By Chris Kick
Brooke Beamesderfer is no stranger to public speaking. She has participated in multiple speaking events with the FFA, Penn State Extension 4-H and the Pennsylvania Fair Queen contest, for which she earned the title 2025 State Alternate.
Most recently, the agribusiness management student in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences competed in a different type of speaking contest — one that requires contestants to think and prepare their remarks on the spot.
Known as the Collegiate Farm Bureau Discussion Meet, the contest challenges participants to engage in active discussion on topics central to agriculture.
Beamesderfer, of Annville, finished in the final four in the nation during the American Farm Bureau Federation’s Young Farmers and Ranchers Leadership Conference, March 13-16, in Portland, Oregon, after winning the state contest in November.
Contestants are given five discussion topics in advance and must do their best to prepare for what might come up. But every discussion is different, and contestants must be ready for anything.
This year’s topics were urban sprawl, using technology to connect farmers with policymakers, farm succession planning, balancing environmental and financial sustainability, and making members more aware of Farm Bureau benefits.
Source : psu.edu