Okay… I guess I started a collection without really meaning to thanks the the discovery of ag-related sillybands. It started on sheer fun and is continuing that way. The addition that I have to tell you about now are some cool YF&R sillybands that were handed out at the FFA meeting recently but some extras found there way to me today (Thanks Julie & Leighton!)
So they are in the famed FFA blue & gold.
But when they aren’t on, I can look at them and think about the American Farm Bureau Federation’s Young Farmers & Ranchers.
I’ve been lucky enough to get to get to know several current and former members of the YF&R leadership and it makes me want to share what it is about with others. So in case anyone reading this isn’t familiar with the organization, let me tell you it is a combination of young professionals in ag who are totally rockin’ the industry’s leadership!
The American Farm Bureau Federation Young Farmers and Ranchers program includes both men and women between the ages of 18-35. The objective of the Young Farmers and Ranchers program is to provide leadership in building a more effective Farm Bureau to preserve our individual freedoms and expand our opportunities in agriculture.
“Farm Bureau’s YF&R Program offers the resources and support young farmers, ranchers, and ag professionals require as they develop into our organization and industry’s future leaders. The program gives young agriculturalists the opportunity to gain valuable experience in a number of key areas, ranging from grassroots agricultural advocacy to policy development. YF&R members also benefit both professionally and personally from the networking opportunities offered through the program.
“Thanks to the YF&R Program, Farm Bureau will continue its legacy of developing and providing strong, effective leadership well into the future.”
Will Gilmer
Chair, AFBF YF&R Committee
Dairy Farmer, Sulligent, AL
Follow Will and the AFBF YF&R Committee as they tell the story of agriculture through the FBlog.
There is a great glance at them on the FB website as well. And a few of them are on Twitter or have personal blogs. The ones who come to mind are:
- Will Gilmer (quoted above) who is on his family’s dairy farm in eastern Alabama. He’s on Twitter as GilmerDairy, blogs at http://gilmerdairy.blogspot.com/ and has the Gilmer Dairy account on YouTube.
- Val Wagner who farms/ranches with her husband Mark & their sons in North Dakota. She’s WagFarms on Twitter and her blog is http://wagfarms.wordpress.com/
- Ben LaCross on Twitter (tough one here BenLaCross). He grows fruit in Michigan
- Chalsey Kortes is also on Twitter and with a handle like she has it’s easy to see what they produce and where she is as WyoBeefGirl)
