By Shelby Shank
Field Editor
Farm finances, social media and the future of agriculture were among the topics discussed during the Texas Farm Bureau Young Farmer & Rancher (YF&R) Spring Conference.
The event, hosted by Texas Farm Bureau (TFB) April 5-7 in Waco, gave farmers, ranchers, agricultural professionals and college students the opportunity to network and learn from each other and industry experts.
“The YF&R Spring Conference helps facilitate networking and growth in our membership,” Jay Clark, TFB’s YF&R Advisory Committee chair, said. “It gives attendees applicable skills and knowledge that they can take back to their businesses, their communities and their county Farm Bureau boards to continue advocacy and be a voice for Texas agriculture.”
Featured presentations
The conference began with discussions on business professionalism.
Randi Mays-Knapp, a certified etiquette and leadership coach, addressed a range of topics on business etiquette to help participants learn how to make the best first and lasting impressions.
“Everybody had something they could take away from Randi’s presentation, regardless if it’s for personal or professional development,” Katie Greaser, first time conference attendee from Ellis County, said.
Participant heard from industry speakers on environmental issues, trade and how it’s affecting livestock and crop commodities and farm finances with Capital Farm Credit.
“Capital Farm Credit shared with us the ins and outs of the lending process, empowering our members and young farmers and ranchers to take the next step with their businesses,” Clark said.
Breakout sessions covered media training and marketing, ag loans and grants and innovation in agriculture.
Cody and Erika Archie of Bar 7 Ranch, ranchers and social media content creators, encouraged TFB members to dive into social media and look for ways to expand their businesses.
“Don’t be afraid to try something new and look outside the box to diversify your operation,” Cody said.
The Texas Department of Agriculture shared more about agricultural loans and grants available to young farmers and ranchers.
Smooth Ag Solutions, an ag start-up that placed in the top 10 of Farm Bureau’s Ag Innovation Challenge, talked about their entrepreneurial endeavors.
“There’s something you can take away from each of these sessions,” Greaser said. “I went into the sessions open-minded and eager to learn more. There is more I want to learn about and plug myself more into YF&R events.”
Keynote presentation
Veterinarian and agricultural influencer Dr. Marissa Hake, DVM, was the keynote speaker of the event and rounded out the conference with discussion on growing leaders for agriculture’s future.
“Agriculture is facing an age crisis as farmers and ranchers get older and not as many young people are joining the industry,” Hake said. “Millions of acres of farmland are expected to change hands as farmers get ready to retire over the next 20 years.”
She noted America has lost about 4.3 acres of farmland every minute for the last 22 years.
Hake also covered food waste, agricultural trade dynamics, gene editing and more during her presentation.
“Dr. Hake gave a great presentation to attendees on where the future of agriculture is headed. In one of her slides, she shared you are more likely to meet a farmer or rancher over the age of 65 than under 44,” Johnathen Barrett, a territory manager for Syngenta, said. “There’s a lot of important issues facing the ag industry as a whole, and that’s why it’s vital to have not just a voice, but a strong united voice within the agricultural community.”
Relationship building
The conference included some fun, too.
A golf tournament at Top Golf provided opportunities for conference attendees to network and build new relationships while also earning prizes.
“We kicked off our event Friday night with dinner and networking at Top Golf. It was great to have everybody in town, get to know one another, catch up with old friends and had a great time visiting each other,” Clark said.
The three-day conference gave ample opportunity for young agricultural leaders to meet and discuss with one another.
“We had great speakers and sessions this weekend, but I really enjoyed networking and being able to communicate with different people,” Barrett said. “The networking piece is what makes this conference valuable because you get to come and meet new people from across the state.”
Over 150 young farmers, ranchers, ag professionals and college students between the ages of 18 and 35 were in attendance.
“One of the biggest things that stood out to me during this conference was a quote from Randi that people are going to talk regardless, but we have the ability to influence what they’re talking about,” Clark said. “And so how can we influence that for agriculture? I believe this weekend’s conference did an excellent job of that, of preparing our members to continue with our agricultural advocacy efforts.”
And each is leaving their mark on Texas agriculture, building a legacy to pass on to the next generation.
Collegiate Discussion Meet
The conference also featured the Collegiate Discussion Meet, where David Kendrick of Texas A&M University earned the top honor and will advance to represent TFB in the national contest next year.
Upcoming YF&R events
Upcoming YF&R activities include the Summer Social and Fall Tour.
The Summer Social is set for July 19-21 at Jellystone Park in Burleson. Registration for the event closes June 14.
Fall Tour is scheduled for Sept. 6-8 in Alpine. Registration details will be announced this summer.
For more information on young farmer and ranchers activities, visit texasfarmbureau.org/YFR or email youngfarmers@txfb.org.
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