Members Motivated to “Step Up, Drive Forward” Following 2025 AFBF Convention
Mississippi Farm Bureau pride was on full display as nearly 140 members and staff converged on the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio, Texas to compete, network and conduct the business of our membership as Mississippi’s voice of agriculture. First time and experienced attendees alike enjoyed all the national convention had to offer.
“I’m saying being a first‑generation active Farm Bureau member and seeing what the membership does for everyone back home from the state level, we see that it’s pretty accessible,” said Jay Slater, MFBF Young Farmers and Ranchers Chair. “But at the national level with the Resolutions Meeting and what all this does when we all come together and be the voice of agriculture at the American Farm Bureau level, it’s a really cool process to see work.”
“One of things I’ve enjoyed the most is just the discussions with people from different states. I think it’s really important to because every state has a different culture,” said Jessica Graves Oktibbeha County member. “Every Farm Bureau from the county level to the state level has a different way of doing things. There’s nuances about every one of them and so, I think, it’s really cool to just be able to network and build some relationships with those.”
Mississippi Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers’ Competitors showed up and showed out as the Belks from LeFlore County and Pontotoc County’s Lorin Harvey each finished top 10 in their respective competitions.
“I can already tell we’ve met some people that we’re going to be in contact with and sharing ideas with and, you know, growing along the way from getting to know them,” said Adron Belk, MFBF Young Farmers and Ranchers Achievement Award winner.
“It’s a huge honor and we’re very humble by it. It’s been a wonderful experience and we’ve just enjoyed being here so much networking, making friends, and learning about there are so many diverse farms, which is really wonderful to hear and get ideas,” said Betsy Belk, MFBF Young Farmers and Ranchers Achievement Award winner.
“It was an honor to be here, and I owe a great deal of gratitude to Mississippi Farm Bureau for making that happen,” said Lorin Harvey, MFBF Young Farmers and Ranchers Excellence in Agriculture winner. “The outcome was a little bit disappointing, but I’m just really happy to be here, represent Mississippi Farm Bureau, represent the sweet potato industry, Mississippi State University.”
From the competitions, it was time to get down to business as the grassroots structure of Farm Bureau was on full display.
“Starts at a county Farm Bureau somewhere with somebody that has an issue, that says, hey, we need this addressed,” said MFBF President Mike McCormick.
Mississippi delegates are chosen each December at the state convention to be the voice of the full membership, a humbling process for two first time delegates.
“I’m new to all this. I’m enjoying it though. My eyes have been opened to a whole lot of the processes here. It’s very interesting.” said Joseph Davenport, Stone County member and voting delegate. “This far surpasses anything I expected from a grassroots effort of how things can go from small levels up to the national level. It’s very impressive, absolutely.”
“It is interesting to see how we can bring stuff from the county level from our constituents, you know, all the way to the state and then to watch the process as it rolls all the way up to here,” said Jeren Ferguson, Green County member and voting delegate.
President Mike McCormick says no other organization in the country does grassroots like Farm Bureau.
“It starts at the county level and it moves up to the state,” said McCormick. “It’s really where the rubber meets the road. You hear people talk about having a seat at the table. That’s where the seat at the table is.”
A special week concluded with a family get together at the historic Alamo plus a trip down the San Antonio River giving members the opportunity to fellowship as one Mississippi in downtown San Antonio, but also served as a reminder, Farm Bureau is about the people who make up the largest general farm organization, now and into the future.
“The biggest thing I take away from the week is just the scale of Farm Bureau. I mean, first, it’s massive but it’s such a diverse group of people from all over the country,” said Harvey. “So, it’s interesting to see how wide the reach is for Farm Bureau from Christmas tree producers to vineyards, row crops, and everything in between. It’s such a huge scale.”
“You definitely feel like you’re part of something bigger than yourself to where you’re trying to help the agriculture industry as a whole. Absolutely,” said Davenport.
“When you look at it from that perspective of how we come together as a collective was so absolutely, to go back and, one, maybe energize those in my own county but, in my role specifically, to encourage the young people to really step up,” said Graves. “I mean, they are the future and so it’s important to get them motivated and get them excited about Farm Bureau.”