By Julie Tomascik
Editor
A group of young farmers and ranchers returned from the American Farm Bureau Federation’s (AFBF) Conference in Louisville, Kentucky, with a renewed focus and a larger network within the agricultural community.
More than 1,000 participants, including Texas Farm Bureau (TFB) young farmers and ranchers, attended the annual conference.
Among them were Brandon Boerner of Hunt County, Matthew and Breanna Kreuger of Bexar County, Kevin and Jackie Seawright of Waller County and Patrick and Lacey Williams of Smith County.
Speakers, breakout sessions and evening events brought together young farmer and rancher volunteer leaders from across the U.S.
“The week was about having fun, meeting new people and some education,” said Patrick Williams, TFB Young Farmer & Rancher (YF&R) Advisory Committees District 5 representative.
The group attended various breakout sessions to hear from industry leaders on estate planning, marketing commodities and agricultural technology, among others.
“The takeaway from one of the workshops was to sit down, talk and plan out the future,” Williams said. “It can be intimidating to have these conversations, but succession plans for family businesses, farms, ranches, deeds to the land and all of those things need to be discussed.”
The workshops and motivational speakers also encouraged the young farmers and ranchers to step outside of their comfort zones and embrace opportunities for personal and professional growth.
“The breakout sessions allowed us to learn from industry experts, and it helped motivate us to be involved and to get others involved in what Farm Bureau does,” Williams said. “The conference gave us ideas to incorporate into other events that we host in Texas.”
That grassroots leadership will strengthen state YF&R programs, including Texas’ program.
The conference was about more than presentations, though. It was an opportunity to develop leadership skills and network with other farmers and ranchers from across the country.
“I enjoyed meeting other farmers and ranchers from the different states, even Puerto Rico, and learning about what they do on their farms and ranches, how they make it through tough winters,” Williams said.
During the conference, Texas A&M University student Clayton Elbel also competed in the AFBF Collegiate Discussion Meet. He qualified for the national contest after winning the Texas competition last year.
For more information on TFB’s YF&R program, visit texasfarmbureau.org/YFR.