Jay Slater lives and works in Alcorn County, but it’s not unusual to find him back on his home place every chance he gets.

“This is where I grew up. It’s called Slater Flats,” he said. “Four generations have lived here, have lived in this house. You know, cattle producers. I don’t think anybody has been a full‑time farmer in the family for four generations, but we’ve always had cows and timber and lived in the country for sure.”

This is where Slater learned to appreciate the outdoors and all agriculture has to offer. He takes those lessons with him every day.

“Growing up out here, growing up in the country, you learn hard work, responsibility and that carried over in a lot of different aspects of life,” he said. “I always enjoyed the cows, being in the woods and being out here as much as I could.”

Even as a loan officer for Mississippi Land Bank, Slater said he leans on his knowledge of agriculture learned in school and on his family’s farm to do the best he can for his customers.

“When I go out to the fields and the woods, meet with these farmers and industry leaders, having that farm background really helps me discuss and understand their problems and their needs on a different level than somebody that doesn’t focus on ag full‑time would,” Slater said.

Slater felt a little under qualified to compete in the MFBF Young Farmers & Ranchers Discussion Meet. To prepare, he began talking to friends and colleagues he’s met over the years through the program. Farmers from all across Mississippi who work many different commodities helped update him on important topics facing agriculture today. And it worked…

“Friends, connections, colleagues that I had made from the Delta to the hills to the prairie to south Mississippi,” he said. “I mean, all those areas are influenced and impacted by the discussion meet topics. We know that in the back of our mind, but to really sit down and have some intentional conversations with people, see their perspectives and then compile that and be a spokesperson for agriculture and for the state of Mississippi is really something.”

From here, Slater looks forward to representing the state at the American Farm Bureau Federation Discussion Meet in January.

“It’s a real honor and privilege for me to be able to go to the annual convention and represent them to the best of my ability,” he said. “I just want to try to make the state proud and show the nation what we have in Mississippi.”