Wow. I just returned from the American Farm Bureau Federation 89th Annual Conference. If there is ONE CONCLUSION I COULD MAKE - it is the fact that today's farmers and ranchers are truly leaders !!!!

When you talk about an industry that faces the kind of uncertainty of markets and environment, farmers MUST be on their A-GAME every day. The folks that I came in contact with were almost more impressive than the many seminars and speakers. I could not find ONE person that was not actively engaged in life.

One such example was C. Paul Johnson from Tulare, California. Here was a man that has farmed over 60 years !!! He got involved in Farm Bureau at the age of 18 and has been a part of our industry's #1 organization ever since (He's 80 now). The best part is that his involvement goes well beyond just his industry.

That's the idea behind EVERYONE that I come in contact with through Farm Bureau. Its the kind of amazing folks behind agriculture that hold Rural America together. I could not be more proud about my opportunity through Farm Bureau to connect myself to similar "community minded folks" like Paul.