“Be ready so you don’t have to get ready.”  A powerful reminder of the importance of preparation as we do the work we are called to do. Sometimes we have to go before we are ready with courage and faith to take action in our work. That said, being ready to take that leap is part of the process.  

This past month was filled with incredible events and meetings for Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation (WyFB) members and staff. The Wyoming Legislature convened on Jan. 14, the WyFB YF&R Conference was held Jan. 16-18, the American Farm Bureau (AFBF) Convention was Jan. 24-28, and the WyFB Legislative Meeting Jan. 29-30. This list is just a fragment of the events this organization is ready for to advocate on your behalf. We are grateful for all of the members who make the time to be involved by attending these state and national meetings. There have also been local meetings, such as the Bighorn sheep reintroduction landowner meeting, for which we are grateful for the grassroots network of volunteers who speak up on issues impacting their family farms and ranches.

The meeting themes of “The Heart of Agriculture” from the WyFB YF&R Conference and “Step Up, Drive Forward” from the AFBF Conference just so happened to come together to emphasize the importance of being ready.

Young farmers and ranchers and college students took the leap of faith to attend the YF&R conference showing they are ready to learn and grow as young farmers and ranchers. “The Heart of Agriculture” YF&R Conference had many powerful messages. Being ready to embrace change and act on the answers right in front of you can be one of the hardest challenges we face in life. Keynote speaker Ron Rabou emphasized traditionalism can be our greatest asset as well as our greatest liability. He challenged attendees to recognize that change is a necessary element of life. Being ready to see the answers right in front of you and take action can bring greatness.

At the AFBF Convention, AFBF President Zippy Duvall challenged members to continue stepping up to drive the organization forward. He recognized the importance of the county Farm Bureau Federations across the nation. It is the county Farm Bureau Federations that drive the strength of this membership grassroots organization.

The culmination of the AFBF Convention was the voting delegate session where resolutions that originated from individual farmers and ranchers across this nation were discussed and acted upon. This policy development process is what makes our organization ready to act on behalf of our members.

We don’t have to get ready with a stance each time a policy issue surfaces because we are ready with a policy book to guide this great organization forward. From local landowner meetings to the state capital to our nation’s capital, the Farm Bureau Federation remains ready and committed to implementing the policy created by our members.

At the AFBF Convention, keynote speaker Lieutenant Colonel Dan Rooney, founder of “Folds of Honor,” shared his story of harnessing faith and fearlessness as an F-16 fighter pilot in the United States Air Force. His story is powerful and his statement of “Being ready so you don’t have to get ready” was inspiring.

It is the chance we take and choices we make that will prepare us to be ready to do the good work we are called to do for agriculture. As Lieutenant Colonel Dan Rooney said in his keynote address, let’s go “‘Max perform’ the day the Lord has made.”