--Pre-conference January 17        

   “Your Future…Our Legacy.  Celebrating 10 Years of YF&R Success” is the focus of the Jan. 18-19, 2013 Wyoming Farm Bureau Young Farmer & Rancher (YF&R) Conference.   A pre-conference with a legislative focus will be offered the afternoon of Jan. 17.  Wyoming young farmers and ranchers are invited to attend the YF&R Conference at the Plains Hotel in Cheyenne.  The conference is open to all young agricultural producers (between the ages of 18-35) and all Farm Bureau members.  Children are welcome.  

            “Your Future…Our Legacy” will provide many different topics of interest to Wyoming’s young agricultural producers.   The highlight for the conference will be a meeting with Wyoming Governor Matt Mead on Thursday, Jan. 17 at 3 p.m.  Governor Mead will sign the Farm Bureau “Agricultural Literacy Week” proclamation, meet with the attendees and answer questions.

 

            Hosted by the WyFB YF&R Committee, the pre-conference begins Thursday, Jan. 17 at 2 p.m.  Attendees will tour the capitol, observe the legislature in session and attend the Senate Agriculture Committee Meeting.  The Senate Agriculture Committee meets upon the adjournment of the Senate; time determined that day.

            Following the pre-conference activities Thursday, the conference kicks-off at 8:40 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 18, 2013.  

The American Farm Bureau Federation will have just concluded its 2013 Annual Meeting in Nashville and the Board will have set the organization’s policy priorities for the upcoming year.  Hear the latest about federal issues important to farmers and ranchers during the “Federal Legislative Update” from Paul Schlegel, American Farm Bureau Federation, Director of Public Policy.             

“Taking your farm or ranch business to the next level--How you might create a structure of profit focused decision making with accountability” will be the next session.  Dallas Mount, University of Wyoming Extension Educator, will take a look at ways to push your business management of your farm or ranch to the next level and design responsibility and accountability systems to follow through.

An “Agriculture Lending Panel” will provide attendees the opportunity to hear what programs are available for young agriculture producers as well as receive input from lenders on what young producers need to do to get their financial house in order.  Each panelist will speak briefly and then a question and answer session will customize the conversation.  Featured panelists are:  Dixie Mount, Farm Service Agency; Keith Geis, Platte Valley Bank of Wheatland; Ryan Fieldgrove, First National Bank of Buffalo; a representative from the Office of State Lands and Investments and Garrett Horton, Farm Credit Services of America.

Following lunch, Wyoming Farm Bureau Executive Vice President Ken Hamilton will provide a look at “Legislative and Agriculture Issues Facing Wyoming Producers.”

A session on estate planning is tentatively scheduled for 2 p.m.

At 3:30 p.m., Paul Schlegel with AFBF will talk about “Federal Regulations: How They Happen and Why You Should Be Involved.”  Schlegel will provide an introduction to the rulemaking process, key things to know, and how Farm Bureau is working to make regulations reflect farmers’ and ranchers’ priorities.

A fun photography session will follow at 4:30 p.m. (time subject to change). Rancher and WyFB YF&R State Vice Chair Heather Hamilton will lead this interactive session that will look at the basics of your camera and help you to use the settings to capture the best images of kids, livestock, farm and ranch projects and anything else.

Celebrating 10 years of YF&R in the Wyoming Farm Bureau and celebrating the future of agriculture will be the focus of Friday evening’s dinner.

Saturday morning’s activities begin at 8:15 a.m. with an “Individual Risk Profile” presented by Keith Kennedy with Custom Ag Solutions.  Using audience response technology, attending producers will participate in the presentations and provide information about themselves and their operation. The information will be used to generate a customized risk profile that will be delivered to each producer via email following the event. The producer risk profiles will help producers understand their own exposure to and tolerance for risk at an operational level, and ways that they can manage the various risks in their operations.

Attendees will see how they can participate in YF&R competitive events and win $500 and a trip to the national competition during the “Mock Discussion Meet.”

Two more sessions will be announced later.  The conference concludes with an 11:30 a.m. lunch.

Registration

The registration fee is $70/adult.  The agenda and registration are available at www.wyfb.org or you may call 866.272.2197.  The registration deadline is Jan. 11.  Late registrations will be accepted based on availability after Jan. 11 at $90/adult.  Children are welcome. 

For room reservations, please call the Plains Hotel at 307.638.3311 or 866-2PLAINS and mention the “Wyoming Farm Bureau” block.  Room rates are $69 plus tax and are guaranteed through Jan. 11, 2013.

            Visit wyfb.org or Facebook/Wyoming Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers for an agenda.  Or you may call 307.532.2002 or kclark@wyfb.org with questions.