NFB - “What A Ride!”

What a ride Louisville KY! What a ride!

By Kari Brough | YF&R Nevada State Chair

Young Farmers and Ranchers (YF&R) headed to Louisville, Kentucky for a leadership conference two

years in the making. Rewind two years when Nevada YF&R was in the air headed to Louisville for the conference when covid brought everything to a screeching halt. The conference was canceled, and everyone returned home to a very different world. The conference went virtual in 2021 and for a while it was unclear if the 2022 conference would be in person or virtual. Finally, the exciting news everyone had been waiting for got announced the 2022 YF&R Leadership Conference would happen in person. Three Nevada YF&R members headed to Louisville, Kentucky for the four-day Leadership Conference. This year’s theme was the Triple Crown of Agriculture (Food, Fiber and Fuel). YF&R conferences are always a great time to bring together current and future young farmers and ranchers from across the U.S. to learn, share and grow. This year the excitement could be felt, and people were so excited to be back together once again. As the Nevada YF&R Chair I was lucky enough to be able to attend the State Chair training, offered by the National AFBF YF&R committee on the first day of the conference. My table consisted of a cotton corn and soybean farmer from Arkansas, A peanut and cotton farmer from Florida, A grain farmer from Michigan, a hay farmer from Kansas, and me a Wagyu and Angus rancher, emphasis made on rancher from Nevada. As the training started, I was pleased to notice that this would be very different from other trainings in the past. Gone where the boring lectures where one person got up and spoke and the rest listened. This was interactive. We started our training off by introducing our selves to someone we didn’t know at the table with the assignment to introduce them to the rest of the room. Mr. Reed Story from Arkansas was my partner. I learned he was also a multi-generational farmer who grew up raising soybeans, cotton and corn. Our table of course was chosen to go first and being the only woman at the table I had the honors of going first. As I got up, my nerves took over a bit, for I knew this would set the tone for who I was, and more importantly who, Reed was. Two Minutes was all I needed to do this and was relieved when it was all over. As Reed took his turn introducing me attention was quickly drawn to the fact that Jordan and I raised Wagyu cattle and noticed around the room a few people who wanted to chat after. Our time to shine was over and as we were listening to the rest introduce themselves, I was trying to figure out what were the lessons we needed to learn from this exercise.

After the room was finished the lessons became clear. “How many could name 10 people in this room?” Our trainer for the session asked. Shoot, I could only name five and tell you who was from Idaho but not her name. Getting to know people and remembering their names was the activity and, shoot, I was slacking. Remembering name is always much harder than it seems. My goal was to remember names not only names but what made them unique. The next thing that this activity did was teach us how to introduce someone, make them a valid part of our conversation and I loved that! Everyone has a story and knowledge that can help someone else out. It is always important to make sure others are validated for what they have done in life. By the end of the training, I knew 10 names and their stories and more importantly the start of new friendships have been made. I probably could write this whole article on this one meeting because it was chalk full of valuable lessons that I plan on implementing into my final year as YF&R chair. The biggest take away from this was the value of a name, knowing your leadership style and knowing the styles of your team. Learning how to use them for the benefit of the team, and finally really getting to know someone. Not just having the same automatic conversations. One of the great things about the YF&R conferences is the different keynote speakers they often have. I loved the keynote speakers especially Dr. Delatorro McNeal, II who had us moving and grooving and investing in ourselves. He focused on Vison, Goals, Plans and Accountability (VGPA) and how this should guide you in your life. I came away from his speech with new hope and success. Braxten Nielson the second motivational speaker and had me in tears as he retold his story of how he lost everything after a horrible bronc riding accident, but even more tears as I watched him walk for the first time after months of being paralyzed. His determination and love for God helped him through his toughest times by not giving up on life and pushing through. His story helped me see that if you truly want something you must work hard and never give up on your dreams. It truly was a motivational speech and even though he doesn’t have full control over one of his legs he is back to participating in rodeos and strives every day to become his best self. I was fed by learning about early succession planning and how to better market our products in the breakout sessions. I loved the Power Hour of “working with stubborn family members” and enjoyed learning about the city. I toured the Louisville Slugger office and museum and was guided by the park manager of the Louisville Bats around the dug outs and the field. The tours are always one of my favorite parts of the conference. It’s always fun learning something new about a different city. I tried new foods and met wonderful new friends! What a ride being able to be a part of an organization such as this! That YF&R members from around the United States can meet and learn from each other.

I even had the opportunity to travel halfway home with one of my new friends Austin & Nicole Hiebert from Kansas. We discussed more about our state’s programs, ideas we would like to try, things that where a total busts, and taking over the family ranch, or in their case farms. They had a great idea about in state ranch tours for YF&R and they are even planning a trip to Oregon and Washington area to see that area. A tour of Nevada might just be in the idea books! I was very impressed, if you can’t tell, with all the hard work that was put into this conference. I see Nevada YF&R having such potential. This year will be a great year for Nevada YF&R, and I hope all the great things I have learned at this five-day conference make it our best year yet. Join us in growing the YF&R program in Nevada. You might not think YF&R is for you but join us once and see all the great things we do, and we might surprise you.