Ag News
Radke, Koch to speak at GFB YF&R Summer Leadership Conference
Posted on May 26, 2021 at 0:00 AM
Rancher and farm advocate Amanda Radke and noted skateboarder Chris Koch will provide keynote speeches at the 2021 Georgia Farm Bureau Young Farmers & Ranchers Leadership Conference, scheduled for July 14-17 at the Jekyll Island Convention Center.
Radke, a fifth-generation South Dakota rancher, has written multiple children’s books and authored numerous articles promoting and defending animal agriculture. She challenges audiences to change their outlook, to look for opportunities, and to pivot in creative and innovative directions to add value to their operations and supplying high-quality, safe, affordable, nutrient-dense food for consumers.
Koch was born without arms or legs, yet his parents chose to raise him without pity or special treatment. Koch developed his life motto of “If I Can…” growing up on his family’s farm in Canada. He’s carved out an extraordinary life and now travels extensively as a motivational speaker, rolling back and forth on his skateboard onstage while encouraging others to seek their greatest potential.
The GFB YF&R Summer Leadership Conference features the YF&R competitive events, educational sessions and networking opportunities for GFB members between the ages of 18 and 35. A children’s program will be provided for kids ages 12 and younger as a convenience for attendees competing or participating in educational sessions. Register by June 1 by visiting gfb.ag/YFRSLC. The registration fee is $100 per attendee. Registration fees for first-time conference attendees will be waived (limit of two per county). Registration fees will also be waived for current college students.
The conference is also the setting for GFB’s YF&R competitive events. The YF&R Discussion Meet will be held during the conference, and the three finalists for the Excellence in Agriculture Award will give their final presentations. The winners of those contests, as well as the YF&R Achievement Award, will be announced during the final day.
The YF&R Achievement Award is for an individual or couple involved in production agriculture with a majority of his/her net income subject to normal production risks. After the deadline, ten district winners and three state finalists will be determined. The state finalists will be contacted by June 11 for an on-farm interview the week of June 21. The state winner will be announced during the YF&R Summer Leadership Conference, July 14-17.
The YF&R Excellence in Agriculture Award is given to an individual or couple who does not have the majority of his/her income subject to normal production risks. After the deadline, ten district winners and three state finalists will be determined. The state finalists will be contacted by June 11 in order to prepare for the presentation. Presentations will be in person during YF&R Summer Leadership Conference, July 14-17, and the state winner will be announced during the conference.
The YF&R Discussion Meet is open to any GFB YF&R member. The discussion meet will be in-person at YF&R Summer Leadership Conference, July 14-17. The event includes two preliminary rounds, the sweet sixteen round, and a final four round, which will determine the state winner.
All applications and registration forms must be submitted online at www.gfb.ag/yfrcompete.
The GFB YF&R Committee is also responsible for the Picture Agriculture in Georgia Photo Contest, and conference attendees will vote for their favorite photos to determine the winner. To enter, visit www.gfb.ag/yfrphoto.
Registration fees will also be waived for current college students. Attendees are responsible for their own hotel reservations.
Room blocks have been secured at select Jekyll Island hotels. For rates and contact information, click here.
(http://www.gfb.org/content/userfiles/files/YF%26R/2021/Hotel%20Pricing%20Sheet.pdf)
For more information, please contact your district GFB Federation Manager, Clay Talton (cstalton@gfb.org) or Haley Darby (hadarby@gfb.org).
GFB will continue to follow the most up-to-date CDC guidelines for these in-person competitions, and if necessary, they are subject to convert to virtual events.
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