Young farmers and ranchers attend statewide leadership conference

Farmers and ranchers from across Kansas gathered in Manhattan Jan. 10-12 for the annual Young Farmers and Ranchers (YF&R) leaders conference. Nearly 500 attended the three-day Kansas Farm Bureau conference designed to provide educational and networking opportunities for young growers in Kansas.

The conference provided farmers and ranchers between the ages of 18-35 with agricultural education, motivational speakers and opportunities to connect with industry resources and network with peers.

Attendees heard from Jordy Nelson, a former K-State star receiver and Super Bowl XLV champion with the Green Bay Packers, and Dan Thomson, a feedlot veterinarian and CEO of Production Animal Consultation who founded "Doc Talk" on RFD TV.

State committee members from each of the 10 Kansas Farm Bureau districts planned and hosted the conference, which included workshops, speakers, tours and competitions. The YF&R state committee played an integral part in making this year's conference a success.

Winners of the conference competitions include the following:

• Ag Quiz Bowl - Laine Schmalzried, Aidan Yoho, Grant Hervey and Mason Fink, Kansas State University
• Collegiate Discussion Meet - Abby Graham, Fort Hays State University
• YF&R Discussion Meet - Lindy McMillen, Lane County
• YF&R of the Year - Jacquelyne Leffler, Lyon County

Graham received $500 and an expense-paid trip to the 2025 American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) YF&R Leadership Conference in Denver, Colo. McMillen and Leffler each received $700 and will represent Kansas in their respective competitions at the 2026 AFBF Annual Convention in Anaheim, Calif.

Destiny Johnson, Stafford County, received the inaugural Rural Minds Matter Young Advocate of the Year award for her work cultivating resilience and well-being among farmers, ranchers and rural communities. You can read about her work here.

Photos and cutlines of competition winners are available for download here.