By Glenn Brunkow, Pottawatomie County farmer and rancher
The meeting season of Kansas Farm Bureau is about to kick into high gear in 2024. The key to KFB’s success is our grassroots engagement, which depends on members being active and involved. And there are a lot of opportunities to be engaged.
The first chance is the County Presidents Conference Jan. 16 in Topeka. It will be a chance to learn and swap ideas with fellow county leaders. This conference will give county presidents the boost to go back and lead. Also in Topeka is Day at the Statehouse on Jan. 16-17. This is a chance for all members to learn about issues important to them and then take action by visiting with their state legislators. If you have never advocated don’t worry, you will get the skills to tell the KFB story to your elected officials.
For the under 35 crowd the annual Young Farmers and Ranchers Leaders Conference will be Feb. 2-4 at the Manhattan Conference Center. This is a weekend of learning, networking and fun. As a YF&R alumnus, I can attest to the importance of going to this conference. When you are starting in agriculture it is easy to think you are alone. Spending a weekend with more than 400 other young farmers and ranchers will prove those thoughts wrong.
Finally, we get to the pinnacle event of the meeting season and that is KFB’s semi-annual LEAD (Leaders Engaged and Acting in D.C.) trip to Washington D.C. Each county can send one leader on this trip. If you have never traveled to our nation’s capital this is the best opportunity you will ever have.
The trip is Feb. 26-29. You will attend briefings on national issues from KFB and AFBF staff. We will make a trip to the Hill, and you will get to meet with each member of our congressional delegation. This is a great opportunity to see our government in action and to lobby for issues important to you. This should be an interesting year for the trip with a new farm bill debate going on while we are there.
There will also be other tours and stops to see the sights in D.C. Those who are on the trip will also have a chance to go on a night tour of the monuments and take in an NHL game. You will also have a chance to go early or stay another day or two to explore on your own.
There are many other opportunities to become engaged, but January and February certainly offer the most chances. These events are great educational opportunities for our members but also important to show our legislators how engaged our members are.
I hope you will take time to attend one or even all these great events. Kansas Farm Bureau is great because of its active and engaged members.
“Insight” is a weekly column published by Kansas Farm Bureau, the state’s largest farm organization whose mission is to strengthen agriculture and the lives of Kansans through advocacy, education and service.
