News

The Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College (NEO) Young Farmers and Ranchers (YF&R) Club recently travelled to Reno, Nevada to participate in the 2018 Young Farmers and Rancher’s Leadership Conference. Along with the opportunity to participate in breakout session and hear speakers, NEO Sophomore Austin Jackson represented NEO and the Oklahoma Farm Bureau in a Discussion Meet. Jackson was one of the two representatives from the State of Oklahoma to participate in the meet. During a Discussion Meet, students are judged based on their displayed understanding of the selected topics, as well as their ability to present ideas. Participants at the conference discussed utilizing Farm Bureau to develop creative ways to address pressing issues in agriculture. Jackson earned his spot in the Discussion Meet earlier in the spring, when NEO hosted a meet where students discussed different ways that Farm Bureau can advocate for farms of all sizes.

The 2018 Young Farmers and Ranchers Leadership Conference was presented by the American Farm Bureau Federation and focused on the “Biggest Little Industry in the World.” The conference focused on technology, leadership, civic engagement, and more, as students heard from a variety of speakers, including President of the American Farm Bureau Federation Zippy Duvall. Along with Jackson, six other NEO students attended the event. Cooper Secker, Nathania McKenzie, Bri Nelsen, Loren Decker, Caitlyn Carnahan, and Katey Freeman all had a chance to participate in a broad spectrum of agriculture seminars and events. The trip was funded in large part through the Oklahoma Farm Bureau and Ottawa County Farm Bureau offices. For more information about the Young Farmers and Ranchers Club or to join, contact Alisen Anderson at alisen@neo.edu.