Only workshops that have been fully contracted appear on this page. Please check back for updates as more amazing workshops are added to the list!

Saturday, March 8 

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Dear Farmer: I Want to Start A Column 
Jackie Mundt, Paula Peterson, Renee McPherson, Heather Lifsey 
We know you've heard of columns like Dear Abby but there are lots of other columns that cover a variety of topics. Starting a regular agriculture column is a great way to build credibility and engage long-term with readers. This session brings together four experienced ag columnists and GO Team members to share how they got started, what to write about and how they deal with feedback from the column. 

 

‘What Toys Can I Buy?’ Financial Planning Around Long Term Purchases Versus Family Living Needs 
Kyle Lechtenburg, Financial Advisor with Foundation Wealth Advisors 
This session is designed in two parts: The first segment focuses on family and farm business. In business, we call this concept capital decisions versus operational decisions. I will define the difference, explain why it matters and go through parameters to help you make business decisions within your farm that address long-term strategy as well as meeting current operational needs. The second part focuses on family concepts with similar metrics but different stakeholders (i.e. family members). 

 

Below the Surface: Understanding and Creating Belonging for Ourselves and Others 
Elizabeth Galbreath
Creating relationships and spaces where we can be honest about who we are is one of the most important things we can do in life. In this interactive session, we’ll explore the visible and invisible parts of who we are and how they shape our experiences. Through an engaging discussion, we’ll uncover the small but powerful ways we can create spaces where everyone feels valued and included. Join us as we learn practical strategies to foster a culture of belonging—both in our personal lives and within Farm Bureau.

 

Purposeful Consumer Conversations: How to Host an “Ask a Farmer” Event
Members of the AFBF P&E Committee
In this session, participants will learn how to set up several options for hosting “Ask a Farmer” events. Through engagements at farmers markets, farm to table events and grocery stores, we can help reinforce the consumer’s commitment to agriculture and the community. At “Ask a Farmer” events, customers get to meet the people behind their favorite products, reinforcing the idea that agriculture supports the economy and that the people growing their food share values with those who are eating it.  

 

Deeper than Dirt
Julia Recko, American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture
Do you have a passion for agricultural literacy? Come learn about the newest book from Feeding Minds Press, 'The Soil in Jackie's Garden' and get creative ideas for how to volunteer with the book in a classroom, library, or event. The session will have hands-on learning experiences, and include an update on the latest ag literacy resources from Ag Foundation.

 

Agriculture and Trade: Major Issues for 2025
Dave Salmonsen & Betty Resnick, AFBF
This session will provide an update of recent Administration actions on tariffs and their impacts on agricultural trade. The session will also review the current state of U.S. agricultural trade and how it impacts farmer and ranchers.

 

Saturday, March 8 

1:30 PM - 2:30 PM

Creative Farm & Income Diversification
Panel of Farmers with Diverse Operations
In this session, a panel of farmers will discuss various ways to diversify income to assist in growing your farm business. Discover creative diversification strategies that go beyond traditional farming, like incorporating agritourism, an Airbnb or on-farm food options like a kitchen or bar.

 

Optimize Your Grocery List for Better Mental Health, Happier Farms and Volunteer Retention 
Sarah Zastrow, Farm Stress Speaker, Nutrition Professor and Farmer
Stabilize mood swings and afternoon energy crashes while fueling everyone to be at their best on the farm, in the classroom, and during a county Farm Bureau event! Whether you're wrangling five-year-olds or 65-year-olds, learn how the food items on your grocery list fuel your brain, stabilize blood sugar and increase serotonin impacting your mood, mental health, and overall happiness. Make the connection between how the food you feed yourself and those around you contributes to your overall success. Leave with practical ideas for field lunches, volunteer goodie bags and snacks for your next Farm Bureau event.

 

Campus Conversations: How to Navigate Tough Topics in College 
Samantha Beard, Assistant Director of Special Programs at Tennessee Farm Bureau 
During this session, participants will arm themselves with tools to better communicate and conversate about food, fiber and agriculture practices. Perspective: Through an icebreaker, students will share stories related to agricultural controversies in small groups. We will discuss the spectrum of public perception to better understand how to communicate. Echo Chamber: Today’s information flows from a myriad of sources; understanding these sources in the echo chamber is key. Students will learn ways to become the experts on campus and in their communities. Conversate: Advocating and educating about agriculture is a lifestyle. Students will be equipped with tools to agvocate daily.

