“Ag Books for Kids” 2023 winners announced – June 5, 2023

Nearly 11,000 agriculture books have been donated to Wyoming elementary schools through the 19-year span of the Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation (WyFB) Young Farmer & Rancher (YF&R) Committee “Ag Books for Kids” program.  In 2023 county Farm Bureau Federations across the state donated 689 “Popcorn Country” books by Cris Peterson to Wyoming elementary schools as part of the program. (more…)

Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation awards 2023 college scholarships – May 31, 2023

Laramie-The Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation (WyFB) awarded $5,500 in college scholarships to nine young Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation members for the 2023-24 school year.

“Investing in the youth of our great state as they work to accomplish their academic goals is important to the Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation,” said Todd Fornstrom, WyFB President. “We are proud to honor these outstanding individuals with college scholarships to play a small part in helping them achieve their goals.”

The Livingston-King Scholarship, valued at $1,500, is given in honor of Herbert D. Livingston and H.J. King, former presidents of Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation, as well as Buddy and Norma Livingston, the parents of former WyFB President Perry Livingston.

The 2023 Livingston-King scholarship was awarded to Madison Greer, of Hyattville. She will be a freshman at Sheridan College studying plant science. Her parents are Tyler and Amber Greer.

The five Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation Scholarships are $500 each.  The 2023 recipients are:

  • Lily Crago, of Kaycee. Crago will be a freshman studying political science and agriculture/communications. Her parents are Barry and Kristen Crago.
  • Kailee Gill, of Moorcroft. Gill will be a freshman at Eastern Wyoming College where she will be studying ag business/equine science. Her parents are Gabe and Jenni Gill.
  • Hannah Lee, of Encampment. Lee will be a freshman studying veterinary technology at Eastern Wyoming College. Her parents are James and Gail Lee.
  • Annamae Hoopes, of Sheridan. Hoopes will be a freshman at the University of Wyoming pursuing a degree in education. Her parents are Kendal and Lenore Hoopes.
  • Jacey McDaniel, of Wheatland. McDaniel will be a freshman at the University of Wyoming pursuing a nursing degree. She is the daughter of Denise McDaniel.

Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation also awards three Continuing Education Scholarships of $500 each.  Students receiving a Continuing Education Scholarship must be an entering college sophomore, junior, senior or graduate student. The 2023 recipients are:

  • Sydnie Fornstrom, of Pine Bluffs. Fornstrom will be a senior at the University of Wyoming studying accounting with minors in agribusiness and human resource management. Her parents are Todd and Laura Fornstrom.
  • Dane Catlin, of Robertson. Catlin is studying kinesiology and health sciences at the University of Wyoming. His goal is to become a neurosurgeon. Dane’s parents are Steve and Dana Catlin.
  • McKinly Hepp, of Clearmont. Hepp will be a sophomore at Sheridan College where she is studying rangeland management. Her parents are Randy and Kristen Hepp.

Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation Scholarship applications are due March 1st each year and are available online at www.wyfb.org.

“Congratulations to each of the recipients,” Fornstrom concluded. “We wish them the best in their continued education endeavors.”

The Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation is the state’s largest general agriculture organization. The mission of the Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation 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.

Wall Street Rules Should Not Extend to Family Farms – April 17, 2023

Wall Street rules intended for publicly traded companies should not extend to family farms. That is the message the American Farm Bureau Federation and six other agricultural groups sent to the Securities and Exchange Commission. The SEC proposed a rule to require public companies to report on Scope 3 emissions, which are the result of activities not owned or controlled by a publicly traded company but contribute to its value chain. Public companies that produce goods from agricultural products would need to report emissions from the relevant agricultural operations. The farm groups’ concern is that the rule will burden family farmers and ranchers and drive further consolidation in agriculture—all for no real environmental benefit. (more…)

Families Deserve Truth in Food Labeling – April 24, 2023

America’s families deserve to know what they’re buying when shopping in the dairy aisle. The American Farm Bureau Federation today filed comments with the Food and Drug Administration calling on the agency to enforce food labeling standards for dairy substitute products and enforce existing prohibitions on the misleading labeling of nut- and other plant-based beverage products as “milk.” The FDA requested comments on its draft Labeling of Plant-Based Milk Alternatives and Voluntary Nutrient Statements: Guidance for Industry. (more…)

Second Judge Sides with Farmers by Halting WOTUS Rule – April 12, 2023

American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall calls a second U.S. District Court ruling to halt the 2023 Waters of the United States (WOTUS) Rule a win for farmers. The April 12th ruling, out of North Dakota, stops implementation of the rule in 24 states, including Wyoming. The first ruling, out of Texas, halted the rule in two states. (more…)

AFBF to President Biden: You Let Farmers Down – April 6, 2023

American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall on April 6 commented on President Biden’s decision to veto the Congressional Review Act (CRA) joint resolution that would have overturned the Environmental Protection Agency’s overreaching Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule. The CRA was a bipartisan, bicameral effort by Congress to halt implementation of the flawed rule. (more…)

AFBF Urges President Biden to Repeal 2023 WOTUS Rule – March 30, 2023

The American Farm Bureau Federation on March 30 called on President Biden to accept the will of Congress and repeal the 2023 Waters of the U.S. Rule. The House and Senate, in a rare bipartisan vote, passed a Congressional Review Act resolution of disapproval of the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers’ 2023 WOTUS Rule. (more…)

Federal Lands and Agriculture

Dry, windy, and sagebrush covered are often the scene on the federal lands in Wyoming.  Whether situated in an infamous checkerboard pattern or a section or two here and there, these lands have stories to tell.  Habitat for cattle, sheep, and many wildlife species allows for a patchwork of complex, intricate biological systems. To farmers and ranchers, it is intuitive to use the federal lands to produce food and fiber. Are many of these lands suitable for crop production? Not a chance.  These vast expanses are an affordable way to graze domestic livestock and one of the only ways family ranches remain economically viable today.  Approximately 30 million acres of Wyoming are federally owned and managed. For well over 150 years these lands provided food, fiber, and fuel to not only Americans but the world. Few places have a landscape that turns sagebrush into steaks and blankets. (more…)

2023 National Ag Day

Growing a Climate for Tomorrow is the theme for National Ag Day.  In Wyoming if you are thinking about agriculture, you are probably thinking about cattle and sheep.  And for good reason. Wyoming farmers and ranchers sold over a billion dollars’ worth of livestock in 2020.  Grazing livestock is an important part of our state and when you drive across Wyoming, you’ll recognize how wide open our spaces are.  These expansive areas are ideal for cows and sheep to graze, which also keeps the land productive for tomorrow’s generations. (more…)

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