Twenty-four 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,” Jesse Wieners, committee chair, said. “We work together as a group to help with issues facing Texas agriculture. The committee also plans events for young farmers and ranchers at local and state levels to provide networking opportunities and to see how other farms operate across the state.”

Through the committee, they plan the YF&R Conference, Fall Tour and host district meetings in the spring and summer. They also raise money for scholarships with a live and silent auction at the TFB annual meeting.

For more information on the YF&R program, visit https://texasfarmbureau.org/YFR.

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

Meet the Texas Farm Bureau Young Farmer & Rancher Advisory Committee

District 1: Jesse and Karri Wieners
Jesse and Karri Wieners grow cotton, wheat, sorghum, alfalfa, wine grapes and produce in Carson, Gray and Donley counties. They custom farm and own a custom baling business. Karri also has a photography business. They have four children.

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.

District 3: Austen and Rachel White
Austen and Rachel White raise cattle and grow wheat and cotton in Wilbarger County with Austen’s family. They also have a small hay operation. They have one daughter.

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 works for a construction company, and Chelsea is a testing coordinator for Life School Elementary. They have one son.

District 5: Garren and Shannon Bellis
Garren and Shannon Bellis live in Van Zandt County. Garren serves as the ranch manager of Gabriel Ranch, an Angus seedstock operation. Shannon owns and operates BoviTrac International, a company that works on genetic analysis for commercial and crossbred cattlemen. They also raise a small herd of Angus cattle. The couple has two sons.

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: 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 runs a custom harvest crew in East Texas. Alisha is also a product manager for Agrian, a farm data software company. They have twin boys.

District 8: Travis and Kaylin Isbell
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.

District 9: Kelley Anne Hutchinson
Kelley Anne Hutchinson is an agricultural science teacher at Rusk High School. She began teaching at Rusk in 2012 and has worked countless hours to assist students in animal projects, speaking events, leadership development events and career development events. She plans to start a small commercial beef herd in the next five years.

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 child on the way.

District 11: Ben and Jessica Rumbaugh
Ben and Jessica Rumbaugh have a cow-calf operation in Wharton County and also run a grass-fed beef business where they sell some of their beef online and direct-to-consumers. Jessica is a licensed real estate broker and owns Texas Land and Home Real Estate, where Ben works as a realtor for farm and ranch properties. Ben is also a real estate appraiser. They have two children.

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: Clayton and Michelle Martin
Clayton and Michelle Martin farm in Hidalgo County. They grow leafy greens and bulb vegetables, such as mustards, cilantro, methi leaf and kohlrabi. They also grow corn. Clayton is a sales representative for Helena Agri-Enterprises, and Michelle owns and operates an agricultural magazine, the AgMag, and the accompanying TV show, Ag on Wheels. They have one son.