|
Young
Farmers and Ranchers YF&R stands for Young Farmers and Ranchers. The Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers Program is designed to allow members of Farm Bureau, between the ages of 18 and 35, the opportunity to develop leadership skills, compete in contests to win valuable prizes, be involved in their local communities, and develop long lasting friendships with people from across the state and country. YF&R members plan and participate in a wide range of activities at all levels of Farm Bureau – county, state, and national. All of these activities are designed to educate, develop leadership skills, and of course, be fun! Please find some our activities described below:
Leadership
Development Conferences Summer/Winter
Conferences: These three-day conferences are planned by the
state YF&R committee. The summer conference is typically held
in late July, and the winter conference is held on a weekend in
late January or early February. Seminars at the conferences range
from leadership development to marketing education, financial management,
political education, dealing with stress, coping with family problems,
craft making, and wide range of other seminars aimed at all members
of the family.
OSU International Student Tour: Each year during Oklahoma State University's fall break, the Young Farmers & Ranchers host a farm tour for OSU international students, who are studying for advanced degrees in agriculture. The intent of the farm tour is to familiarize the students with family farms and agribusinesses in Oklahoma. In short, formal education meets rural applications in agriculture. This program will heighten awareness of OFB and agriculture throughout the state and the globe. This is an excellent opportunity to interact one on one with people in production agriculture from all around the world.
Contests Top
YF&R Recruiter: This contest will recognize and encourage
Young Farmers and Ranchers to recruit 18-35 year olds to join Oklahoma
Farm Bureau with the intent of involving them in YF&R activities.
The goal is to increase the level of membership in the age group
of 18-35 within the organization, thus increasing the field of eligibles
for the YF&R program. Applicants must complete an appropriate
official application which will be verified with the field representative
and the Membership Division. The top YF&R Recruiter will receive
an OFB jacket. Charles
Roff Award: This award recognizes Oklahoma's top county YF&R
committee and encourages Young Farmers and Ranchers to help build
stronger county YF&R committees and to strengthen the organization
while encouraging more participation in state activities. Each county
YF&R committee should participate by describing activities sponsored
throughout the year. The official application must be accompanied
by no more than three pages (front and back) of pictures and clippings
for verification. The Charles L. Roff award winner will receive
a traveling trophy at the state convention (shall be retired in
any county winning the award three consecutive years). Outstanding
County Event: This award recognizes a county YF&R committee
on a single event it hosted or sponsored during the year. The award
is designed to share ideas among counties and encourages county
committees to be active and strengthen the organization. The Outstanding
County Event recipient wins a traveling
trophy.
Charities
& Fundraisers
Youth
Activities
Scholarships The Oklahoma Farm Bureau Young Farmer and Rancher Committee presents scholarships each spring to high school seniors. The applications for these scholarships can be picked up at county Farm Bureau offices. Applicants must be a voting member of Farm Bureau, and should be enrolling in a full-time agriculture major at one of Oklahoma's colleges. For more information on all scholarships available through Farm Bureau, click here. If you have questions regarding any of the Young Farmers and Ranchers activities, please contact FBW/YF&R Coordinator Marcia Irvin at 405-523-2405 or by e-mail at mirvin@okfb.org.
Helpful
Links CAST, Council for Agricultural Science and Technology: www.cast-science.org |
But,
these wouldn't be YF&R events without a lot of fun and fellowship
thrown in. The conferences often include cookouts, ag tours, games
and entertainment as well as family time. The conferences are designed
with the family in mind as many of our YF&R have children of
all ages. When not joining the group, child care is provided at
both conferences for the young ones. Also, on any Sunday where a
Farm Bureau activity is going on, the YF&R always take time
to worship God with an organized Vespers Service.
Legislative Leadership Day: This conference is designed to educate,
inform, and give participants some personal contact with members
of our state legislature. The Legislative Leadership Day is held
on a week day each April. We meet during the week so that we can
have lunch at the State Capitol with our senators and representatives.
