Farm Bureau

This past January, I represented my state as the Young Farmers and Ranchers Excellence in Agriculture participant on the national level. Involvement in agriculture and Farm Bureau, leadership experience, knowledge of ag issues, and goals for the future were topics for the lengthy written portion of the competition.

Enjoy this excerpt from my written application: With my career in commercial agriculture and a specialty crop operation of my own, it's safe to say that agriculture is continually at the forefront of my mind. (It's worth mentioning that I still spend time on my parents’ grain farm too, especially during the spring and fall to assist in shuttling seed to the planter and driving the combine. The four-hour drive to get "home" is a small price to pay for the memories created.) Unsurprisingly, I'm also actively involved in agricultural organizations - namely, Farm Bureau.

Growing up, I'd always been Farm Bureau aware. My dad and grandfather served on my home county's Board of Directors, and I'd received a college scholarship from the state Farm Bureau Foundation, but I hadn't thought about my own membership until 2013. I was living far from home and a college friend asked if I'd like to attend a Young Leader meeting. Being familiar with the organization, my answer was an easy YES. I dove in heart first.

I quickly became Vice Chair of my county Young Leaders and then Chairman. I joined the county Farm Bureau's Education Committee, where I steered the inaugural Farm to Fork gala planning. I started new county Young Leader programs like the Fill-A-Ford Food Drive and an FFA Jacket Scholarship and a Farm Safety Display Contest. These activities are still part of the county's annual program of work.

Then, in 2017, my state's Farm Bureau created a special designation of voting members exclusively for professionals working in agriculture. I was honored to be the first person in the state signed into this new Professional Membership classification. I applied, completed, and graduated from the state Farm Bureau's nine week Ag Leaders of Tomorrow (ALOT) program. Shortly after, I was asked to serve as a Director At-Large on the county Farm Bureau board and as the District 3 Representative on the state Farm Bureau's Young Leader committee.

In 2023, the final year of my state Young Leader term, my peers elected me as Chairman of that committee – truly an honor as a woman, a specialty grower, and a Professional Member: a combination never before seen in that role.

Perhaps the most memorable moment during my tenure as Chair was the time spent on the delegate floor during the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) Conference. Annually, delegates reaffirm, edit, debate, and vote on the policy book that provides legislators and lobbyists with the beliefs of the largest agricultural organization in the country. I witnessed firsthand the process in which an idea starts at the county level, is refined at the state level, and progresses to the national delegate floor where it’s bulletproofed by farmers from across the nation before it’s written into policy. That moment reinforced my passion for this industry and this grassroots organization

___________________________________________________________________ I returned to the AFBF Conference in 2025. This time, not as a delegate, but rather a competitor - where I delivered a 25 minute presentation to judges. At the end of the conference, I'm proud to say that I was recognized on-stage as a Top Ten Finalist. While the trophy and recognition are nice, the accolades pale in comparison to the lasting impact that Illinois Farm Bureau has had on me and our farm. I attribute much of The Back Twenty's success - and my professional development - to the resources and support and CHEERLEADING (read: gentle pushing) that I've received from my county and state colleagues, fellow board members, and staff. Their passionate advocacy works toward a broader understanding of agriculture, for the betterment of policy and regulation that impacts the industry - benefitting farms big or small, grain or livestock, conventional or... not.