By Julie Tomascik
Editor
Registration is underway for Texas Farm Bureau’s (TFB) Young Farmer & Rancher (YF&R) Conference and Collegiate Discussion Meet.
The conference is designed to equip young leaders in agriculture with the tools needed to increase their agricultural advocacy efforts and help with farm and ranch decisions.
The event is set for April 3-5 at the Austin Marriott North hotel in Round Rock.
“This conference is for any young farmer and rancher across the state,” Jesse Wieners, TFB’s YF&R Advisory Committee chair, said. “There will be many opportunities for networking and learning from others in agriculture.”
The conference will feature a variety of speakers addressing current issues impacting the next generation of Texas farmers and ranchers.
Conference attendees will hear from keynote speakers and participate in breakout sessions on succession planning, building a business plan, developing your message and the agronomics of hemp production.
“After previous conferences, we’ve had farmers and ranchers who have taken information back to their CPAs and their family businesses to help them be more successful,” Wieners said. “Each year, there’s information to learn and take back home to implement on our farms and ranches.”
The conference will also feature the Collegiate Discussion Meet, which is a round-table discussion of agricultural topics.
To participate, contestants must be between the ages of 18 and 35, must have an interest in agriculture and be pursuing an undergraduate degree in agriculture or an agriculture-related field.
“This is a great opportunity for anyone who wants to be involved in agriculture, whether that’s production agriculture, agricultural communications or another agribusiness,” Wieners said. “Participants develop public speaking skills and grow their knowledge of real issues affecting agriculture right now.”
The winner will take home a $2,000 cash award and will receive expense-paid trips to the TFB Annual Meeting in December and the American Farm Bureau Collegiate Discussion Meet in February 2021.
The runner-up will receive a $500 cash prize and an expense-paid trip to the TFB Annual Meeting. The remaining finalists will each receive $500.
The conference registration will be waived for students participating in the Collegiate Discussion Meet.
The conference is open to college students and young farmers and ranchers ages 18 to 35.
Additional registration information, including costs, can found online at https://texasfarmbureau.org/YFR.
Registration for the conference and Collegiate Discussion Meet closes on March 11.
Login or create an account at my.texasfarmbureau.org to register for the conference and Collegiate Discussion Meet.
For questions regarding the conference or registration fees, contact youngfarmers@txfb.org or call 254.751.2489.