AFBF YF&R Conference Offers Unique Leadership Opportunity

Flatt: They gain hands-on leadership and professional development experience. There are workshops on real farm business challenges, like marketing and finance and succession planning, and then many of them have the opportunity to hear from some really inspiring speakers, both inside and outside of agriculture.

Flatt: The content is really rooted in real-world ag challenges that face farmers between the ages of 18 and 35, so things like volatility, labor access, land access, and special regulations, and all the attendees already share common ground, so that leads to faster and deeper connections.

Flatt: I found that it really helps to build confidence in communication and leadership skills and helps the participants really see themselves as advocates for agriculture. We get encouraged to think more strategically about our farms as businesses, not just our daily chores.