Wyoming Farm Bureau members joined thousands of farmers and ranchers from across the country at the American Farm Bureau Federation Convention, returning home with renewed focus on labor, unity and the role agriculture plays in communities nationwide. 

“The 2026 convention was a fantastic opportunity for our members to gather with farmers and ranchers from across the nation,” according to WyFB Executive Vice President Kerin Clark. “The impact of leading cannot be understated and that was emphasized at this convention. It is joyful to hear the ideas members are taking back to their ranches and county Farm Bureaus as they imagine, grow and lead for the future.” 

National labor policy dominated the conversation as Zippy Duvall, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation, and Brooke Rollins addressed attendees and media during the multi-day convention. Both emphasized that fixing agricultural labor challenges remains essential to maintaining a secure food system. 

Speaking to Farm Bureau media partners, Duvall said labor was a central topic in his discussions with President Trump. 

“Labor was one of the things I talked to him about,” Duvall said. “Out of all the subjects I talked to him about, he had the most knowledge about that one.” 

Duvall stressed that agriculture’s labor crisis is not theoretical but a daily reality for producers. 

“If our country doesn’t want to see COVID-type results on the grocery shelf, we’ve got to find an answer,” he said. “We just have to find an answer.” 

Duvall understands the urgency of agricultural labor first time, noting crops and livestock require care regardless of time or conditions. 

“When I had dairy cows, I was moving 300 cows at 2:30 in the morning when that backing pump didn’t come on,” Duvall said. “I didn’t care who showed up. A cow has to be milked. Crops have to be harvested. Animals have to be taken care of.” 

Duvall added that Americans have repeatedly shown they are unwilling to take on those jobs, regardless of wages, leaving agriculture dependent on a workforce that must be available year-round. 

“We have to have a workforce that’s willing to come to work,” he said. “It has to be fair to the employee and fair to the employer so they can continue to provide those jobs.” 

Rollins echoed that urgency during her address to convention attendees, highlighting recent regulatory changes to the H-2A guestworker program. 

“Our Department of Labor last month issued their interim final rule to change the methodology to establish the adverse effect wage rate for the H-2A program,” Rollins said. “This change will save our farmers over $2 billion in labor costs alone every single year.” 

She also pointed to efforts to streamline the application process by allowing producers to file H-2A applications with both the Department of Labor and the Department of Homeland Security at the same time. 

“Now we are shortening the time, making it more efficient, hopefully making it much less expensive,” Rollins said. “Understanding that there is still so much work to do on labor, my commitment to you is we remain hyper-focused on that.” 

Rollins tied agricultural labor directly to national priorities. 

“If we don’t have an affordable and secure food supply, then we do not have national security,” she said. 

Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation President Todd Fornstrom emphasized the importance of presenting a unified message on agriculture, particularly when communicating with the public. 

“The idea that we can get issues on the national stage and they understand where we are with issues is important,” Fornstrom said in an interview with Western Ag Network. “We need to have a united front when talking to the general public. They don’t understand agriculture already — they don’t need mixed messages.” 

For Wyoming members, the convention offered both policy insight and practical takeaways they can apply back home. 

Weston County Farm Bureau member Matt Stroh said the value of Farm Bureau lies in meeting members where they are. 

“It’s about meeting the membership where they’re at and seeing where we can fit into their operation and how we can support their operation,” Stroh said. “And in turn, how they can support Farm Bureau.” 

That connection between agriculture and community was also emphasized by Lincoln County Farm Bureau member Randy Humphrey. 

“How we can incorporate Farm Bureau to help communities strive to be better examples of people from around the country and how we can help them,” Humphrey said. 

Networking and leadership development stood out as key takeaways for Uinta County Farm Bureau member Kristi Ellis, who said the convention reinforced the organization’s role at both the local and national levels. 

Ellis said the convention’s theme, Imagine, Grow and Lead, challenged members to think strategically about their role within agriculture. 

“It gave me the inspiration to imagine what our county Farm Bureau can do to improve,” she said. “It gave me the opportunity to set a goal of how we can grow, and it gave me the opportunity to reflect on how we can lead and be the leader in the discussion about agriculture.” 

She added that Farm Bureau’s leadership role is critical as agriculture faces increased scrutiny. 

“We can help others understand the importance of agriculture and how we are there to help them,” Ellis said. 

As the convention wrapped up, voting delegates from across the country gathered to discuss policy and finalize AFBF’s official 2026 policies. Wyoming's two delegate alternated between President Todd Fornstrom, Vice President Cole Coxbill and Northeast District Director Matt Stroh.  

“This is the real business and the real reason we come together — to vote on policy brought forward by individual members and states,” Coxbill said. “That’s the power of the grassroots process. What we pass or oppose becomes the policy the federation supports in Washington, D.C., and carries all the way down to our counties. It’s a privilege to represent Wyoming Farm Bureau members.” 

As Wyoming members returned home, the convention reinforced the importance of advocacy, unity and continued engagement at every level of the organization. From labor policy to leadership development, the message was clear: agriculture’s challenges require coordinated effort, clear communication and strong grassroots involvement.