By Julie Tomascik
Editor
Leadership, collaboration and membership engagement were the focus of the 2026 County Farm Bureau Presidents’ Conference held Feb. 25-26 at the TFB Conference and Training Center in Waco.
“Every other year, we bring our county presidents together to talk about where we are and where we’re headed as an organization,” TFB President Russell Boening said. “It’s a valuable time to exchange ideas, discuss challenges and make sure our county leaders have the information and resources they need to serve their members well.”
Guest speakers and breakout sessions highlighted ways counties can use TFB programs and resources to strengthen member engagement at the local level. Discussions on member benefits, Ag in the Classroom resources and planning successful events equipped county leaders with practical tools to strengthen involvement and plan for a successful year.
“It’s going to take some effort from the current board and myself to reach out across our county, but we learned about resources and tips on how to connect with new members and keep current members engaged,” Stetson Rasberry, Fisher County Farm Bureau president, said.
Keynote speaker Dr. Lance Kieth encouraged county presidents to consider their role as servant leaders and how they can best serve their members and communities.
“We’re all volunteers. It’s a commitment to Texas Farm Bureau and our counties,” Rasberry said. “We have to stand together. When you’re part of 480,000 member-families across the state, your voice becomes part of something much bigger. That collective strength is what makes Texas Farm Bureau effective, and I believe our future is bright.”
Rasberry is in his first year as a county president, and the conference provided an opportunity to learn more about the state organization and the resources available to county leaders and members.
“We have some ideas to implement this year and next year,” he said. “But we really want to give credit to our member-families as the reason we’re able to make things happen at the local level. We want to draw attention to local memberships helping support local efforts like scholarships and other activities.”
County presidents also heard updates on AGFUND, TFB’s political action committee, and toured Texas State Technical College’s (TSTC) Waco campus, where students are prepared for in-demand technical careers. The tours included robotics, aviation and welding and diesel technology.
TFB also provides $70,000 in scholarships to first-year technical college students at any TSTC campus.
Throughout the two-day conference, leaders were challenged to take what they learned back to their counties and put it into action.
Boening urged the county presidents to share that information with their fellow board members and county Farm Bureau offices to boost member engagement and increase member retention.
“We all ride for the Farm Bureau brand, and together, we can achieve success for all of agriculture,” Boening said.
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