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Young professionals with strong leadership potential are hand-selected each year to share their ideas with members of Congress and to learn about international agriculture and how to grow personally and professionally. The group was in the nation’s capital Sept. 10-12 and visited with their respective congressional representative, met with American Farm Bureau staff members for industry and issues updates, and got a behind-the-scenes look at how Washington really works, all while enjoying networking with other young professionals, and exploring a world view of agriculture during a visit to an embassy.

Sept. 10 

Ohio Farm Bureau Young Ag Professionals and AgriPOWER Class XIV will be embracing the fast-paced culture of our nation’s capital for an extensive leadership experience Sept. 10-12. This trip is an opportunity for participants to dive deeper into the grassroots policy process and develop relationships with their state and national agricultural leaders. 

The adventure began with participants excited to explore the world of grassroots policy in Washington, D.C. The group was welcomed by Ohio Farm Bureau Executive Vice President Adam Sharp. He emphasized the influence that organizations such as Farm Bureau can have in Washington, D.C when there is a collective voice representing agriculture and a personal perspective is brought to the table. 

Following Sharp’s remarks, Ohio Farm Bureau President Bill Patterson gave an overview on the new membership model of Ohio Farm Bureau, including four major pillars: Shaping Advocacy, Leveraging Trends, On-Farm Business Solutions and Personal and Professional Development. The two pillars that will be the most influential for this group are shaping policy and personal and professional development because attendees will have the opportunity to network with industry leaders and political leaders and discuss critical issues that affect Ohio agriculture. President Patterson charged the group with establishing a leadership path for themselves and determining the best route to become involved that will positively impact themselves and the organization. 

Then, Luke and Kayla Durbin, Ohio Farm Bureau Young Ag Professionals State Committee chairs, gave an update on the 2025 Winter Leadership Experience that will be held at Kalahari Resorts & Conventions Feb. 7-8. The theme will be “Embracing Your Season, A Conference for the Generations.” All ages are encouraged to attend this year and the conference will include programming for kids. 

Brad Bales, Ohio Farm Bureau senior director, state and national policy, led an entertaining game that demonstrated how the voting process in district elections work. This was a very relevant game for participants to understand the inner workings of elections during an election year. 

The group then had the opportunity to tour the American Farm Bureau Federation office. 

Bales helped prepare the group for their congressional meetings by providing talking points and guidance for the current priority issues The main topics of discussion are the 2024 Farm Bill, Sustainable Aviation Fuel and Tax Relief. 

To wrap-up the congressional planning, the group was joined by Joby Young, American Farm Bureau Executive Vice President, and Dustin Sherer and Joe Gilson, American Farm Bureau directors, governmental affairs, for a more comprehensive outline of the congressional meeting discussion points. 

The day ended with a dinner for all Young Ag Professionals at Hill Country BBQ and an evening monument tour in the city.

Sept. 11 

The second day began with a moment of silence for the anniversary of 9/11 and a reflection from Adam Sharp, Ohio Farm Bureau executive vice president, who was living in Washington, D.C. at the time. He talked about how much has changed with the security processes since that day. It was very interesting to hear the “where were you?” stories being told around the room. The group is diverse in age ranging from those who remember the day very vividly to those who were not born yet. 

Then, the group departed for Capitol Hill for the unique opportunity to sit face-to-face with their congressional representatives. They were able to bring forward the priority issues that farmers are facing, discuss ideas and solutions and experience the difference a collective voice can make with the leaders in Washington, D.C.

“It is important for me to be here to be able to tell my personal story and help our representatives understand how their policies and legislation directly affect my farming operation,” said Lincoln Dietrick, Muskingum County YAP representative. 

After experiencing the grassroots policy process first-hand on the hill, the Ohio group joined Farm Bureau members from Iowa and Minnesota at the United States Department of Agriculture. Members heard industry updates from USDA representatives Eric Deeble, deputy under secretary and senior advisor for marketing and regulatory programs; Seth Meyer, chief economist; Dan Whitley, administrator, Foreign Agricultural Service; and Timothy Gannon, chief of staff for farm production and conservation and senior advisor to the Secretary.  

After a very impactful day of advocating for Ohio farmers, the Young Ag Professionals were encouraged to explore the sites of Washington, D.C. and then were hosted by Ohio Farm Bureau state trustees and staff for dinner, networking and more reflections of 9/11. 

May we never forget.

Sept. 12 

Nine months of intense leadership development came to and end for  AgriPOWER Class XIV on the last day in Washington, D.C. Fourteen participants graduated from the elite leadership program and were tasked with taking the next step in their leadership journey to implement the skills and lessons learned from the program in their home communities and county Farm Bureaus.

“We challenge you to grow as positive influencers, become trusted resources for the industry and find opportunities for the industry to thrive,” said Adam Sharp, Ohio Farm Bureau Executive Vice President. 

Following the AgriPOWER graduation, the group enjoyed a guided tour of the U.S. Capitol. Then, participants embarked upon a journey to France, formally known as the Embassy of France, to learn about the diversity in agriculture policy around the world. The group was welcomed by Dr. Charles Martins Ferreira, deputy counselor of agricultural affairs and Christian Liegeard, agricultural counselor and senior civil servant at the French Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty. France does not have an organization like Ohio Farm Bureau but they have unions that represent farmers. Similar to the United States, farming can be a challenging career in France due to financial constraints. 

To conclude the trip, YAP State Committee Co-Chairs Tim and Sarah Terrill shared other leadership opportunities that Ohio Farm Bureau has to offer to get involved in such as the YAP contests, Collegiate Farm Bureau and contests, Winter Leadership Experience, State YAP Committee, AgriPOWER, AFBF FUSION Conference and local YAP chapters. 

One of the main takeaways of the Washington D.C. Leadership Experience is that no matter the size of your operation, your voice can make a difference. Congressional representatives are interested in learning more about the issues that farmers face and there is no better person to tell the story of agriculture than a farmer facing these challenges everyday.