My name is Cody Shick. I currently live in Choteau, Montana, and claim both Forsyth and Laurel as my hometowns. Following graduation from Montana State University in 2018, I’ve been fortunate to have found a fulfilling career in the Molson Coors Barley Program as the Montana regional manager. My connection with Farm Bureau started in September of 2015, when I joined the collegiate Young Farmer and Rancher club at Montana State. 

Past participants in the ACE program have continuously talked about how valuable their experiences in ACE were. It seemed like an excellent way to find deeper involvement within Farm Bureau and gain real-world ideas on how to add value to my community. Montana Farm Bureau staff find phenomenal in-person speakers who show the class tangible examples of how to help support rural communities.  

My goal is to stay consistently involved in my county farm bureau, whether that be to hold office or add value to meetings and events.  

A current issue I think is critically important to agriculture is that water resources on agricultural land are being impacted by urban sprawl. Like other states in the mountain west, such as Colorado and Idaho, Montana is seeing folks move to the state for a slower pace and better quality of life. Much of this new development is taking place on or near very productive irrigated farms and ranches. As houses and golf courses are built, it will be vital to ensure that agriculture has a seat at the table as water resources become more limited. ACE has shown how our state legislature works at a deeper level, and I’ve been impressed by the impact that the Montana Farm Bureau government affairs staff has in Helena.  

ACE has shown our class many tangible examples of how anyone can positively impact their counties and communities. It will be important to start with small things, like being a good recruiter for our county farm bureau, and look to find meaningful ways to add value to the overall community.  

There is no one who understands agricultural issues like the folks directly involved in production agriculture. Learning how to communicate issues clearly and effectively takes practice, and ACE is a great program to hone those skills.