Youth Leaders Learn Agriculture at SC Farm Bureau Conference
Newberry, SC – Forty rising high school juniors and seniors from across South Carolina recently participated in the South Carolina Farm Bureau Federation’s (SCFB) 2017 Youth Leadership Conference in Newberry, SC.
The conference, held on the Campus of Newberry College June 11-14, allowed students to gain valuable leadership skills and a better understanding of SC agriculture.
“Our Youth Leadership Conference, sponsored by the SCFB Women’s Leadership program, allows students to explore opportunities within agriculture while developing their skills to be leaders in the industry,” said Vonne Knight, SCFB Ag Literacy Director.
The conference operates on a two-year curriculum cycle where students learn about agricultural marketing and promotion one year and about government relations and agricultural advocacy the next. This year’s conference focused on marketing agricultural commodities in South Carolina.
2017 SCFB Youth Ambassador Brandon Myer said, “Youth Leadership Conference is a great way to meet people from all across South Carolina who share a passion for agriculture. We were able to build leadership skills while expanding our network and agricultural knowledge.”
Students were addressed by industry professionals on leadership, team building and goal setting. Opening session speaker Rokeem Williams motivated the students to follow their dreams. Eric Rowels, President and CEO of Leading to Change, engaged participants in leadership activities essential for students to develop personally and professionally. Dr. Tom Dobbins, Director of Clemson Cooperative Extension encouraged students to set goals and follow through with them. Students also learned about personality traits from Lynn Adcox of True Colors, and heard from Ashley Merrick, program specialist for Mothers against Drunk Driving.
Students traveled to Clemson University to learn about the Clemson Cooperative Extension system and the agricultural research and development taking place at the state’s largest land grant university. Mike Echols, supervisor of Clemson athletic grounds, hosted the group on the fields of both the Doug Kingsmore Baseball Stadium and Memorial Football Stadium for a lesson on turfgrass management. Dr. Lance Beecher, aquaculture and fisheries specialist, took students into his greenhouses to learn about aquaculture. Carra Eisenbies, program coordinator and assistant farm manager at the Clemson University Equine Center, showed students around the equine facilities. The Newberry County Young Farmers and Ranchers also hosted their annual Ag Olympics competition for the conference attendees.
“The organization serves more than 100,000 member families in 47 chapters and has been around since 1944. Persons interested in supporting agricultural education are encouraged to contact their county Farm Bureau office or the South Carolina Farm Bureau Federation at www.scfb.org for additional information.