Farm Bureau members share thoughts on national convention

Thirty-five Montana Farm Bureau members experienced the venerable 105th American Farm Bureau Convention January 19-24 in Salt Lake City. During the meeting of the country's largest agricultural organization with the theme "New Frontiers," members learned from workshops and tours, heard top-notch speakers on leadership, discussed policy during the Delegates Session, attended committee meetings and enjoyed networking with other farmers and ranchers.

"Attending the American Farm Bureau Convention is like attending a big family reunion," noted MFBF Vice President Gary Heibertshausen, a sheep rancher from Alzada. "When you walk in the convention center door, you see people from other states who you have not seen in a while. You visit and catch up. You listen to their stories, and we tell our stories, which gives you a good understanding of how agriculture across the United States is faring."

More than 80 workshops ranged from "Farm Bureau and the Courts" to "Driving Gen Z Consumers to the Table," as well as presentations on the farm bill and mental health.

MFBF District 9 Director Karl Christians found the workshop on current AFBF hot policy issues eye-opening.

"I discovered that our AFBF policy staff is hitting hot policy topics to protect agriculture and look out for our interests and our future," said Christians, an East Helena cattle rancher. "They work full-time day in and day out to support our grassroots policies. Attending this convention and workshop opened my eyes to how essential the Farm Bureau is, with more than 4500 people attending and more than six million member families nationwide. That cements my belief in the importance of being a Farm Bureau member."

MFBF Women's Leadership Committee (WLC) Chair Carla Lawrence, along with committee members Heidi Brewer and Beth Blevins, participated in networking and regional caucuses, a meet and greet breakfast, a training for WLC chairs and vice chairs, and the Annual Meeting of the American Farm Bureau Women.

"Two of the upcoming events we discussed were the Spring Women's Boot Camp April 1-4 in Washington, D.C., and the WLC ACE Fly-In June 3-5," noted Lawrence. "We look forward to Farm Bureau women attending these educational events."

This was the first national convention for Sandy and Chris Carey, cattle ranchers from Boulder. Like other MFBF members, they listed the networking as a highlight.

"This national conference was a great opportunity to network with many farmers, ranchers, and businesses across our country at one event. We enjoyed our discussions with these folks," said Sandy Carey. "The opening session gave energy and excitement to the agriculture world. We could see many very hard-working and knowledgeable people with feet on the ground working for us in the political arena while we are on the ranch with our cowboy boots in the stirrups or boots between the fence lines producing beef to feed our country."

The Southwest County Farm Bureau members added that the workshops provided helpful information on what is projected for the livestock markets in 2024. "That information will be helpful in the decisions we make on our cow/calf ranch this coming year. Another workshop gave us insight into what ag businesses are doing to diversify," Carey said.

The couple praised the tour for seeing firsthand diverse agriculture, including a mink farm and an essential oils farm.

Northwest Counties Farm Bureau members Susan and Jack Lake, who raise seed potatoes, wheat and cattle, agreed that the AFBF convention is always worthwhile.

"We listened to election projections, new ideas on increasing grass roots membership and what is coming from Washington D.C.," said Susan Lake. "There are so many issues Farm Bureau covers regarding taxes, ag labor, Waters of the U.S., and possible new Bureau of Land Management rules that threaten our livelihoods and rural way of life. We heard about what is and is not slated for the next farm bill, learning that more than 80 percent of the projected farm bill cost for the next ten years will be for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program known as SNAP. I am thankful for Farm Bureau at a state and federal level for all they do to protect our industry and keep us informed."

MFBF Executive Vice President Scott Kulbeck noted the importance of the national meeting for members. "It is all about organizational development; part of that is having members attend this convention. They visit with like-minded Farm Bureau members, which is why we say Farm Bureau is like a family," said Kulbeck. "There is tremendous value in that networking, and members can attend various educational workshops. This national convention allows us to test our mettle in the Young Farmer & Rancher contests. Having Todd Lackman make it to the Sweet Sixteen Round of the Discussions Meet shows we are successful in developing our Young Farmers and Ranchers program. Overall, this convention provides great opportunities and experiences for our leaders."