Twenty-five young producers were appointed to Texas Farm Bureau’s (TFB) Young Farmer & Rancher (YF&R) Advisory Committee.

An individual or a couple from each district serves two years on the committee. The district representatives are named by TFB President Russell Boening.

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.

They are also tasked with identifying, evaluating and promoting new or current programs and activities that will develop strong advocates for agriculture, strengthen Farm Bureau membership and assist young producers in Texas with the operation and management of their farming and ranching businesses.

“The YF&R Advisory Committee is made up of young farmers and ranchers from across all 13 TFB districts,” Kaylin Isbell, committee chair, said. “TFB and Texas agriculture need leaders for the future. Our Young Farmer & Rancher program helps grow those leaders, cultivates relationships and provides learning opportunities across the state. The program also provides information and resources to achieve personal and professional growth, which helps us develop a bright future for Texas agriculture.”

The committee plans the YF&R Conference, Fall Tour and hosts district meetings in the spring and summer. They also raise money for scholarships with a live and silent auction during the TFB annual meeting.

Meet the 2021 Texas Farm Bureau Young Farmer & Rancher Advisory Committee

District 1: Landon and Brianna Friemel
Landon and Brianna Friemel farm cotton, wheat, corn and sorghum and raise cattle with Landon’s brother through their business, Rockin L Enterprises. Landon and his brother also own a metal fabrication shop and run a custom swathing and manure-spreading business. Brianna runs a home-based jewelry design company and is a partner in an event venue. They have three children: Madisyn, Masyn and Mason.

District 2: Ryan and Cheyanne Colville
Ryan and Cheyanne Colville live and work in Lynn County on their family’s commercial cattle ranch. They also own and operate an independent crop consulting company across the South Plains. They provide services in soil health, fertilizer management and precision agriculture technology for cotton, corn, grain sorghum and wheat farmers. The couple has two children: Keith and Eva.

District 3: Colby and Allison White
Colby and Allison White are the sixth generation to farm peanuts, wheat and cotton in Wilbarger County. They have two children, Hayslee and Drayson, and are expecting another baby boy in March.

District 4: James and Chelsea Davis
James and Chelsea Davis are first-generation farmers and ranchers who raise registered Maine Anjou cattle and have a hay operation in Ellis County. They own and operate Davis Brothers’ Cattle Company along with James’ brother. They also operate a custom farming business that specializes in no-till cover crops and grass sprigging. James also works for a construction company, and Chelsea is a testing coordinator for Life School Elementary. They have one son: James Curtis Davis IV.

District 5: Patrick and Lacey Williams
Patrick and Lacey Williams are fourth-generation farmers in East Texas specializing in hay production, liquid fertilization with weed and pest control and sprig cultivation. Patrick works with his father and brothers to manage Williams Farms, and Lacey is a labor and delivery nurse.

District 6: Slayton and Abby Hoelscher
Slayton and Abby Hoelscher grow cotton, corn, grain sorghum, peanuts and wheat in Tom Green and Haskell counties. They use minimal-till and no-till practices to help conserve biological activity and reduce erosion. They also own Hoelscher Equipment Solutions, LLC, a company where they buy, sell and rent equipment. Abby manages the books for the couple’s operation and is a marketing manager at Mueller Metals, LLC and Spring Creek Products.

District 7: Jacob and Laura Henson
Jacob and Laura Henson are part owners in an Angus-cross commercial cattle herd and help operate Laura’s family’s farm, white-tail deer ranch and silage harvesting business. Jacob works for Infinity Firearms, and Laura is an instructor at Tarleton State University and owns the small-business marketing company Laura Henson Designs.

District 8: Travis and Kaylin Isbell (chair)
Travis and Kaylin Isbell raise commercial cattle and dorper sheep in Williamson County. They also manage two other local cow herds, grow winter oats, grow Sudan grass for hay production and do custom hay baling. Kaylin is also a farm and ranch real estate agent. They have two children: Trigg and Kyndall.

District 9: Preston and Brooke Sturdivant
Preston and Brooke Sturdivant are aspiring small ranchers in Anderson County. Preston is a county Extension agent for Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, and Brooke is a dental hygienist at a local dentist office in Palestine.

District 10: Brian and Emily King
Brian and Emily King grow, pack and ship onion transplants and cantaloupes in Dimmit County at Dixondale Farms. Brian manages the 2,200-acre farming operation for both onion transplants and cantaloupes. Emily oversees all post-harvest duties at the packinghouse for both crops, including marketing, packing, cooling and shipping. They also raise a small herd of commercial cattle and oversee the family hunting ranch in Zavala County. They have one daughter: Harvest.

District 11: Kevin and Jackie Seawright
Kevin and Jackie Seawright are first-generation swine farmers. They own and manage Right Track Farms, where they breed show and meat market pigs. Kevin is a water processing and equipment management application engineer for Ecolab, and Jackie is a quality assurance and food safety manager at Colorado County Rice Mill, Inc. They have one son: Jackson.

District 12: Kenworth Krause
Kenworth Krause is the co-owner and operator of a small trucking company, K5 Trucking, LLC, in Karnes County with his father. They haul grain, hay, fertilizer and rock and provide custom hay baling, shredding and planting. Kenworth also has a small hay operation, grows grain sorghum and manages a small herd of Brahman cattle.

District 13: Travis and Bethany Wanoreck
Travis and Bethany Wanoreck are first-generation farmers who grow cotton, grain sorghum and wheat in Bee, Jim Wells and Nueces counties. They also custom sow wheat and custom harvest cotton. Bethany, a registered nurse, is the district nurse at Orange Grove ISD. The couple has three children: Wyatt, Brynlee and Taryn.

Texas reps on AFBF Committee: Eric and Alisha Schwertner
Eric and Alisha Schwertner farm and ranch in Runnels County. Their operation consists of cotton, corn, sorghum and wheat. They also grow hay for their cow-calf herd, and Eric is the owner and operator of a custom cotton harvesting business. Alisha is also a product manager for Agrian, a farm data software company. They have twin boys: Lane and Caleb. The Schwertners are currently serving on the American Farm Bureau Federation Young Farmer & Rancher Committee.

Young Farmer & Rancher Information
For more information on the YF&R program, visit https://texasfarmbureau.org/YFR. Contact 254.399.5030 or email youngfarmers@txfb.org with questions related to the program.

For more information on the TFB districts and YF&R committee members, click here.