Menu

Plans are under way for the summer regional and state youth conferences. The conferences center on building leadership skills and confidence, learning about Farm Bureau and preparing for life after high school.

The first regional conference will be held at Bluffton College in Bluffton, June 10 to 14. The cost is $150. The second regional conference will be held at Wilmington College in Wilmington, June 23 to 27. The cost is $155. Teens must be 14 or older to attend a regional youth conference. The state conference will be held at Otterbein College in Westerville, July 21 to 26. The cost is $175. In order to attend the state youth conference, teens must be 15 or older and must have attended one of the regional summer youth conferences.

During the regional conferences, the youth will participate in "Farm Bureau in Action." This legislative education program begins with teens creating advisory councils and discussing issues and problems. They also build a public affairs committee and a mock Farm Bureau board to come up with Farm Bureau policies. Another group of teenagers acts as the House of Representatives.

"These teens decide the policy, introduce the policy, lobby and ultimately decide whether or not to pass the policy," said Darrell Rubel, OFBF director of young leader programs. "In past years, there has been great discussion and debate about certain issues. It is a good learning tool. The youth learn to work together as a team."

Rubel said the teens gain a good grasp of Farm Bureau. "It is excellent training to become Farm Bureau members in the future," Rubel said.

Another important component of the conference is cooperative training. To give them exposure to agribusiness, the youth create their own cooperative. They sell stock, and at the end of the conference, depending on the store’s profit, they hand out patronage slips.

"Farm Bureau is one of the few organizations who educate their youth about co-ops," Rubel said.

Regional conferences also offer many other educational and fun programs. In cooperation with Nationwide, youth learn about the dangers of drunk driving. They also learn everything from table manners and ballroom dancing to safety and legislature. At the state conference, the teens also take part in "Farm Bureau in Action," but Rubel said it is more issues driven. The state conference also includes a general session and guest speakers. Nationwide presents a program on what it is like to own an auto insurance company. This program emphasizes why good driving skills are so important.

"These conferences teach learning skills, critical thinking, team work, self-confidence and safety, but it’s wrapped up in a great social environment, and the teens love it," Rubel said. "They go away from the conference with a hundred new friends and great experiences to share with those back home."

To register for the youth conferences call your county FB office.