By Shala Watson
Texas Farm Bureau Intern
Returning with a renewed focus. Stronger leadership skills. And a firmer network within the agricultural community. Texas Farm Bureau (TFB) young farmers and ranchers stepped beyond their fence rows in mid-February to help grow the future of agriculture.
More than 1,100 participants, including representatives from TFB, attended the annual American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) Young Farmer & Rancher (YF&R) Conference in Kansas City, Mo. to network, learn and work toward increased agricultural advocacy.
Among them were TFB YF&R Chairman Bud Hardin and his wife, Mandi; Chandler and Jenna Bowers; Garret Mathis; and Jaylen Wallace.
“The conference went really well. Our participants heard from a wide variety of speakers who covered various topics that will help them with their operations back home, as well as topics that will help them be better advocates for agriculture,” said Coleburn Davis, TFB director of Organization Programs.
Social media was one of the many advocacy avenues speakers stressed for young farmers and ranchers to incorporate.
“Today’s consumers are far removed from agriculture. They don’t have those hands-on experiences like we do, but they want to be connected,” Hardin said. “They want to know more and we can help bridge that gap through social media and engaging with folks in our communities.”
Newly-elected AFBF President Zippy Duvall spoke to the attendees. Other speakers at the event included former NFL player Jason Brown, motivational speaker Kelly Barnes and founder of Voices in Advocacy Roger Rickard.
Miss America 2016 Betty Cantrell also addressed the participants. She talked about promoting healthy kids and agriculture while staying connected to her Georgia farm roots.
But the conference was about more than presentations. It was an opportunity to develop leadership skills and to network with other young farmers and ranchers from across the nation.
“Young farmers and ranchers face tough obstacles, but it helps to know they’re not alone,” Davis said. “This conference allows them to see different agricultural perspectives and meet other folks who grow the same crops or raise livestock and allows them to talk about challenges and solutions.”
And they’re training to be the next agricultural leaders.
“One day the leadership responsibility is going to be in our hands. We need to cultivate these younger leaders so we can build a strong foundation for the future of agriculture,” Hardin said.
To wrap up the four-day conference, the Texas group toured local agricultural businesses, including the Shatto Milk Company—a small dairy farm and milk processing plant that specializes in direct consumer marketing of dairy products. They also visited Paradise Locker Meats.
But the learning doesn’t stop there.
“As young farmers and ranchers, we are the future of Texas and agriculture. The choices we make, the relationships we grow and the desire to learn more will keep us pushing agriculture forward,” Hardin said.