The American Farm Bureau has a program for young agriculturalists, called Young Farmers & Ranchers (YF&R) that provides its members with social and professional opportunities to expand their networks and develop their experiences. Many county Farm Bureaus in California have been facing challenges in recent years in maintaining membership and involvement in their Young Farmer and Rancher committees. Executive Director of the Tulare County Farm Bureau, Tricia Stever-Blattler has been working with her team to find new solutions to the issue.
The YF&R committee has been a part of the Tulare County Farm Bureau for over 30 years and has hosted a variety of events to help its members progress in their careers. These members are even encouraged to take on leadership within the Farm Bureau.
Young Farmers and Ranchers is open to any Farm Bureau member between the ages of 18 and 35. This committee not only focuses on social and professional growth, but encourages leadership development as well. Officer positions are a possibility for members of the committee that are determined to aid their fellow members in finding more opportunities.
“It’s really one of our most important opportunities to meet young adults and encourage them to become active leaders in Farm Bureau,” Stever-Blattler said. “Particularly, as they mature into their careers and become mid-career professionals, a lot of our young farmers and ranchers have moved up from the Young Farmer and Rancher committee onto the Tulare County Farm Bureau board.”
The group serves a specific purpose within Farm Bureau as it helps add younger perspectives to the organization as well as recruits the next generation of agricultural leaders for the Farm Bureau board. While not all county Farm Bureaus have a YF&R program, many see its advantages and encourage local agriculturalists to participate. This makes maintaining membership and involvement all the more vital.
“I think in general, just trying to find new and different ways to let people know that our Young Farmer and Rancher ag professional group is available,” Stever-Blattler said. “I think sometimes we don’t always know how to get that message out to folks that are in and out of the college system, and also moving away from the community and moving back to the community.”
Stever-Blattler sees opportunity in younger students and has been working with Tulare County Farm Bureau’s YF&R officer team to reach out to college students more effectively. She sees the disconnect occurring when students that have contact with the Farm Bureau move away and do not re-establish that contact upon coming back to the county. Connecting with these younger members and spreading the information about the opportunities available in the committee is critical for continued viability of the program.