By Julie Tomascik
Editor
Texas Farm Bureau has launched the 2019 County Farm Bureau Young Farmer & Rancher (YF&R) Incentive program.
It’s the second year for the program, and it helps county Farm Bureaus boost engagement with young farmers and ranchers.
“Engaging young farmers and ranchers in Texas at the county Farm Bureau level will prove to be beneficial for the state organization and for Texas agriculture,” Melody Kneupper, TFB’s YF&R Advisory Committee chair, said. “The incentive program helps plant seeds that later grow into active and enthusiastic members to grow Farm Bureau and agriculture in our great state.”
The program encourages county Farm Bureau boards to have or appoint a YF&R chair that is 35 years of age or younger; develop a YF&R county committee of three or more young farmers and ranchers; develop a county plan of work that includes a YF&R event or activity in the county separate from state activities; send one new couple or individual to the YF&R Leadership Conference or Fall Tour; and have an applicant participate in the YF&R contests—Outstanding YF&R, Excellence in Agriculture or Discussion Meet.
To be eligible for the incentive awards, the criteria must be completed between Jan. 1 through Oct. 31, 2019.
Depending on the number of items completed, the county YF&R committee can earn up to $450 in cash and TFB-branded items.
“We know the impact of young farmers and ranchers on Texas agriculture is, and will continue to be, significant. It’s the same for Farm Bureau,” Kneupper said. “Growing a YF&R program at the county level allows young farmers and ranchers the opportunity to connect and network, but it also challenges us. We can learn from each other, adopt new technologies, grow together and leave our mark on TFB and Texas agriculture.”
In 2018, 20 counties qualified for incentive awards. They included: Anderson, Angelina, Atascosa, Cherokee, Coryell, Erath, Freestone, Kaufman, Lynn-Garza, McCulloch, Nacogdoches, Runnels, Smith, Titus, Tom Green, Van Zandt, Washington, Williamson, Wilson and Yoakum.
For more information and the 2019 YF&R Incentive Program toolkit, visit www.texasfarmbureau.org/YFR.
Contact Whit Weems, TFB director of Organization, at 254-399-5030 or wweems@txfb.org with questions.