 

Changing Minds: Becoming a Better Listener Can Change Your Farm, Family and Future 
Vance Crowe, Founder of Legacy Interviews 
This session is designed for individuals grappling with the emotional aspects of farm succession conversations, rather than focusing on legal or technical matters. Storytelling plays a crucial role in preserving wisdom for future generations and helping the aging generation find closure and acceptance in their experiences. Drawing from Vance's insights gained from recording hundreds of Legacy Interviews, this session will teach you how to engage loved ones and prompt them to share their life stories. By sharing their experiences, older individuals often realize they have entered a phase of wisdom, making them more open to discussing succession and change on the farm. 

 

Hosting Farm Tours: Educating Consumers and Legislators
AFBF P&E and WLC Committees
In this interactive session, attendees will learn how to design and host engaging farm tours that effectively educate both everyday consumers and key policymakers. Whether you're looking to connect with local communities or influence legislative support, this session will provide practical tips and strategies for tailoring your message to diverse audiences. By the end of the session, participants will be equipped with the tools to host successful farm tours that inform, inspire and build stronger connections with both the public and decision-makers.

 

Butterflies, Grizzlies, and Grazing: The Future of Federal Natural Resources Policy
Shelby Hagenauer & Danny Munch, AFBF
With a new administration comes a seismic shift in federal natural resource and land management policy. This session will examine the key policy changes of the last four years and how AFBF has worked to protect the interests of farmers, ranchers, and foresters. Looking ahead, we’ll explore what a second Trump administration could mean for Endangered Species Act listings, livestock grazing on public lands, and forestry management. Participants will also gain insight into the economic benefits of public lands grazing and strategies for engaging in federal policy discussions.

 

Saturday, March 8 

3:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Farm Bureau Success Stories Panel
Panel of Farmers From All Program Areas
Are you wondering if you should get more involved with Farm Bureau? Are you already involved but don't know what the next step is for you? Join us for a panel discussion featuring members who have taken advantage of Farm Bureau programs. Learn about their experiences, leadership journey and tips for how to stay involved.

 

Protecting Our Future, Preserving our Heritage 
Gary Spires, Executive Director at South Carolina Farm Bureau Federation 
SC is the fastest growing state in the nation and farmland was being lost at an alarming rate. South Carolina Farm Bureau members set in motion the idea for a land trust. In 2023, South Carolina Farm Bureau held the first organizational meeting of the SCFB Land Trust. The SCFB Land Trust focuses specifically on protecting working farms, ranches and forests. Working with Conservation Banks around the state, the Land Trust is able to protect our farmers' most precious resource. This session will provide an overview of the how the SCFB Land Trust was established, using the existing Farm Bureau network to generate support, and ways other states can consider starting a Land Trust. 

 

Building Your Brand on Social Media
Morgan Walker, AFBF
Unlock the power of social media. In this session, we'll dive into tactics for growing your social media presence, including identifying your unique brand voice and creating engaging content. You'll leave this session with practical tools and insights that can help you amplify your influence and elevate your social media content.

 

Understanding Generations to Beef Up Membership
Austin Large, AFBF
Generations aren’t simply separated by years. People divided by generations experience gaps in culture, technology, and life experiences. These gaps often challenge organizations like Farm Bureau in our quest to recruit prospects and engage members. In this workshop well discover not only key generational differences, but the major stages of the member journey. This new understanding will clarify the role we play and enable us to create a plan for beefing up our membership work on behalf of our county and state Farm Bureaus!

 

Farm Bill Frontlines: Debates, Delays, Data, and the Road Ahead for Dairy & Specialty Crops
Joe Gilson & Danny Munch, AFBF
With the 2018 Farm Bill extended twice, farmers across all sectors have been left operating under outdated program mechanisms while Congress struggles to move forward. A new Trump administration introduces both challenges and opportunities, reshaping funding battles and policy priorities. While modernization of programs that support row crops remain central to the debate, the priorities of dairy and specialty crop farmers have often been back of mind. This session unpacks latest Farm Bill negotiations, key political hurdles, and the funding landscape — with a special focus on dairy and specialty crop priorities.