A legislative update from our Public Policy Division is always included,
and well as some leadership training.
National
Leadership Conference: The National Leadership Conference focuses
on leadership and personal development opportunities for Farm Bureau
young farmers and ranchers. This highly interactive conference brings
together young farmers and ranchers from across the country and
offers several fun and informative activities, including motivational
speakers, mini-sessions, awards and recognition, networking, entertainment,
Collegiate Discussion Meet competitive events and tours of local
agricultural operations and/or attractions. 
Achievement Award: This contest recognizes
OFB's top Young Farm and Ranch family each
year at our state convention in November. The award is judged
on the families' involvement in the community and Farm Bureau, as
well as the quality of the contestants' farming operations and leadership
activities. The winner of the contest receives $500 cash, the use
of a Kubota tractor for 300 hours, the use of a Dodge pickup for
a year, a $500 Syngenta gift certificate, an expense-paid trip to
the American Farm Bureau convention in January to compete in the
national contest, and other prizes.
Discussion
Meet: The YF&R Discussion Meet is
a panel-type discussion in which YF&R are judged on their ability
to express ideas and opinions on the hottest issues in agriculture.
Participants attempt to influence each other by posing
and answering questions with the goal of reaching a solution to
a stated problem facing agriculture. The winner of the contest,
which is held at state convention in November, wins the use of a
Dodge pickup for a year, an expense-paid trip to the American Farm
Bureau convention to compete in the national contest, and other
prizes. 
Excellence
in Agriculture Award: This
contest is designed as an opportunity for Young Farmers & Ranchers
who do not derive the majority of their income from an owned agricultural
operation, while actively contributing and growing through their
involvement in Farm Bureau and agriculture, to earn recognition.
Participants will be judged on their involvement in agriculture,
leadership ability, involvement and participation in Farm Bureau
and other organizations (i.e., civic, service and community). The
winner of the state contest receives $500 cash, an All-Terrain Vehicle
(ATV) courtesy of Farm Credit, and an
expense-paid trip to the American Farm Bureau convention in January
to compete in the national contest. 
Harvest
for All: Farm Bureau's
Young Farmers & Ranchers are partnering with America's Second
Harvest to help feed the millions of Americans who face hunger.
It's America's first harvesters helping America's Second Harvest
in what we call a "Harvest for All." Throughout the year,
farmers in Oklahoma and throughout the nation will be donating food,
funds and people power to create a hunger-free America. YF&R
from across the state have gathered donations, held food drives
and volunteered countless hours at the Regional Food Bank in Oklahoma
City to help those in need. 
YF&R
Golf Classic: Each
year, the state YF&R Committee sponsors a golf tournament to
benefit the Oklahoma Farm Bureau Legal Foundation (OFBLF),
which supports the legal rights of farmers and ranchers.
The tournament is set up as a four-man scramble on a different golf
course each year. Lunch is provided the day of the tournament. Great
prizes are awarded to the top three teams, as well as those individuals
with the longest drive and closest to the hole. Sponsorships
are welcome! Information on
the YF&R Golf Classic will be made available to each county
Farm Bureau, or you may contact Marcia Irvin at (405) 523-2405,
or 
Livestock
Judging Contests: The Oklahoma Farm Bureau
Young Farmers and Ranchers Committee hosts a livestock judging contest
at both the Oklahoma State Fair in Oklahoma City, and the Tulsa
State Fair in Tulsa in the fall. These contests are open to FFA
and 4-H students across the state. Results from the 2007 YF&R
Livestock Judging Contest are:
Speech
Contests: The state YF&R hosts a
Public Speaking Contests each spring. The speech contest is open
to Oklahoma youth between the ages of 9 and 18, broken down into
three age groups: Junior Division, ages 9-12; Intermediate Division,
ages 13-15; and Senior Division, ages 16-18.
insurance | commodities | legislative | programs | join | legal notice | home
|