News

Key to success is keeping young members engaged

The president of the nation’s largest farm organization says one of the challenges facing Farm Bureau is keeping younger members involved after they turn 35.

Zippy Duvall says member engagement needs to start at the county level.  “We have to make sure the young people know they are welcome,” he says.  “And then we have to utilize their time efficiently, we have to make it fun for them, and give them some funds to do it with.  Our counties need to look to the future and look at which people are going to lead this organization in the future and help them get to that point.”

Duvall is challenging the organization’s younger members to find their voice and tell the message of agriculture.

He says Young Farmers & Ranchers will play a major role in consumer education.  “Tell them why they do it, when they do it, and how they do it,” he says.  “So our friends and neighbors can become advocates for agriculture, too.  Because the American people love farmers, they just don’t trust agriculture.  They just need to understand the lack of difference between them.”

Duvall says it’s a big weight to carry, but the future success of the organization depends on the nation’s young farmers and ranchers.