MFBF Staff, county directors and committee members attended the 6-day conference in San Antonio, TX

L to R: James Cooper, Heather (Bonanno) Baker, Heidi Cooper (and children), Devon Smolak, Taylor Tower, Karen Schwalbe, Ed Davidian, Meg Gennings, Robin Boyer, Mark Amato, Meg Riley, Hope Healy; (not shown, Ryan MacKay)

MFBF Vice President and owner of Lilac Hedge Farm, Ryan MacKay, was named Chair of the AFBF Young Farmers & Ranchers Committee.

The AFBF P&E Committee conducted a session on how to engage with consumers in local communities and states. Attendees were able to hear stories from AFBF committee members about their own experiences hosting events involving individuals without any connection to or knowledge of agriculture. We learned the framework for an impactful “Ask a Farmer” event and showcased the updated Field to Fork experience.

Shown: Heidi Cooper, Vice Chair of the AFBF P&E committee and Worcester County Farm Bureau member.

National Program Committees

Amy Jo Estes of Missouri and Heidi Cooper of Massachusetts were elected chair and vice chair, respectively, of the Promotion & Education Committee. Both will serve one-year terms.

Ryan MacKay of Massachusetts was elected chair of the Young Farmers & Ranchers Committee for a one-year term. Daniel Jones of California was elected vice chair and Allison Whiten of South Carolina was elected secretary. They will each serve one-year terms. The new YF&R officers begin serving in March at the end of the FUSION Conference.

Read the full story about the AFBF 2025 Annual Conference: https://www.fb.org/news-release/american-farm-bureau-establishes-2025-policies