Mississippi Farm Bureau Summer Leadership Conference Focuses on Growing the Next Generation of Leaders

From county volunteers and young farmers to longtime board members and committee leaders, hundreds of Farm Bureau members gathered on the Mississippi Gulf Coast with a common purpose: building stronger leaders for agriculture’s future.

The three-day event centered on the theme “Mississippi Farmers First” and reinforced a message that strong leadership remains essential as agriculture faces new challenges and opportunities. In his welcome message to attendees, Mississippi Farm Bureau President Mike McCormick encouraged members to take advantage of every opportunity to learn, build relationships, and share ideas.

“I think we’ve had a great crowd and a lot of enthusiasm, even in a down farming year,” said McCormick. “They wanted to come down and participate in Farm Bureau events just to give back to the organization.”

McCormick said leadership development begins when members choose to get involved.

“It’s an old saying that the world will run by those that take a seat at the table,” McCormick said. “Farm Bureau’s got a big table with a lot of seats, so if they’re coming to these events, they’re staying connected with the membership, they’re taking the learning opportunities to grow for themselves, leadership abilities, and things for their own farm that makes them better ranch managers and row crop farmers.”

For North Mississippi Vice President, Terry Norwood, leadership development must be a continuous effort throughout the organization.

“We, at all times, need to be working with our young people, with our ladies, with any of our Farm Bureau members, and especially our boards,” Norwood said. “We need to challenge them to be better leaders.”

Norwood said conferences like this one provide opportunities to prepare members for larger leadership roles while ensuring agriculture’s story continues to be told.

“We’ve got a story that needs to be told, and there’s not anybody going to show up and do it for us,” Norwood said.

But there’s not just one way to cultivate leaders according to South Mississippi Vice President Jeff Easterling.

“In growing our leaders, I’ve always been a person that says lead by example,” Easterling said. “When we use the term homegrown, it just hits a little differently. Same thing in leadership. Being able to mold the upcoming generation and have them come in and take the reins one day and continue to take this on in a good way with a proper foundation.”

Easterling also noted conferences like this one are great settings to build relationships beyond their local communities.

“Nothing beats networking and fellowship,” Easterling said.

He added that leadership often requires members to step beyond their comfort zones.

“We’ve got to teach people that even if it’s just one-to-one, we want you to be out there talking about the importance of agriculture,” Easterling said.

Women’s Leadership Conference participants experienced that same emphasis on relationship-building and advocacy.

“As a State Women’s Leadership Committee member, we’ve really enjoyed the opportunity to gather, to bounce ideas off each other and hear from speakers that can educate us on advocacy and how we can join in that,” said Jennifer Williams, MFBF State Women’s Leadership Committee member.

Williams said the conference creates opportunities for leaders across Mississippi, whether young or experienced farmers, no matter your connection to Farm Bureau, to grow as one voice for agriculture.

“We’re looking for leaders. This is a leadership conference,” Williams said.

For newer members such as Cheyenne Stewart Weaver of Madison County, the conference offered practical tools and encouragement to become a stronger advocate for agriculture.

“In our county especially, I saw a lack of younger generation stepping up and doing things, and I needed to be a voice and a picture for that and to let other younger people know that they can also stand up and use their voice for agriculture,” Weaver said.

Her experience reflects one of the conference’s core goals: helping members recognize that leadership is not limited to elected positions but includes everyday advocacy and engagement on behalf of agriculture, like Forrest County Farm Bureau membership secretary Cindy Hill.

“I’ve attended every one since I have been employed with Farm Bureau. And I love it,” said Hill.  “It’s very great because you get those connections. You’re not alone in it, you know, and you learn so much from each other.”

But no matter where you live, what your farm or how you serve the message is clear…Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation is about putting Mississippi’s farmers first.