Fairmont Hot Springs—Young farmers and ranchers are crucial to the future of food and fiber production. Events like the Montana Farm Bureau Summer Conference offer them a vital opportunity to learn new farming practices and network with peers from across the state.

Monday, June 9, was dedicated to YF&R Day, featuring insightful tours and a productive committee meeting. Participants explored the Montana State Prison Farm and the historic Grant-Kohrs Ranch. This marked the first MFBF Summer Conference for McCall Lammerding, a cattle rancher from Saco.

"I hadn't been to this side of the state for a Young Farmers and Ranchers Day, so I wanted to experience the conference as a whole," Lammerding shared. "I especially appreciated the tour of the Grant-Kohrs Ranch. It taught me how the harsh Montana winters of the late 1880s transformed ranching from simply letting cattle fend for themselves to requiring haying and winter feeding to prevent disastrous losses."

Lammerding's involvement extends beyond the YF&R Committee; he also serves on the MFBF Livestock Committee and attended meetings for the Public & Private Lands and Taxation Committees.

"Driving from Saco to western Montana to participate in this event was definitely worth the trip," the young rancher stated. "It's invaluable to attend this conference to meet people your own age and other ranchers statewide. I've realized Farm Bureau is a grassroots organization, and if you have concern, it's possible to get the ball rolling and work toward changes on that issue."

Vic Lewis, a young rancher from Lavina, found the prison farm tour particularly engaging. "I didn't realize the people who work there have so much freedom," Lewis commented. "It allows individuals to learn new skills. Our bus driver mentioned being able to get a CDL while incarcerated, which will help him in the job market after release. Plus, the variety of agriculture on the prison farm is impressive—from dairy and beef cattle to pheasants for future release and crop production."

MFBF YF&R Chair Nick Courville reported that their committee meeting covered a range of topics. These included planning for the upcoming Hoofin’ it for Hunger Race September 20 in Dillon and encouraging YF&R Districts to host an event before November.

"We started planning for our next YF&R Conference, which will take place next January in Great Falls," Courville explained. "We also discussed increasing YF&R member representation on the voting delegate floor by five percent during the Montana Farm Bureau Annual Convention in November. And, of course, we talked about Polaris dealers again generously donating a Polaris Ranger to the winner of our YF&R Discussion Meet."

When asked why young people should join this impactful group, Courville emphasized, "Farm Bureau is an excellent organization for building strong connections that will last as you age out of our committee. It also offers unique opportunities to tour places you normally wouldn't visit and learn about topics you might not typically consider, like precision agriculture. Attending the conference provides invaluable networking and allows you to stay in touch with other young farmers and ranchers."