--Competitions in Laramie Farm Bureau members between the ages of 18-35 and college students in Wyoming are invited to participate in the 2019 Discussion Meet competitions. There are two different competitions that will be held during the Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation (WyFB) Annual Meeting in Laramie in November. The first competition is the Regular WyFB Young Farmer & Rancher (YF&R) Discussion Meet; Farm Bureau regular members between the ages of 18-35 are eligible. The second competition is the WyFB YF&R Collegiate Discussion Meet; any student attending a Wyoming college is eligible. Being an advocate for agriculture is more important now than ever and should be a part of everyone’s business plan. Develop your leadership and advocacy skills and meet other young farmers and ranchers from around the state and around the nation by participating in the YF&R Discussion Meet competitions. Regular YF&R Discussion Meet  WyFB DM Manual 2019 This competition will be held Friday, Nov. 15 at the WyFB Annual Meeting. The state winner receives a $500 cash prize and an expense paid trip to the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) Jan. 17-22, 2020 Annual Meeting in Austin, Texas Collegiate YF&R Discussion Meet  2019 WyFB YFR CDM manual application This competition will be held Tuesday evening, Nov. 12. Any Wyoming college student with an interest in agriculture is eligible to participate. A major in agriculture is not required for competition. The state winner receives a $300 cash prize and an expense paid trip to the AFBF March 13-16, 2020 national competition in Louisville, Kentucky to compete for college scholarships. More information Topics and rules are available at wyfb.org. Regular Discussion Meet applications and Collegiate Discussion Meet applications must be postmarked by Oct. 25, 2019. Contact WyFB YF&R Coordinator Kerin Clark at 307.532.2002 or kclark@wyfb.org with questions. YF&R Discussion Meet Questions 1. How can Farm Bureau build upon collaborative relationships such as Farm Town Strong to combat nationwide crises such as opioid dependence/addiction and mental health issues? 2. Products like cell-based food products have demonstrated the food system is rapidly changing. How can future food technologies and related products be beneficially integrated into modern agricultural production without hampering the success of traditional products and the farmers and ranchers who grow them? 3. The customer is always right. How do farmers and ranchers think and respond, through the lens of consumer priorities and marketing trends, to build common values and confidence in modern production methods to build consumer acceptance? 4. With abundant productivity, farmers are in need of new markets, including outside traditional food and feed channels. How do we develop, invest and commercialize to innovate new uses of agricultural products and by-products to benefit all of agriculture? 5. The 21st-century agricultural economy is threatened by labor shortages. Without a clear solution for accessing foreign guest workers as a component of immigration reform coming from Congress, what are some creative and legal ways for agriculture to address the labor needs of a modern production system?