who with her husband, his parents and brother raises hogs, cattle, hay and row crops. Mr Stone is a sixth-generation family farmer who with his wife and his parents raises hogs, cattle, row crops, strawberries and sweet corn.

The other winners represent crop and dairy sectors. Katie Pratt is a family farmer from Dixon, Illinois, who raises corn, soybeans and seed corn with her husband Andy, a seventh-generation farmer. Will Gilmer is a family dairy farmer from Lamar County, Alabama, who owns and operates a dairy farm with his father and also manages land used for pasture and forage production.

The four winners will serve as national spokespeople, telling their agriculture story and answering consumers’ questions about how food reaches their plate.

"We are very proud that two family pork farmers will represent the pork industry on a national level," said R.C. Hunt, NPPC president and a family pork farmer from Wilson, North Carolina. "This will allow American agriculture to be more transparent and address consumer questions in a more personal manner."

Winners were calculated by the number of online votes received from 15 Novmber - 15 December 2012, and by a panel of judges from the food and agriculture sectors.

To learn more about the winners, please click here.