 

Sunday, March 9 

9:00 AM - 10:00 AM

Engaging Community Through Direct-to-Consumer Marketing 
Rick McNary, Founder of Shop Kansas Farms 
The key to successful direct-to-consumer sales of farm products is being able to control the supply chain of production, processing and distribution. This supply chain is known as a regional food system which we call a Harvest Hub. The Shop Kansas Farms Harvest Hub model has successfully started building the Border Queen Harvest Hub in south central Kansas and north central Oklahoma. The model is designed to be replicated and scaled nationally. Learn from the people who built it from the ground up with a vision for economic growth, the ability for area farmers and ranchers to diversify their businesses, while providing healthy, local food for the community as they engage and educate consumer.

 

Advocacy & Taxes: Shaping the Future of Tax Policy
Tom Donnelly & Dustin Sherer, AFBF
With key provisions of the Tax Cuts & Jobs Act set to expire in 2025, the 119th Congress will decide the future tax landscape for farmers and ranchers. This session will provide a policy update and equip you with advocacy strategies to make your voice heard. Learn how to effectively engage lawmakers through in-district meetings, town halls, and personal storytelling to build a compelling case for making critical tax provisions permanent.

 

The Uncontrollables 
Sarah Zastrow
This session will do a deep dive on how to care for your mental health when the things that are causing stress are outside of your control. We will discuss stress, mental health and how to manage this chaos so that the hardships of farming don’t feign so heavily on ourselves and the ones we love. 

 

Sunday, March 9 

10:45 AM - 11:45 AM

Innovative Approaches for Telling the Story of Agriculture
Emma Alexander, Outreach Specialist for Missouri Farmers Care
The voice of American agriculture rises from only 2% of our national population who reside on farms and ranches and every farm story is a valuable part of the whole narrative of agriculture. Through study and application of communication tactics and innovative approaches, our stories can become even more powerful and not become lost or hard to hear. We can share dynamic, persuasive stories that stick. The strategies shared in this session will guide you as you develop your own craft of storytelling to resonate with any audience you want to connect with.

 

Trimming and Hedging the Landscape of Labor: New Approaches to Addressing New Regulations
John Walt Boatright & Samantha Ayoub, AFBF
The complexities, costs, and shortages in the agricultural workforce are ever-increasing. Over 4,000 pages of new regulations have been proposed or finalized in the past two years affecting farmers and ranchers who employ a labor force. In this session, participants will review how AFBF has employed a three-branches-of-government strategy to fight for responsible public policy, as well as explore what may be on the horizon for agricultural employers in 2025. The ideal participant for this session is an advocate who seeks real talk on the politics, prospects, and personalities surrounding the #1 issue facing American agriculture.

 

Sunday, March 9 

2:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Cultivating Well-Being: ‘Addressing Mental Health in the Next Generation of Farmers’ 
Kyle Lechtenburg, Finanical Advisor with Foundation Wealth Advisors 
YOU ARE NOT ALONE! Farming is hard. Extreme weather, family trust issues, low prices, high debt, workplace accidents; I have experienced it all and have the scars to prove it. I will share real stories and examples of how pre-existing situations can hinder growth, as well as strategic steps to help with TRANSITION personally and professionally. You will learn a PLANNED method of overcoming mental health challenges as it relates to debt, staffing, and macroeconomics of the farming operation.

 

Building Membership from the Ground Up 
Jocelyn Anderson, California Fourth Generation Farmer and Former AFBF YF&R Vice Chair & Jon Iverson, Oregon Farmer & Former AFBF YF&R Chair 
Membership is the life blood of Farm Bureau but how do you maintain it, let alone increase it? Led by the 2021 AFBF YF&R Committee Chair Jon Iverson (Oregon) and Vice Chair Jocelyn Anderson (California), this interactive session will focus on ideas to attract new members and lead meetings to keep members engaged. 

 

Whose Fence Line Is It Anyway? Improv in Advocacy
Bev Flatt, AFBF YF&R Committee
Have you ever tried telling a story at a party, but it just…fizzled? Maybe you stumbled over your words, or the audience just seemed….unimpressed. Well, fret no more! This workshop, is designed to turn you from a storytelling dud to a captivating conversationalist. And how are we going to achieve this magical transformation? Through the unexpected world of spontaneous comms – or improv - of course.