About Young Farmers & Ranchers
Our Mission
Thanks for your interest in the Farm Bureau’s Young Farmers and Ranchers (YF&R) program! YF&R’s mission is to attract and empower future Farm Bureau leaders and increase the interest in agriculture as a way of life and a local career path. Our committee is designed to facilitate professional development and social networking opportunities among young farmers, ranchers and people who work in agriculture related jobs.
About the Program
YF&R is designed for young people between the ages of 18-35 who share an interest in improving themselves and agriculture. Our program provides an opportunity for agriculturists to connect with individuals who have the same professional interests and challenges. The three basic purposes of the program are: 1) assist young farmers and ranchers in solving problems and challenges in their daily lives, 2) expose young people to Farm Bureau, and 3) develop leadership abilities in young men and women.
Activities and events throughout the year help provide scholarships to college students in agricultural curriculums, along with and donations to Monterey County Ag Education, Ag Against Hunger, and the Monterey County Food Bank. Over $75,000 in scholarships have been awarded in the past 10 years, and the food drive in December collected 90 pounds of canned goods for the food bank!
The YF&R program is structured at the county, state and national levels.
Meetings
Our Central Coast YF&R committee meets on a regular basis to discuss issues affecting agriculture, tour local farming opertions, and to develop methods for promoting our county’s agriculture industry.
Our bi-monthly meetings are generally held at the Monterey County Farm Bureau office, or on-site at a farm or facility, on the third Wednesday at 5:30PM. NOTE: all meetings have been suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic and will resume when health conditions improve.
Our Executive Board meets to discuss organizational business issues at 6:00PM at the Monterey County Farm Bureau office the second Tuesday of each month. NOTE: meetings are held virutually during the COVID-19 pandemic, until further notice.
You can receive more information about the opportunities within the county by contacting the Monterey County Farm Bureau at (831) 751-3100 or San Benito County Farm Bureau at (831) 637-7343.
YF&R Opens Opportunities for Young Farmers
From networking to leadership development, the California Young Farmers and Ranchers program offers young agriculturalists an opportunity to not only connect with their peers, but become engaged with Farm Bureau at a grassroots level, thus developing dynamic leaders.
YF&R members are between the ages of 18 and 35 and are involved in production, farm lending and many other areas of the agriculture business. Whether they are growers or work within the related business sector, YF&R members share a passion for promoting agriculture within their generation.
These volunteer leaders, at both the state and local levels, recognize the important role they play in the future of Farm Bureau and agriculture as a whole.
The YF&R program strives to provide learning opportunities for members in the areas of leadership development, political advocacy and communications. By developing these skills, YF&R members can transition from being active members of their local YF&R committee to becoming leaders within their county Farm Bureau. The energy and excitement of youth brings new ideas and fresh perspectives to the table, thus stimulating progressive conversations across the board.
The YF&R State Committee mirrors the CFBF Board of Directors, and thus is comprised of YF&R members representing the 21 Farm Bureau districts within California. These leaders are appointed by their CFBF district director and are responsible for overseeing local YF&R committees within their district. State Committee members meet on a regular basis and develop resources for county committees, execute leadership trainings and conferences, and participate in strategic planning for the YF&R program as a whole. These committee members are volunteer leaders who serve both their local committees and the greater YF&R program, representing California at various national YF&R functions throughout their service on the committee.
In an effort to bring together YF&R members throughout the state, the YF&R State Committee hosts an annual leadership conference in February. This two-day conference is attended by more than 200 YF&R members, sponsors and agricultural representatives from across California and neighboring states. The conference is an opportunity to network with other YF&R members, gain insight and ideas for enhancing local YF&R committees and receive resources and briefings on key issues and topics affecting California agriculture.
Coupled with leadership and professional development sessions, the conference offers several agricultural tours showcasing various production and agricultural business operations within the host county. The 2020 YF&R Conference will be held in Visalia on February 28-29.
Aside from the annual conference, the YF&R State Committee hosts county YF&R chairs and other local committee leaders at a one-day leadership training seminar every summer. This training is designed to provide leadership development created specifically for those members wanting to take the next step in YF&R leadership. Sessions include committee resource development, communications, and meeting and member engagement, among others.
In addition to member involvement and leadership development, the YF&R program focuses on providing opportunities for members to become engaged in larger political advocacy efforts within Farm Bureau.
As part of the implementation of new CFBF Issue Advisory Committees, YF&R members are appointed to participate in each committee's discussion, policy development and resolution recommendations. Through increased participation in political advocacy, YF&R members are becoming more engaged within their own county Farm Bureaus and communities.
Along with political advocacy, the State YF&R Committee strongly encourages members to become involved in political action through FARM TEAM®, FARM PAC® and advocacy meetings. YF&R members are active in responding to FARM TEAM alerts and meeting with their elected representatives, both in Sacramento and Washington, D.C. Farm Bureau encourages YF&R members to host elected officials on agricultural tours and to share their personal stories on how legislative issues affect their operations and livelihoods. YF&R members also assist with political FARM PAC fundraising events at both the county and state levels.
To showcase their efforts among other members, the YF&R program features multiple competitions and recognitions, including the Discussion Meet, Agricultural Achievement Award, Excellence in Agriculture Award, YF&R Committee of the Year and Star YF&R member:
- The Discussion Meet competition occurs at both the collegiate and open levels and focuses on fostering committee discussion skills centered on agricultural issues.
- The Agricultural Achievement Award recognizes a YF&R member's efforts in production agriculture and leadership activities.
- The Excellence in Agriculture Award, on the other hand, recognizes YF&R members who don't derive a majority of their income from production farming, but are active within the agriculture business in other capacities.
- Additionally, the State YF&R Committee honors outstanding local YF&R committees and individual members for their dedication to Farm Bureau and involvement in various activities and events.
To round out the leadership development and networking aspects of the program, YF&R promotes community service through the Harvest for All program. This partnership with Feeding America—the nation's largest domestic hunger-relief organization—allows YF&R members to take part in events that raise money and collect food for local food banks and communities. California YF&R has been a leader across the nation in this program, receiving accolades for setting new records for total food contributions year after year.
(Courtesy of Ag Alert)
Keep Updated
Be sure to visit our website to be kept up-to-date on all the news and activities in the California State Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers program
