MFB Young Farmer Leaders Conference

Around 300 young farmers from across the state attended Michigan Farm Bureau's Young Farmer Leaders Conference, Feb. 26-28 in Grand Rapids. The annual event offers MFB members ages 18 to 35 a combination of leadership development, informative workshops and idea exchanges, all with an eye toward building a strong new generation of agricultural producers to lead Michigan's second-largest industry confidently into the future.

Centering on the theme "Achieving your goals through leadership, planning and action," the seminars and workshops at this year's conference encouraged young farmers to plan for future goals and explore leadership and service opportunities to aid in their professional development.

Specific topics included leadership styles; generating long-term farm plans; working with a management team; goal-setting; community involvement; commodity markets; and food safety. State and national-level Farm Bureau staff briefed attendees about leadership development opportunities and the importance of grassroots involvement in the legislative process.

"Our goal was to provide our young farmers with tools to manage successful farms and to serve in their community," said Lori Chamberlain, manager of the MFB Young Farmer Department. "And many of them said afterwards they found the conference motivating and educational on how they can make a positive impact in the agriculture industry."

Keynote speaker Trent Loos, a sixth-generation farmer, presented a thought-provoking presentation looking at how consumers receive information today about their food and how it's produced. Citing recent examples of how myths impact the public perception of agriculture, Loos stressed the importance of educating consumers with factual information about where food comes from. He went on to share examples of how young farmers can speak out about the agriculture industry and be leaders in their communities.

Other noteworthy speakers at this year's conference were Jack Kelly, executive vice president of customer delivery for GreenStone Farm Credit Services, and MFB Vice President Mike Fusilier.
 
In addition to its educational components, the weekend conference gives younger farmers a chance to exchange ideas and learn from each other.

"We strike a balance between professional and social activities," Chamberlain said. "We've found this helps us build strong relationships, throughout the industry and across the state."