Where Mississippi Meets the Nation: Voices, Vision, and Momentum at the 2026 American Farm Bureau Convention
Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation, over 130 members strong, arrived on the West Coast carrying something more meaningful than matching badges and state pride. They brought stories — of family farms, fragile markets, young leaders, and deep‑rooted commitment — all converging at the 2026 American Farm Bureau Federation Convention.
From first‑time delegates to Young Farmers and Ranchers competitors, Mississippi’s members stepped into the national spotlight as contributors to the conversations shaping American agriculture.
Fourth in the Nation — and Still Learning
Garrett and Kortney Gaddy of Copiah County walked away from Anaheim with a fourth‑place finish in the AFBF Excellence in Ag Competition.
“I’m thankful to share our story on the American Farm Bureau stage. To be number four in the nation — it feels really good.”
The competition wasn’t just about public speaking or presentations. It was a chance to exchange ideas with peers from across the country.
“We spent a lot of time talking to competitors from other states,” Kortney said. “We can learn from each other.”
Their YF&R involvement helped them grow comfortable with the uncomfortable — the lights, the questions, and the vulnerability of storytelling.
“It’s nerve‑wracking to get up there and talk about yourself,” she admitted. “But it gets easier as we get involved and talk about Farm Bureau and Mississippi Farm Bureau.”
A First Trip, and a New Perspective on Policy
For Russell Cauthen, Madison County Farm Bureau president and a long‑time crop consultant, the national convention revealed an entirely new dimension of Farm Bureau’s reach.
“It’s been enlightening to see how the process works,” he said, reflecting on his first trip to AFBF.
“My county as well as our state are trying to push for policy that helps our producers in Mississippi. They’re in a very big struggle at the moment.”
Cauthen knows those struggles intimately. He’s in the fields walking through tough decisions with growers who are fighting narrowing margins.
“We all know crop prices have gotten to the point that expenses outweigh production,” he said. “I see the struggles farmers are facing, and I want to do whatever I can to help them.”
Young Leadership Steps Into the Spotlight
As a delegate and competitor, Hayden West of Greene County brought the energy and curiosity of a young leader who’d spent years preparing for this moment.
“I was happy to get the opportunity to be a delegate because I’d never seen it all the way through,” West said. “It’s cool to see something come out of my county or the next county over and come all the way to California — all the way to a national policy book that goes to Washington, D.C.”
For West, who has been deeply involved in his county Farm Bureau, Greene County, the Young Farmers & Ranchers program, and now as a first year state board member, stepping into national policy discussion wasn’t just an educational opportunity. It was a sign of “what might come next.”
Guiding Mississippi’s Delegation Forward
Mississippi Farm Bureau President,Mike McCormick has seen countless policy cycles and still speaks about the importance of the AFBF business session.
“It’s where the rubber meets the road,” he said. “American Farm Bureau is where Congress goes to get their talking points and their mission of supporting farmers.”
Mississippi sent ten delegates this year — ten voices representing a state that depends on agriculture not just as an industry but as its heartbeat.
“Our farmers are depending on us more than ever,” McCormick said. “Every time we get a chance to come together as a collective voice, speaking loudly as one, we’re much more effective.”
To him, part of that power comes from continually bringing in new people — fresh perspectives, young families, and members experiencing Farm Bureau at the national level for the first time like Cauthen and the West and Gaddy families.
By the time Mississippi’s delegation left for home, Anaheim had given them more than a convention itinerary. It offered perspective and connection.
From seasoned leaders to first‑time competitors, from the row crops of Madison County to the cattle pastures of Greene County, each member carried a piece of the state with them.
Mississippi showed up in Anaheim not just in numbers, but in heart, grit, and unwavering dedication to the people who grow America’s food.