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Did you know that behind every successful Ohio Farm Bureau Winter Leadership Conference is a committee composed of young industry professionals who work diligently to plan and execute educational programs and sessions for conference goers? The state YAP committee is gearing up for the 2026 Winter Leadership Experience at Cherry Valley Hotel in Newark, Jan. 23-24. 

This eight-position committee is made up of individuals or married couples who hold a two-year term, with four positions returning and four new positions appointed each year.

Meet the new State Young Ag Professionals Committee members:

Amanda Barndt, Wood County 

Barndt is a full-time turf and construction equipment salesperson for Truland Equipment, with a focus on government contracts. She will soon term off the Wood County Farm Bureau board where she has served in various capacities but most recently as the president. Barndt raises show lambs and cattle with her parents, selling to local families. One of her big community projects is hosting the Ring of Dreams Livestock Show, giving kids with disabilities the opportunity to show livestock alongside a Jr. Fair exhibitor. Barndt is an AgriPOWER Class XV graduate. 

Olivia Lang, Wayne County 

Lang is a second-generation row crop farmer and an ag risk advisor for Hummel Group, assisting farmers in protecting their assets through risk management. Lang operates a pick-your-own strawberry patch and plans to expand into the beef industry in the future. She is currently the Wayne County Farm Bureau president and is an AgriPOWER Class XV graduate. 

Kenton Richter, Ross County 

Richter works full-time for Corcoran Farms where they raise row crops and operate a Certified Angus Beef feedlot providing custom beef through their own cow-calves. Off the farm, Richter owns and operates Buckeye Aerial Application, a spray drone business alongside the Corcorans. Richter was a member of The Ohio State University Collegiate Farm Bureau and currently serves on the Ross County Farm Bureau board. 

Haylee VanScoy, Hardin County 

VanScoy is a co-owner of Copper Windmill Farms where she and her family produce premium forage and pasture-raised Holstein beef for direct-to-consumers markets. Off the farm, she is the director of grain purchasing and risk management at Heritage Cooperative. VanScoy currently serves on the Hardin County Farm Bureau board and chaired the 2022-2023 Women’s Agri-Intelligence Conference Committee. 

Winter Leadership Experience

These committee members have unique agricultural backgrounds, wide ranging expertise and industry knowledge and will bring fresh ideas and perspectives that will benefit Ohio Farm Bureau members attending the Winter Leadership Experience. Registration for the 2026 Winter Leadership is now open. A discounted early-bird registration is available through Dec. 17, and registration officially closes Jan. 6. 

If you are interested in serving on the state YAP committee, be on the lookout for application information in the spring of 2026. 

Upcoming Deadlines/Events 

• American Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers Leadership Conference (Portland Oregon, March 13-16, 2026) Scholarship applications due Dec. 1.
• YAP Excellence in Agriculture Contest applications due Dec. 1. 
• YAP Outstanding Young Farmer Contest applications due Dec. 1. 
• 2026 Winter Leadership Experience early bird registration ends Dec. 17; registration closes Jan. 6.