By Jennifer Dorsett
Field Editor
Going virtual didn’t stop collegiate Texas Farm Bureau (TFB) members from diving into the Collegiate Discussion Meet. And one enterprising young member brought home the top prize for her thoughtful dialogue on the issues faced by rural Americans, farmers and ranchers.
Hannah Followill of Texas A&M University was named the winner of this year’s contest.
The annual contest, which is hosted by TFB’s Young Farmer & Rancher (YF&R) Advisory Committee, helps college students better understand issues facing all sectors of agriculture—farmers, ranchers, agribusinesses, the food supply chain and more.
It also helps collegiate contestants hone public speaking and problem-solving skills.
This year, Followill and 11 other college students from across the state participated in a virtual competition, where recorded responses and live Zoom discussions were used to carry on the annual contest in a digital format.
“We had a great turnout for our first-ever virtual discussion meet,” YF&R Advisory Committee Chair Jesse Wieners said. “The contestants did a great job at adapting to the new format and interacting with each other on Zoom.”
Topics of discussion included rural broadband access, the need for tools and strategies farmers and ranchers can use to deal with natural disasters and the rising role of technology and “big data” in farming.
In the first two rounds, contestants submitted recorded individual responses to questions.
The top eight then participated in a live video discussion on Oct. 28. The four finalists were announced after that discussion round.
The four finalists included: Followill, a senior at Texas A&M; Harrison Coker, a junior at Texas A&M; Zachary Lyman, a freshman at Schreiner University; and Michael Weinstein, a sophomore at Texas A&M.
The following day, the final four contestants discussed solutions to enhance the current farm economy and help reverse the decline in rural populations.
Participants were scored based on their speaking skills, effective problem solving and cooperative communication with other contestants.
“I love to learn more about these topics, the issues that impact agriculture and rural Texans, so this was a fun opportunity for me,” Followill said. “It was nerve-wracking, yet so exciting all at once. I’ve never done any type of debate event, so it was very new to me. But I really enjoy talking about those issues, so I thought, ‘Why not go for it?’ and somehow I won.”
Followill, who grew up in Houston, is studying agribusiness at Texas A&M with a minor in horticulture and Spanish. Over the summer, she completed an internship in Washington, D.C. for U.S. Rep. Filemon Vela, an experience which she said helped her understand the policymaking process and its effects on rural and agricultural communities.
Growing up in Houston, Followill wasn’t exposed to agriculture until she attended a pony-themed birthday party featuring pony rides when she was seven years old.
“From that day forward, my parents couldn’t get me out of the barn. I rode horses competitively from the age of seven until I was 21. So when I went into my senior year of high school, I wanted to figure out how to incorporate that aspect of my life that I was so passionate about into my career, and that’s what led me to agribusiness,” Followill said. “I’ll graduate in 2021, and I’d like to continue learning more about policy and become more of a voice in agricultural policy and advocating for farmers and ranchers.”
Coker, who is majoring in renewable natural resources at Texas A&M, was the runner-up.
As the top contestant, Followill took home a $2,500 cash prize and a plaque. She will also represent Texas in the American Farm Bureau Federation’s 2021 Collegiate Discussion Meet contest.
Coker, the runner-up, received a $1,500 cash prize and a plaque.
The remaining finalists each received a $750 cash prize and plaque.
These participants also made the elite eight round preceding the final four: Trace Dodd, West Texas A&M University; Shelby Lain, West Texas A&M; Conner McKinzie, Texas Tech University and Lyndee Yoder, West Texas A&M.
Other participants were Breanne Bailey, Tarleton State University; Alejandra Camarillo, West Texas A&M; and Patrick Herrera, Texas Tech.
Click here to learn about other collegiate and young farmer and rancher activities available through TFB.