Sixteen young farmers, ranchers and agricultural professionals were appointed to Texas Farm Bureau’s (TFB) 2023 Young Farmer & Rancher (YF&R) Advisory Committee.

Each individual will serve a one-year term.

Advisory committee members are responsible for recommending, promoting and evaluating programs and activities that encourage young people to become involved in Farm Bureau at the local, state and national levels.

“The Young Farmer & Rancher program surfaces and develops future leaders in Texas agriculture and Farm Bureau. It provides numerous networking opportunities, information and resources to achieve personal and professional growth,” Adrienne Synatschk, YF&R Advisory Committee chair, said. “Through this program, we can help cultivate a prosperous future.”

The committee plans the YF&R Spring Conference, Summer Social and Fall Tour, as well as some regional activities.

Meet the Texas Farm Bureau YF&R Advisory Committee:

Adrienne Synatschk (chair)
Adrienne Synatschk is a teacher at Olton High School. She and her husband, Alton, grow corn, cotton and wheat on their farm in Lamb County. They also raise stocker cattle, maintain a cow-calf herd and operate several custom agricultural businesses. Adrienne is a graduate of TFB’s AgLead-FarmLead program.

Giovana Benitez
Giovana Benitez fell in love with agriculture and the cattle industry growing up. She serves on the Hidalgo County Farm Bureau board of directors. She currently manages a cow-calf operation and runs a stocker operation with cattle sourced from local ranchers and sale barns.

Brandon Boerner
Brandon Boerner and his wife, Kaitlyn, are part owners and operators of their family’s fifth-generation farm. They grow wheat, peanuts, oats and maintain a cow-calf herd in Grayson and Hunt counties. Brandon also works for SMA, Inc.–America’s Ag Parts Supplier.

Chase T. Brooke
Chase T. Brooke is the Extension Program Specialist for Small Acreage Wildlife Management with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension & the Department of Rangeland, Wildlife & Fisheries Management in Stephenville. Chase also works on his family’s ranch managing wildlife habitat and a native grass restoration program.

Jay Clark
Jay Clark and his wife, Francie, raise beef cattle and hair sheep, as well as operate a feedyard in Brown County. They also own a land improvement business and event venue on the ranch. Jay serves on the Brown County Farm Bureau board of directors and participates in TFB’s AgLead program.

Sarah Galloway
Sarah Galloway is an agricultural science teacher and FFA advisor in an urban school district in North Texas. She continues to help on her family’s farm growing forage crops and raising commercial cattle. She is involved with the Dallas County Farm Bureau and serves on the board of directors.

Emilee Haubner
Emilee Haubner is the owner of WCD Agricultural Management Consulting where she mentors leaders in agriculture and shares how to steward the land and animals. She also raises commercial goats and trains horses.

Morgan Hodges
Morgan Hodges and her husband, Kade, own Hodges Livestock. They raise Royal White stud rams and replacement ewes, commercial cattle and commercial goats. She also serves on the Coke-Sterling County Farm Bureau board of directors.

Madalynn Kainer
Madalynn Kainer is the assistant manager at the Washington County Fair in Brenham. She grew up on a row crop farm in Victoria County. Madalynn won TFB’s YF&R Discussion Meet and competed in the national contest.

Heston McBride
Heston McBride and his wife, Stevie, are the owners and operators of AgroTech, an agricultural service business that specializes in hay and grass production, providing custom applications of fertilizer and herbicide. They also manage a cow-calf herd and grow hay in Burnet and Lampasas counties. Heston serves on the Lampasas County Farm Bureau board of directors.

Mason Parish
Mason Parish’s passion for agriculture started on his family’s small cow-calf operation in Montgomery County. He continues to assist his family with raising Santa Gertrudis cattle, while also advising small and large companies to improve business operations with a focus on agriculturally-related clients. Mason also serves on the Montgomery County Farm Bureau board of directors, and he and his wife, Shannon, plan to start an agritourism farm.

Tyler Schuster
Tyler Schuster is the manager of education at Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association. She grew up on her family’s cow-calf operation in Kinney County and still assists with the farm today. She also serves as the Kinney-Val Verde County Farm Bureau YF&R chair.

Jacob Silhan
Jacob Silhan began farming at a young age on his family’s farm in Cochran County. Over the years, he has grown several crops, including wheat, grain sorghum, corn, black-eyed peas, peanuts, and upland and pima cotton. Jacob and his wife, Railey, operate a large row crop operation, and he serves on the Cochran County Farm Bureau board of directors.

Alton Synatschk
Alton Synatschk and his wife, Adrienne, grow corn, cotton and wheat. They raise stocker cattle, maintain a cow-calf herd and operate several custom agricultural businesses. Alton also farms in a separate partnership with his two brothers and serves on the Lamb County Farm Bureau board of directors.

Jouwert Talsma
Jouwert Talsma owns and operates a dairy farm in Franklin County alongside his parents and sister. The dairy operation includes 300 milking cows, and they produce milk for Dairy Farmers of America. He also serves on the Franklin County Farm Bureau board of directors.

Lyndon Teichman
Lyndon Teichman owns and operates a beef cattle herd and assists with the management of his family’s dairy farm in Archer County. He is also a volunteer firefighter.

More information
For more information about the YF&R program, the YF&R Advisory Committee and opportunities available, visit texasfarmbureau.org/YFR.