| "Reality Farming" was
the theme for the American Farm Bureau Young Farmers & Ranchers
(YF&R) Leadership Conference held Feb 16-18 in Baltimore,
Maryland.
Fourteen Washington Farm
Bureau representatives attended the conference. Washington's
delegation consisted of YF&R state chair Jaime Sackmann; state
committee members Keith and Laura Middleton; President of the WSU
Chapter of the WFB YF&R Committee and state committee member
Megan McCary; YF&R state coordinator Kristen Hinton; and WSU
students from the following counties: Kristen Boshart, Snohomish
County; Michelle Carlsen, King County; Candi Wilson, Jimmy Sands,
and Kent Stokes, Okanogan County; Nicole Groth, Yakima County; Matt
Miller, Adams County; and Sage Shelton and Cassie Wyman, Kittitas
County.
In all, the national
conference attracted 830 attendees from 44 states.
A common theme regarding
the importance of becoming an agricultural advocate and standing up
for the industry was carried throughout the conference and evident
in the presentations. Attendees heard from entertaining and
informative speakers such as Trent Loos, who spoke about
agricultural advocacy; Dr. Ron Hansen on the relationships of family
farming generations; and Damian Mason, a humorist who spoke about
agribusiness.
As Washington's
Collegiate Discussion Meet winner, Sage Shelton of Kittitas County
competed in the National Collegiate Discussion Meet competition and
advanced to the Sweet 16. Shelton represented Washington with poise
and confidence, speaking knowledgeably on a variety of complex
issues including private property rights, water and the global
economy.
Participants emerged
from the conference inspired by having been with fellow young
producers, sharing ideas, exchanging knowledge and making
connections. There is already a buzz about the 2009 YF&R
conference in Sacramento, California, February 7-9, 2009.
For more information
about the WFB Young Farmers & Ranchers program, contact Kristen
Hinton, YF&R Program Coordinator, at khinton@wsfb.com or call
(360) 561-0387 |
