A delegation of Oklahoma Young Farmers & Ranchers honed their leadership skills and networked with young producers from across the nation during the recent YF&R Leadership Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana.
The conference was held Feb. 12-14 in conjunction with AFBF’s National Leadership Conference.
The Oklahoma group, more than 20 strong, joined Farm Bureau leaders and young producers nationwide Feb. 12 to hear from AFBF staffers on tax and energy legislation as well as the 2007 farm bill. The attendees also gained valuable tips in working with news media before lining up for a police-escorted parade down famous Bourbon Street for a reception featuring a live band and Cajun food. The parade route, led by a New Orleans marching band, was lined with revelers throwing traditional Mardi Gras beads.
Sunday’s activities kicked off with a morning devotional led by new AFBF YF&R Chairman Ben Boyd of Georgia. Boyd was followed by Jim Whitt, a motivational speaker from Tulsa, who urged the group to find their purpose in life.
Several breakout sessions were provided for the YF&R to choose from, including “Once Upon a Leader,” “Entrepreneurial Couples,” “Making an Impact,” and “BRAINS! Harnessing the Power of Emotional Intelligence.” These sessions focused on developing the young producers’ leadership skills.
Collegiate Discussion Meet competitive events also were held Feb. 13. Twenty-five college students from across the nation, including Northwestern Oklahoma State University’s Quentin Sturgeon and Oklahoma State University’s Mason Bolay, competed in the Discussion Meet. Contestants discussed a variety of issues from Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) to Farm Bureau’s role in connecting today’s agriculture with tomorrow’s producer. This is the second year a Discussion Meet has been held on the college level.
The 2005 YF&R Leadership Conference wrapped up Feb. 14 with a tour of Louisiana farms and agribusinesses. The group began the day touring CAMECO, a John Deere plant featuring Sugar Cane implements and other equipment. The next stop on the tour was Oak Alley Plantation, a national historic landmark consisting of an antebellum mansion built in 1839 and 28 towering oak trees leading up from the Mississippi River to the “Big House.” The trees were planted in the 1700s, and the plantation is surrounded by sugar cane fields. The group also visited a crawfish farm before the grand finale event – a crawfish boil at a boat club, where YF&R dined on traditional Louisiana cuisine: crawfish, shrimp, alligator, gumbo, andouille sausage, jambalaya, etc. A live band was on hand to play Cajun tunes for those looking to work off all that food.
Oklahoma Young Farmers and Ranchers attending the trip were Dan and Cyndi Mackey, LeFlore County; Chad and Danielle Budy, Woods County; Burton and Audrey Harmon, Canadian County; Ron and Sherri Cole, Dewey County; Monte Tucker, Beckham County; Brandon and Penny Miller, Garvin County; Ryan and Monica Wahl, Major County; Greg and Amy Lucas, Jackson County; Tim Bartram, Logan County; Ryan and Hope Pjesky, Alfalfa County; and Steve and Ashlee Sneary, Woods County.
Also participating in the leadership conference were Oklahoma State University Collegiate Farm Bureau members Mason Bolay, Gail Bansett and Josh Grundmann, and Northwestern Oklahoma State Unversity students Quentin Sturgeon and Mandy Campbell.
