South Carolina Collegiate Farm Bureau Summit Plants Seeds for Growth, Collaboration

To strengthen and expand the impact of Collegiate Farm Bureau across the state, Clemson Collegiate Farm Bureau this spring hosted students from Piedmont Tech and South Carolina State University for the South Carolina Collegiate Farm Bureau Summit.

Attendees shared ideas for club meetings and activities, set goals for the year, and learned more about how they can grow through Farm Bureau.

A key focus of the summit was encouraging the establishment or revitalization of Collegiate Farm Bureau chapters across the state, providing a strong foundation for their collective goals of:

• Developing members' and prospective members' leadership, communication, organizational and networking skills;
• Increasing participation and elevating the level of competition at the South Carolina Collegiate Farm Bureau Discussion Meet;
• Promoting South Carolina Farm Bureau and its mission to college students throughout the state; and
• Fostering friendships and professional connections among students from diverse campuses who are pursuing agriculture and agriculture-related careers.

Key to the growth of Collegiate Farm Bureau chapters across the state, and a big part of the summit, is peer-to-peer mentorships through which active chapter members partner with new or developing chapter members to provide guidance on recognition, structure and best practices tailored to each campus.

The Summit was just the starting point, with attendees and others sharing updates and offering encouragement through the GroupMe network. Students are also using GroupMe to collaborate on hosting four Collegiate Discussion Meets across the state, part of the Collegiate Farm Bureaus' effort to increase participation in and the level of competition for the statewide Collegiate Discussion Meet.

"This summit sparked meaningful relationships, a shared vision, and unified advocacy efforts that will be carried forward on individual campuses. Together, participants are committed to advancing awareness, action and accountability in pursuit of establishing four strong Collegiate Farm Bureau chapters statewide," said Drake Ariail, Clemson Collegiate Farm Bureau member.

Collegiate Farm Bureau Mini-Grant Program

To help fund the summit, the Clemson Collegiate Farm Bureau applied for a mini-grant offered by the American Farm Bureau Federation's Young Farmers & Ranchers program. This grant provides $500 to Collegiate Farm Bureau chapters for activities such as recruitment, leadership development, community service, officer training, educational materials or conference registrations.