The 2024 Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation Legislative Meeting will be at the Laramie County Community College Center for Conferences and Institutes in Cheyenne on February 15-16.

The Legislative Meeting begins with registration at 11 a.m. on Thursday, February 15. If their schedules permit, House Agriculture Committee Chair Representative John Eklund and Senate Agriculture Committee Chair Senator Cheri Steinmetz will address members during the noon luncheon. 

Thursday afternoon activities include remarks from WyFB President Todd Fornstrom, state legislative briefings from WyFB Staff Brett Moline and Ken Hamilton, and a guest speaker. 

“The meeting provides a great opportunity for members to connect with legislative happenings as well as listen to speakers on a variety of topics impacting agriculture,” Ken Hamilton, WyFB Executive Vice President, said. 

“Many Wyomingites are familiar with Meteorologist Don Day’s in-depth podcast which provides viewers with the background about why he thinks the weather will do what it does,” Hamilton continued. Day will speak at 1:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 15 with his presentation “It’s Weather, Not Climate.”  

Thursday evening provides one-on-one visits with legislators and elected officials during a Legislative Mixer produced by the Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation and the Wyoming Rural Electric Association.  This event will be held at the Cheyenne Frontier Days Event Center at Frontier Park.

A speaker’s forum on Friday morning, February 16 begins at 8:00 a.m. with Wyoming Department of Revenue Director Brenda Henson. “With the focus on Wyoming’s tax issues, Brenda will provide background on what the Department of Revenue does as well as how people’s tax bills are developed,” Hamilton explained. 

The next speaker at 9:00 a.m. will be Slade Franklin, Technical Services Division Manager with the Wyoming Department of Agriculture (WDA). “With a court decision ordering the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) to develop new pesticide labeling requirements to protect endangered species, Slade will discuss how the WDA is trying to ensure some commonsense rules will protect Wyoming farmers and ranchers from unrealistic proposals by the EPA,” Hamilton explained. 

The third speaker at 10:30 a.m. will be Sheila Foertsch, Wyoming Trucking Association Executive Director. “Since just about everything we purchase in Wyoming, as well as everything we produce in agriculture, moves by truck, hearing from Sheila will give attendees insight into issues affecting the trucking industry and what those impacts are to our state,” Hamilton said.

The meeting will adjourn at 11:30 a.m. Following the meeting, WyFB members are invited to participate in the “Wyoming Agricultural Literacy Week” proclamation signing at 2:00 p.m. with Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon.  

Check www.wyfb.org (“Events” tab) for a meeting agendaand registration/hotel information. The hotel reservation deadline is January 23, and the meeting registration deadline is February 2.

The Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation mission is to represent the voices of Wyoming farmers and ranchers through grassroots policy development while focusing on protecting private property rights, strengthening agriculture, and supporting farm and ranch families through advocacy, education, and leadership development.