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American Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall will be the keynote speaker at Ohio Farm Bureau’s 2022 Young Ag Professionals Winter Leadership Experience. The event, coming up Jan. 28 and 29, is open to young agriculturalists interested in building leadership skills, networking with agricultural leaders and making a difference in their communities.

“We are pleased to announce that Mr. Zippy Duvall, president of American Farm Bureau, will be the keynote speaker for the 2022 Winter Leadership Experience,” said YAP State Committee Chaircouple Megan and Tyrone Brannon. “Mr. Duvall is the face, voice and heart of American Farm Bureau. He is an inspirational speaker, speaking to an audience, not just at them. Further, as a third-generation farmer, he has lived where each one of us young farmers live and can give true wisdom from his own life experience. We are very excited to see how he energizes and encourages the young ag professionals who attend the conference in January.”

Duvall has served as president of the American Farm Bureau Federation since 2016. The Georgia farmer owns a beef cow herd, raises broiler chickens and grows his own hay, all while continuing to restore the land he inherited.

Through his leadership as AFBF president, Duvall has helped to shape a new farm bill, defeat misguided regulations, shepherd new trade agreements and ensure farmers and ranchers are supported through natural disasters and the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to being elected AFBF president, he was president of the Georgia Farm Bureau and served on the AFBF board of directors.

Conference details

The conference will take place at Duke Energy Center in downtown Cincinnati. Attendees must be Farm Bureau members, and programming is geared for young adults ages 18-35. It will feature 24 educational learning sessions that include topics from niche farm markets to international ag opportunities, plus eight engaging extended learning sessions and innovative tours.

The Farm Bureau Discussion Meet finals also will be held during the conference. Participants’ subject matter knowledge, problem-solving abilities and personal and small group communications skills will be tested. The winner will compete at the national level during the American Farm Bureau convention in 2023..

Nationwide is heritage sponsor of the conference, and Farm Credit Mid-America is platinum sponsor.

Registration will open in October. To find out more about the event, visit experienceYAP.com.

Farm Bureau’s mission is working together for Ohio farmers to advance agriculture and strengthen our communities. Learn more at ofbf.org.

This is a news release for use by journalists. Questions about the event as well as sponsorship opportunities should be directed to Kelsey Turner, Ohio Farm Bureau leadership development program specialist, 614-246-8218 or kturner@ofbf.org.

Editors: A high-resolution photo of Mr. Duvall is available for download. Please credit American Farm Bureau Federation.