The Montana Farm Bureau 2021 Summer Conference offers a range of topics from property rights to tax issues, range management to helping your rural community thrive. Keynote speakers Governor Greg Gianforte and Michelle Miller (better known as the Farm Babe) will provide essential information on legislation and ag advocacy. The conference, held June 7-9 in Great Falls, is a time when the 10 issues advisory committees hold meetings to discuss current agricultural issues, surface ideas for policy development and hear pertinent speakers.

With a successful legislative session in the books, Tuesday lunch speaker Governor Gianforte will talk about the wins for agriculture, as well as future plans for the state. Michelle Miller, better known as the Farm Babe, is an internationally recognized speaker and an online influencer as a full-time advocate for agriculture.

In addition to the issues advisory committee meetings, three general informational workshops will be held:

Consumer Engagement will drill down into more details on how to be a successful, with recognized advocate for agriculture, Farm Babe leading the way. The dedicated “mythbuster” in food and farming, with more than 200,000 followers, will cover how Farm Bureau members can make themselves successfully heard.

Legally Speaking will feature Hertha Lund of Lund Law and William Trachman, Mountain States Legal Foundation. Trachman will cover the first few months of the Biden administration and its positions on property rights issues and natural sources questions as well as discuss his experiences working in the Trump Administration for U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos.

Collaborative Conversations features Kelly Beevers of Topos & Anthros and Chris King of Winnett Aces, who will cover community-based collaborations and conversations, talking about how being uncomfortable helps achieve big things. They will share about the process of gathering together to create shared solutions, attain collective goals and redefine collaboration even when it is difficult.

In addition to the workshops and issues advisory committee meetings, the Young Farmer & Rancher, Policy Development, Program and Education and Women’s Leadership Committees meet to plan for 2021. The YF&R Committee is holding a farm and ranch tour for any interested young farmer or rancher Monday afternoon, June 7.

Conference attendees have the choice Wednesday to choose between a “Farm to Plate” tour or the Montana Farm Bureau Foundation Golf Scramble.

For more information or to register, click here or call 406-587-3153.