By Julie Tomascik
Editor

Walk it. Run it. Ride it. Drive it.

Texas Farm Bureau’s (TFB) Young Farmer & Rancher (YF&R) Advisory Committee wants you to participate in the Virtual 5K in any way you choose.

“Map out a 5K route around your farm, ranch or home,” Alisha Schwertner, a member of TFB’s YF&R Advisory Committee from Miles, said. “Take action shots of you and your surroundings during the 5K and post them on social media. We want to use this virtual event as a way to showcase agriculture.”

TFB’s YF&R Committee is hosting the virtual 5K to help bring awareness about farmers, ranchers and agribusinesses being part of the critical and essential industries that have been working during the entire global pandemic.

“Despite COVID-19 and everything associated with it, farmers and ranchers are still farming, still ranching and still working for all of us. At the same time, they’re still moving, which is part of a 5K. So, we wanted to bring those two together—a 5K and agriculture—in a virtual setting,” Schwertner said. “You can walk it or run it. But you can also ride your horse, ride your tractor, even the four-wheeler counts.”

She noted this event can help bring awareness to what farmers and ranchers are doing right now—harvesting, planting, checking livestock and more.

“We want to continue to show what farmers and ranchers like ourselves are doing on our farms and ranches,” Schwertner said. “Farmers are driving tractors. Some ranchers are riding horses. Others might be using their trucks, four wheelers, UTVs or other equipment. Either way, we’re all still moving and completing many 5Ks while we harvest crops or check livestock. Now we just ask you to take some photos and share it on social media to show everyone what you’re doing.”

The Texas Farm Bureau Virtual 5K is set for Oct. 2-4. Participants can complete the 5K at any time.

To be entered in the drawing for prizes, a participant must:

  • Register online by 11:59 p.m. on Oct. 1
  • Map out a 5K route around your farm, ranch or home
  • Complete the 5K any time between Oct. 2-4
  • Take action shots of you and your surroundings during the 5K
  • Post a Virtual 5K action shot on your Instagram, Facebook or Twitter account and use the hashtag #tfbvirtual5k. Make sure your posts are set to public.

If you participate in the Texas Farm Bureau Virtual 5K on Oct. 2-4 and post pictures on a public social media post with #tfbvirtual5k, you will be entered in a drawing to win one of several prizes.

Prizes include:

  • Yeti Roadie Cooler
  • Air Pods
  • $100 Farm Bureau Bank Gift Card
  • 36 oz RTIC bottle

Click here to register for the event. You must register by Oct. 1.

“We hope farmers and ranchers will take some time during Oct. 2-4 to join us on the Texas Farm Bureau 5K and share stories and views of Texas agriculture,” Schwertner said. “it’s a fun, interactive way to share the story of agriculture through social media as you take off on a 5K route around your farm, ranch or home.”

If you have questions about the 5K, email youngfarmers@txfb.org or call 254.399.5030.