Kansas Farm Bureau (KFB) member Lindy McMillen, of Lane County, is the winner of the 2026 American Farm Bureau (AFBF) Discussion Meet. The contest was held as part of the 107th American Farm Bureau Convention in Anaheim, Calif.
The Discussion Meet simulates a committee meeting where discussion and active participation are expected from each participant. Participants build basic discussion skills, develop a keen understanding of important agricultural issues and explore how groups can pool knowledge to reach consensus and solve problems.
As champion of the national contest, McMillen received a $35,000 credit toward a new Ford vehicle and paid registration to the 2026 AFBF Young Farmers and Ranchers Conference in Portland, Ore., courtesy of Ford.
Additional Farm Bureau members of Kansas were recognized at AFBF’s Convention, including Lyon County’s Jacquelyne Leffler, who placed in the top 10 of the Achievement Award, which recognizes young farmers and ranchers who have excelled in their farm or ranch and have honed their leadership abilities to superiority.
Four Kansas counties were recognized with AFBF County Activities of Excellence (CAE) Awards for successful county programs and activities at the national level. As part of the honor, the counties represented Kansas in the convention trade show and shared their award-winning programs with attendees from across the country to take back to their own communities.
Kansas counties honored with CAEs were:
- Atchison County: Started its Local Fresh for All program to provide gift certificates to the local farmers market for youth ages 9-19.
- Franklin County: Partnered with a local recreation commission to host the Ag Education Summer Series, which facilitated and hosted lessons, demonstrations and farm tours over eight weeks in the summer.
- Jackson County: Created a Livestock Summit to strengthen knowledge of 4-H exhibitors on livestock selection, nutrition, showmanship and carcass evaluation.
- Meade County: Started the Silver Plate Project as a community-focused effort that provided shelf-stable and easy-to-prepare meals for senior citizens in rural areas to reduce food insecurity.
KFB was recognized with Awards of Excellence for demonstrating outstanding achievements in four program areas: Advocacy, Coalitions & Partnerships, Engagement & Outreach and Leadership and Business Development.
KFB Women’s Leadership Committee chair Laura Haffner, of Ellis County, served as a panelist for a mental health workshop where she spoke about how the Rooted in Resilience Women’s Retreat is designed to reduce stigma and strengthen mental health in Kansas farm communities. She also shared resources Kansas Farm Bureau has developed to encourage mental health advocacy at www.kfb.org/ruralmindsmatter.
Two Farm Bureau members of Kansas will serve on national committees. Marieta Hauser, of Grant County, will sit on AFBF’s Women’s Leadership Committee. Scot Schwieterman, of Hamilton County, will represent Kansas on AFBF’s Young Farmers and Ranchers Committee.
At Tuesday’s delegate session, representatives from Kansas added language to AFBF’s policy book supporting the funding of the USDA’s National Bio and Agro-Defense Laboratory to address current and emergent threats.
