Spring is a time of new growth. This statement in agriculture makes us think of baby calves, planting crops, dragging meadows and all the things new life brings in the spring. I’m going to switch gears and talk about new growth that is also an important aspect of farming and ranching…leadership development.

Our mission focuses on protecting private property rights, strengthening agriculture and supporting farm and ranch families. Keeping agriculture strong in Wyoming and America is important for those who grow the food, it’s important for those who consume the food and it’s important for the security of our nation.

Advocacy, education and leadership development are the core components of the work we do to meet the mission of this grassroots organization. Leadership development is similar to developing our skills on the farm or ranch. It takes practice and it takes a mentor.

When it comes to ranching, my favorite place to be is horseback moving cattle. Learning the ropes as a young ranch kid took a lot of practice, otherwise known as time in the saddle, and mentorship from my mom and dad. I can still remember that feeling of accomplishment when I was first turned loose to go clear part of a rugged section on my own.

When it comes to leadership, my favorite place to be is with people doing meaningful work to keep agriculture strong. Same is true here as a young ranch kid, leadership lessons took a lot of practice and mentorship. I was definitely more comfortable with cattle than with people when I started my leadership journey. Learning the ropes of leadership took mentorship from leaders who were willing to invest their time to help me grow as an agriculture advocate.

It takes practice and it takes a mentor for us to grow in agriculture and in leadership advocacy. This practice and mentorship can come in many different forms and many different people. In June 2002, the Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation (WyFB) established a Young Farmer & Rancher (YF&R) program to help young farmers and ranchers grow in both agriculture and leadership. I was honored to be tasked with developing the program. Practice and mentorship have been key to developing a strong program to serve our members.

Practice and mentorship have also been key to developing young leaders to be strong advocates for agriculture. A key piece to the growth in leadership development for young

farmers and ranchers has been the support, mentorship and welcoming embrace into the organization that they’ve been given from experienced leaders.

When it comes to farming and ranching, it is so important to learn from those who have been there doing the work and it is important to bring new ideas. When it comes to agricultural leadership, the same is true. Learning from one another while feeling empowered to bring new ideas keeps agriculture strong and keeps our organization strong.

Many of our organization’s leaders have participated in the WyFB YF&R program. One example would be this year’s WyFB Board of Directors where seven of the nine members have participated in the WyFB YF&R program. While we can see the stories of leadership growth there are also those opportunities to grow personally and professionally for your ranch or farm.

It takes practice, otherwise known as involvement, and it takes a mentor. If you are already involved in this process, thank you for your leadership and commitment to keeping agriculture strong. If you are wondering how you can be involved in this process, the simple answer is to just say yes to the opportunity. The members of this organization embrace the opportunity to help one another as we work together to keep agriculture strong.