Young Farmers Are Making Connections

Auburn, Ala.- Auburn University's branch of Young Farmers is going above and beyond for its members. From bi-weekly meetings to farm tours to discussion meets, Young Farmers have it all.

The club is a branch of the Alabama Young Farmers program, which is supported and established by ALFA Farmers. The program aims to build leadership skills, create understanding and awareness of agricultural issues, and give young farmers a voice in the largest farm organization in Alabama. Here at Auburn, our club is doing just that.

According to current Auburn Young Farmers President Gavin Rankins, "the Young Farmers Club has been a great experience for me." He says that during his time in Young Farmers, he has had the "opportunity to hear from members of the agriculture industry" that he will "cross paths with futuristically" in his career.

Gavin's experience is not exclusive. These same opportunities are given to all members, and interacting with actual industry representatives and other college students who share passions is a common occurrence within the organization.

Just around the corner, the organization has a discussion meeting that will help prepare students to play active roles in the industry. This event allows pre-decided topics surrounding the ag industry to enable members to learn how to analyze and solve vast agricultural issues.

At the upcoming Young Farmers competition, contestants are competing to win a prize and move on to the state competition, where they can have the chance to win even larger prizes. Opportunities like this open the door for students to expand their agricultural knowledge, network, and so much more.

However, the discussion meet event is not the only thing young farmers are doing for Auburn students. Just recently, the organization took a large group of students to the Sunbelt Ag Expo in Moultrie, Ga. While on this trip, students were able to meet with industry leaders, learn about various equipment, and take a look into the ever-expanding world of agriculture.

They also take multiple farm tours each year to give their members hands-on agricultural experience. Their bi-weekly meetings also allow their members to hear and interact with industry leaders and learn more about their future careers.

Along with all this, the club takes students to the Alabama Young Farmers Conference that occurs in late February each year. This super fun trip allows students to represent the college at the state level and gives them the tools to advocate for agriculture on a larger scale.

Here at Auburn, our Young Farmers chapter continues to grow and improve for the success of its members. It is so exciting to think about where this club could go next.

To learn more about the Auburn Young Farmers Chapter, follow this link: https://auburn.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/youngfarmers.