Wyoming’s Young Farmer and Rancher (YF&R) committee is holding their annual conference this weekend in Laramie. Titled, Cultivating Emerging Leaders, the YF&R Conference is open to Wyoming farmers and ranchers of all ages. The objective of the YF&R agriculture program through Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation (WYFB) is to provide leadership in building a more effective Farm Bureau Federation to preserve individual freedoms and expand opportunities in agriculture.
One of those opportunities includes involvement in the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) and the various amounts of agriculture engagement. For one young producer from Unita County, Wyoming, YF&R was some he wasn’t sure was going to be the right fit for him and his family. Zack Guild told our network’s Andy Schwab during the recent AFBF Convention in Salt Lake, he was skeptical of joining, but a family member talked him into, and it’s paying off now.
“Since I’ve been a part of it, I see the value in promoting agriculture to the people around me; there’s so many people that don’t understand where their food comes from,” said Guild. He added, “On top of that, I think there’s a lot of value in leadership skills that it provides these younger people, I think that this country needs leadership, and I think the YF&R program does that for a lot of young people in agriculture, promoting those ideas.”
Guild and his young family are working on their family’s ranch that has been in operation since 1860. He knows he may not be faced with the same challenges that a first- or second-generation producer would but noted some of the challenges some up-and-comers may be facing.
“With the cow herd across the country being as low as it’s been, we’re facing those challenges trying to rebuild our herd and having to pay $3,000 to $3,500 for a bred heifer,” said Guild.
The YF&R Conference will focus on that topic through their “3 Secrets for Increasing Profit” seminar that is just one of many discussions that will be held over the two-day event in Laramie.
Visit wyfb.org to find the full agenda and ways to get registered before the Friday morning kickoff.
####
Northern Ag Network – 2024
