Summer Leadership Conference: Cultivating Friendships, Elevating Membership, Innovative Programs
As the saying goes, “a high tide raises all boats.” Good thing the 2025 Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation’s Summer Leadership conference took place on the Mississippi Gulf Coast with the goal of the week to cultivate friendships, elevate membership, and innovate programs taking agriculture and Farm Bureau to the next level.
“There’s a lot of laughter. There’s a lot of love in this conference, in the room,” said Smith County Farm Bureau Secretary, Caitlin Valentine. “It’s very encouraging to see that other women are encouraging one another when it comes to Farm Bureau and doing their job.”
“You get to use this moment to network, to bounce ideas off of each other. On the State Women’s Leadership Council, we’re able to choose our speakers, choose the event, and kind of help our women in that networking and building those relationships,” said Jennifer Williams, State Women’s Leadership Committee member.
The unsung heroes in agriculture and Farm Bureau are the women who work to grow not just the crops and livestock, but the minds in the classroom and membership in the county Farm Bureau offices across the state. The first sessions were just for them…from inspirational adventurers to hard working ranch owners, and good natured, laugh out loud comedians.
“I didn’t come from a commodity, from a farming background,” said Marion County Farm Bureau Secretary, Donna Fortenberry. “So, it helped me learn what Farm Bureau did, what it does, and to connect with our board members first of all and with our clients, you know, to help get them more involved and to see what their farming life is like, what they go through.”
“Women have the greatest ideas. So just being able to see what works for them in schools and instead of going in and trying to implement something that might be new,” said Sabrina Mauldin, State Women’s Leadership Committee member. “I’m just not one that would want to recreate the wheel when I can just maybe oil the wheel a little bit and then take great things that have already been proven and then making those better.”
Then, it was on to the younger generation of agriculturalists. Each year, Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation cultivates the future of agriculture leadership with over $200 thousand in scholarships. Farm Bureau members are proud to recognize several of these students over the summer before they head back to school.
“Growing up on a 12‑house poultry farm, Farm Bureau has been a household name just as long as I can remember, said Grant Goree, Scholarship recipient from Scott County. “We stay involved with county meetings and stuff like that. So getting a scholarship, it feels good to kind of give back to an organization that’s gave us so much.”
Lessie Vickers: “I have a twin sister who is also in college and then a brother who is college age,: said Lessie Vickers, scholarship recipient from Clay County. “So, it’s hard for my parents to, you know, make it work for all of us and so it’s a big help with that.”
“It makes me really happy to think that I like held myself up to a good manner that many years for that big of an organization to trust me with a scholarship,” said Hayden Barnett, scholarship recipient from Calhoun County.
And many of these students hope to give back to their rural communities through an agriculture related field once they graduate.
“This scholarship helps me tremendously, especially with my goal of being a rural mixed animal veterinarian,” said Caroline Chapman, scholarship recipient from Tippah County. School is very expensive and I’m going to have to go for a very long time. So, I’m so thankful to win this scholarship.”
“I’m wanting to come back to my hometown and provide veterinary care for the future, not only that but to help reach my goal, which is to provide calves to the less fortunate families in 4‑H in my region and just give them an opportunity to partake in the 4‑H Showmanship Contest,” said Caycen Ratliff, scholarship recipient from Stone County.
“I had a really good Ag teacher going through high school and everything. He really showed me like there’s more than just like doing, like there’s more than farming and livestock and everything, like Ag in the Classroom,” said Sadie Morris, scholarship recipient from Panola County. “He’s a Ag teacher, and so I’m gonna put that scholarship toward my education of being an Ag teacher one day.”
“It really means a lot to me that I won because I like agriculture. I like working outside in the field and it like can possibly help me give back,” said Timbresha Burrell, scholarship recipient from Claiborne County
Whether you’re an employee, volunteer, full time farmer, or working towards a future in farming, this week was full of information and inspiration participants could take with them back to the office, the field, or the classroom to elevate the largest general farm organization in the state even higher.
“It’s just about making friends that become family and being able to have that network of people you can communicate with,” said Mauldiin. “Then it’s good to be able to come back to conventions like this and reconnect and see how your families have grown, how your family has expand. It’s just a great place to be.”