The Montana Farm Bureau Young Farmer & Rancher Committee will hold their YF&R Leadership Conference January 27-29 at Fairmont Hot Springs. The conference is open to all young producers, agribusiness professionals, students and farming/ranching fans. MFBF’s Young Farmer and Rancher Committee is proud to continue the tradition of this event, formerly known as the Young Ag Leadership Conference. It is the committee’s intention that the integrity of the content presented, the format of the agenda and the intended audience will remain the same as they make this exciting transition.

The conference kicks off Friday evening with a social, dinner and bingo. The breakfast speaker, Courtenay DeHoff, covers ag advocacy, followed by two interactive workshops: a community coalitions panel and an interactive tax discussion. The second round of workshops offers speakers on drought and economic impact forecasts, value-added agriculture success stories and understanding the benefits of biologically active soil.

Donna Moenning with the Center for Food Integrity rounds out the luncheon with her talk on “Imperatives to Engage Generation Z.  CFI is a not-for-profit organization whose members and project partners represent the diversity of today’s food system — from farmers, ranchers and food companies to universities, non-governmental organizations, restaurants, retailers and food processors.

The afternoon tour has stops at the Montana Prison Ranch, Headframe Spirits and Underground Butte Historical Tour. Later in the day, the Collegiate Discussion Meet Final Four will take place. The winner of the Collegiate Discussion Meet receives an expense-paid trip to compete in the national competition in at the AFBF FUSION Conference March 3-6 in Jacksonville, Fla. The day wraps up with a pool party and live music. Montana Lieutenant Governor Kristen Juras (invited) wraps up the event as breakfast speaker Sunday, January 29.

Registration for the MFBF Young Farmers & Ranchers Leadership Conference can be completed on the MFBF website, mfbf.org/events.