By Emmy Powell
Communication Specialist
Sign up is underway for Texas Farm Bureau’s (TFB) Young Farmer & Rancher (YF&R) 2022 Discussion Meet.
Registration closes Nov. 1.
The YF&R Discussion Meet is a peer-focused discussion aimed at solving diverse and complex issues within agriculture.
Contestants are provided five agricultural-related topics to prepare for discussion.
“They are given five emerging ag issue topics in advance to study through. They will draw randomly from those questions, and they then discuss the topic among their peers,” said Roger Hall, TFB associate director of Organization Division, Leader Development. “They each provide opening and closing statements and then have a group discussion.”
Two or more preliminary rounds will feature separate topics, with a 25-minute roundtable discussion among the panelists to determine the top four finalists. For the final round, the four finalists will discuss a topic that is drawn from the remaining questions.
The Discussion Meet is designed to simulate a committee meeting where discussion and active participation are expected from each contestant.
The competition is evaluated on an exchange of ideas and information.
The contestants build basic discussion skills, develop a deeper understanding of agricultural issues and explore how groups can pool knowledge to reach a consensus and solve problems through discussion.
“Young farmers and ranchers can provide their opinions on these topics and share with others how they think Farm Bureau could resolve these issues,” Hall said. “It also allows them to hear the views of others and build a consensus on the topic. All of this helps them build on their leadership, advocacy and communication skills.”
Hall noted young farmers and ranchers can prepare for the contest by reviewing the topics in the Discussion Meet manual, which is available on the TFB website.
“It’s important to be up to date on current issues in agriculture, as well as have an understanding of the government process and Farm Bureau’s role in that,” Hall said.
The YF&R Discussion Meet will be held during TFB’s Annual Meeting Dec. 2-4 in Waco.
Contestants must be TFB members in good standing between the ages of 18 and 35 as of Jan. 31, 2023. Applicants should be interested in or engaged in agricultural production.
Previous winners, professional speakers and county or state Farm Bureau employees are not eligible to compete. Past and present American Farm Bureau YF&R committee members are also ineligible.
The winner will receive an ATV with an estimated prize value of $7,000, courtesy of Southern Farm Bureau Life Insurance Company; a $5,000 cash award, courtesy of Farm Credit Bank of Texas; and an expense-paid trip to compete in the national contest during the American Farm Bureau Federation Annual Convention.
The three finalists will each receive a $1,000 cash award, courtesy of Farm Bureau Bank, and a $500 cash award, courtesy of Southern Farm Bureau Life Insurance Company.
All Discussion Meet contestants can apply for up to $200 in expense reimbursement.
For more information on contest eligibility, guidelines and the Discussion Meet manual, visit texasfarmbureau.org/YFR.
Register for the contest through the MyTFB membership portal at my.texasfarmbureau.org.
For questions about the contest or other young farmer activities, email youngfarmers@txfb.org or call 254-399-5021.