It’s hard to believe that my first involvement with Farm Bureau was in the Spring Semester of 2018 in a classroom in the Animal Science Building at The University of Wyoming. A good friend, Jessica Lampert, approached me and said she wanted to start a Collegiate Farm Bureau Chapter at UW. Upon explaining that I had no real idea what that was, her response was “It doesn’t matter. You know everybody, so just get people here and we’ll have a meeting.” 

I always say it’s not what you know, it’s who you know, and roughly a week later we had around 20 students in the room, with then Albany County Farm Bureau member, Kyle Berger explaining the role and function of the Farm Bureau Federation. I graduated that May, moved to Colorado for a job, and promptly forgot about all the Farm Bureau stuff I’d heard about. Occasionally I’d wonder if the chapter had gotten off the ground, but never did much follow up. 

Fast forward to the summer of 2019. I moved back home after my farm/feedlot experience in Colorado and was back on the family ranch. I received a phone call from Kyle, now with the Carbon County Farm Bureau, asking if I wanted to get involved with the Young Farmer and Rancher Committee at the district meeting that summer. I was interested but still knew no more than I had a year prior but wanted to learn. Unfortunately, I was unable to make the district meeting, and though I had submitted my name, I wasn’t elected. I later received the call to attend Annual Meeting, so in November I was Laramie bound. 

Unsure of what to expect at my first statewide meeting, I was cautious, but was quickly welcomed by many members, some of whom I’m still close to and thankful for. Even then, seldom one to shy away from an opportunity to open my mouth, I was sharing my experience regarding resolutions at my first Annual Meeting before I was even eligible to be a voting member, as the topic of harassing livestock with drones was brought up, passed. I believe that policy even made it through the American Farm Bureau Convention and into the National Policy Book in early 2020. I was elected by the assembly to be the YF&R Committee Member at Large, and with that experience under my belt, it felt a bit like I was caught in a whirlwind, but I never looked back.? 

The Wyoming Farm Bureau Annual Meeting is always one of my favorite events of the year. Maybe I’ve hit my head one too many times, but committee work and debate in the general sessions to set resolutions and policy for the upcoming year is my absolute favorite. When pitching Farm Bureau to someone, I always focus on the debate and discussion, understanding that decisions made in those rooms have the potential to influence our Legislature and have lasting impact on every single citizen of our state.  

As my Farm Bureau involvement has continued, I’ve learned to appreciate the connections and the lessons, I’ve grown far more comfortable in my roles, and am still learning just how little I know. I feel awed by new members coming in and having the opportunity to learn from their experiences, just the same as I hope someone may have learned from an experience of mine. I’ve had the opportunity to serve as Carbon County Ranch and Farm Bureau Vice President and serve various roles on the YF&R Committee. Last summer, I made the decision to throw my hat in the ring for Central District Director and was elected. Ironically, I’ve explained to so many people that Farm Bureau isn’t just insurance. Now as director I’ve been drinking through a firehose, trying to understand the workings of Mountain West Farm Bureau Insurance, as well as the working of Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation and the relationship between the two, so it’s more insurance than I thought it would be.  

Seven years ago, joining Farm Bureau, I never thought I’d be where I am today, nor did I think the organization and the people would be as meaningful as they have become. Learning to have some confidence in myself and understanding that words of encouragement aren’t just empty words, there’s belief and meaning behind them. Learning that everyone in every meeting has family at home left to carry their responsibilities, and that in our own way, we all want the same thing. We all want Wyoming its Agriculture to be as strong as it possibly can be, to make America and its Agriculture as strong as it can be. Navigated by ideas, passions, and voices of each individual member from their own dinner tables all the way to committee rooms in the Capitol in Cheyenne, and beyond, all the way to Washington DC. When I take a moment to reflect, I’m blown away at how far I’ve come, and humbled to be able to do what I can, along with so many incredible hard-working people. I don’t know what the future holds for any of us, but I know that the future of our State and Nation depend on the success of our ag industry, and I just hope I can stay on for the ride as long as I can, wherever it may lead.