By Julie Tomascik
Editor
Several Texans will compete in the 2021 American Farm Bureau Virtual Convention set for Jan. 10-13.
Matt and Jessica Hanslik of Lavaca County Farm Bureau will represent Texas Farm Bureau (TFB) in the Achievement Award competition. This contest recognizes the accomplishments of young agricultural leaders between the ages of 18 and 35 who actively earn a living from farming and ranching.
The Hansliks grow corn and hay and raise cattle. They are also part owners of an all-natural fertilizer company, in which they take chicken litter and “upcycle” it for use as farm fertilizer. In addition to helping on the farm, Jessica is a regional manager of a national shell egg company.
The TFB representative in the Excellence in Agriculture competition is Jessica Rumbaugh of Wharton County Farm Bureau. This contest is designed for young farmers and ranchers ages 18 to 35 who are involved in agriculture but do not earn their primary income from a farm or ranch enterprise.
Rubmaugh is the owner and broker of Texas Land and Home Real Estate, a real estate brokerage that specializes in acreage properties. She also owns and manages a direct-to-consumer grassfed beef operation.
Josh Ritchey of Erath County Farm Bureau will represent TFB in the Young Farmer & Rancher Discussion Meet. Through this contest, Ritchey will discuss agricultural issues facing farmers and ranchers and potential solutions to those problems.
Ritchey grows hay, raises horses and cattle and operates a pumpkin patch, corn maze and agritourism venue on his farm in Stephenville.
TFB members and owners of the startup Parasanti are also in the top 10 semi-finalists for the Farm Bureau Ag Innovation Challenge. They will make their live pitch during the convention. The challenge seeks to identify top entrepreneurs working to address challenges farmers and ranchers face.
Parasanti is a veteran- and farmer-led company that offers a plug and play solution to farmers and ranchers seeking to capture and analyze data without the need for a broadband connection. The company’s flagship product package is a sensor, edge device and software program.
A Texas dog is vying for the title of Farm Bureau Farm Dog of the Year. Ajax is a one-eyed border collie that belongs to Alexis Ender from Haskell County Farm Bureau. The annual Farm Dog of the Year contest celebrates farm dogs everywhere that work alongside their people to bring nutritious food to our table and our pet’s bowls.
Various workshops are also on the agenda for the virtual convention. Topics include the future of the livestock industry, financial planning for disasters, effective advocacy methods and sustainability.
“We are excited to open up the doors of this event and to bring home the high-quality content our attendees have come to expect from our events,” AFBF President Zippy Duvall said. “Our featured speakers this year are no strangers to Farm Bureau. We are honored to have Mike Rowe, Rorke Denver and Beth Ford join us as we reflect on this unique year and press on, stronger together, for agriculture and our rural communities.”
There is still time to register for the virtual meeting.
Click here to register for free, and click here for more details on the meeting.