Article

The Ohio Farm Bureau Young Agricultural Professionals State Committee serves as editor of the Oct. 21, 2019 edition of Growing our Generation, featuring insights and ideas directly from Ohio’s young farmers and food and agricultural professionals.

The Ohio Farm Bureau Federation’s Young Ag Professionals Winter Leadership Experience is an opportunity for building personal and professional experience while networking with agricultural leaders. Participants also will learn leadership skills to further their impact in our communities, Farm Bureau and agriculture. Please join us Jan. 31-Feb. 1, 2020 to meet other young professionals from around Ohio while enjoying food, fun, and fellowship! Register

First-year committee member Kameron Rinehart said, “I’m excited for the YAP Winter Leadership Experience because it’s an opportunity to network with other Young Ag Professionals from across the state and understand the challenges that we all face and learn from one another. It’s an opportunity to create new friendships and reconnect with those you haven’t seen in a while as well!”

Keynote speakers

The 2020 conference includes two well-known keynote speakers, who will share their farm and ranching stories:

Jay Hill is the keynote speaker for Friday’s opening session. Jay seeks to inspire the less than 2% of us in agriculture to keep fighting for what we believe in. His story started with 10 acres and a 4020 John Deere and is now over 17,000 acres with 120 employees. He claims it was not him that grew the farm, but it was finding the right team of people to push him deeper into agriculture and the absolute love of it. His message is about tolerance between the farmer and consumer, and gaining understanding between the two sides: the importance of when to share information from the farm and when to listen to the consumer, finding the right time and message to send, and when and when not to respond. Jay wants people to walk out of the room full of energy and fresh ideas that they can use on their operations.

Amberley Snyder will share her story with us during Saturday’s general session. Amberley shares her experience from living the perfect life as a nationally ranked barrel racer, to it all crashing in an instant. A rollover accident leaving her paralyzed changes everything. She learns how accepting help and serving others can be such an important part of life. Amberley shows how life knocked her down, but with the help of her family, friends and faith she has worked to “get back on the horse.”

What’s new in 2020?

The 2020 Winter Leadership Experience is complete with 30 breakout sessions and 10 extended learning sessions, making 40 unique topics to choose from! The extended learning sessions will offer a more intimate learning experience with some of the industry’s best. You will have the opportunity to participate in a Know to Grow, Networking Etiquette, Grain Marketing and a Farm Fit session, to name a few. Cover Crop beer enthusiasts are also welcome to take a tour of North High Brewing, taste their products and leave with a complimentary tee shirt and pint glass! The extended learning sessions are not the only exciting new addition to the conference; the breakout sessions have been amplified to include a diverse range of topics. There are five distinct tracks to offer an individualized learning experience. The tracks include On the Farm, Niche & Specialty Growers, Consumer Engagement, Business Management and Young Professionals development opportunities. While there are many topics to get excited about, committee member Casey Ellington is anxious to hear from ODA about how we can get started with industrial hemp. “It is a hot topic currently in Ohio, and I am excited to learn more!”

Down Home Friday Night

What better way to spend a Friday night than listening to a live duet cover 90’s country songs with 500 of your closest friends? Friday night entertainment will also include a competitive round of Euchre, mechanical bull, and some of your favorite country music. Join your friends for a low-key Friday night.

Giving back

If one thing is for certain, it is the size of Ohio farmers’ hearts. Young Ag Professionals across the state have spent time, resources, and money helping others in their communities that have been faced with challenging situations. In the spirit of continuing this generosity, there are several opportunities to give back to local organizations as well as pay it forward. The state YAP committee has planned a few community service initiatives during the extended learning sessions at this year’s conference, one of which includes packaging snacks for the Ronald McDonald House in Central Ohio. Additionally, the state committee will host a 50/50 raffle again this year, with the proceeds benefiting the Ag Relief Fund. 

The Ag Relief Fund was created through Ohio Farm Bureau Foundation to financially support farmers in Ohio and throughout the nation who have been affected by natural disasters and challenging circumstances.

Committee members Cassie and Luke Dull said, “The Ag Relief fund is the perfect picture of how farmers and ranchers come together as a community, realizing that our neighbors can be across the street or across the country. While not everyone has the time to travel to another state on a relief trip, this fund provides an avenue for people to contribute tangible resources to producers directly affected by disasters. Rolling into Ashland, Kansas and North Bend, Nebraska with trailer loads of hay and fencing supplies was an amazing experience, knowing that we were able to provide for our neighbors’ specific needs through this type of relief fund.” See story

Conference participants will have the opportunity to be a part of this movement through the 50/50 raffle at the 2020 Winter Leadership Experience.

Event details

Date: Jan. 31-Feb. 1, 2020

Location: Hyatt Regency, Columbus

Registration: Early Bird by Dec. 20
 | Costs increase Dec. 21
One-day: $100
 | $125 (no hotel room)
One person: $180 | $205

Student: $160  | $180
Two people: $225 | $275
Registration closes Jan. 3, 2020

Many county Farm Bureaus offer scholarships to Farm Bureau members. Contact your county office.

Register