2025 Farm Bureau committee leaders announced

Jan 03, 2025
By Farms.com

New appointments to strengthen farm advocacy

The American Farm Bureau Federation has announced its latest cadre of committee leaders set to take charge in March 2025, signaling a new era of leadership within the agricultural community.

AFBF President Zippy Duvall has welcomed the newly appointed members, tasked with spearheading the Farm Bureau’s Promotion & Education and Young Farmers & Ranchers committees.

Among those appointed to the P&E Committee are Amy Mitchell and Cindy Durheim, who bring diverse agricultural experiences from beef to crop farming.

Their roles are crucial in promoting agricultural understanding among the public. Meanwhile, seasoned members like Nate Schlief and Lynn Leahy will continue to offer their deep insights and steady guidance.

The YF&R Committee will also see new faces such as Cleveland Jackson and Rachel Duncan, who will focus on young farmer engagement and agricultural education.

This committee plays a key role in organizing major events and leading the impactful Harvest for All program, which aligns with Farm Bureau’s commitment to community service and agricultural advocacy.

The appointments reflect the Farm Bureau’s ongoing efforts to connect consumers with agriculture, fostering greater public appreciation for the farming community.

These leaders are chosen through a meticulous nomination process by state Farm Bureaus, ensuring a representation of diverse agricultural interests.

“Farm Bureau members care for their communities through engagement at every level of our organization,” emphasized Duvall, underlining the strategic importance of these committees in furthering the organization’s objectives.

For more information on these committees, visit the Farm Bureau’s Promotion & Education and Young Farmers & Ranchers web pages.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.