YF&R Discussion Meet competition still on tap at Montana Farm Bureau

Press release

The Montana Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers Discussion Meet, a highlight of the MFBF Annual Convention, will take place next week, but with several changes.

With the cancellation of the 2020 Montana Farm Bureau Convention in Billings due to COVID-19 restrictions in Yellowstone County, a new plan was devised to still encourage participation in the YF&R Discussion Meet. The Discussion Meet, which is open to Farm Bureau members age 18-35, is meant to simulate a committee meeting with ideas discussed and solutions developed.

Originally, the Discussion Meet would have taken place at the Montana Farm Bureau Convention Nov. 10; however, a virtual competition will take place at 4:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 8 with the top four contestants participating in an in-person event at the Montana Farm Bureau office Thursday, Nov. 12.

“When the convention was cancelled, the YF&R Committee discussed how we could still have a safe Discussion Meet and decided to host a virtual Discussion Meet for round one, and an in-person competition for the Final Four,” YF&R Committee Chair J.M. Peck said. “Throughout the pandemic, farmers and ranchers have still been working every day, so it made sense to strive to still have this competition. We had a lot of people who wanted to participate, so we thought it was important to keep the discussion going about important topics in agriculture.”

The winner of the 2020 YF&R Discussion Meet receives a Ranger® Side by Side UTV, thanks to the generous sponsorship of selected Montana Polaris dealers. This is the sixth consecutive year that Montana Polaris dealers have donated a UTV to the competition.

“It’s awesome to have Polaris understand the value of continuing their amazing support of young farmers and ranchers, even with the changes in our convention,” Peck said.

Not only does the winner of the 2020 MFBF YF&R Discussion Meet go home with a Polaris Ranger, but they will be eligible to compete at the national competition, which is now virtual. The top four competitors of the YF&R Discussion Meet will receive a new Ford vehicle for first place; a Case IH Farmall 50A Tractor for second place; a CASE IH 40-inch Roll Cabinet and Top Chest along with $500 Case IH parts card, $2500 Investing in Your Future Cash Prize, courtesy American Farm Bureau Insurance Services, Inc. and $1,850 of Stanley Black & Decker merchandise for third place, and a Case IH 40-Inch Combination Roll Cabinet & Top Chest, and a $500 Case IH Parts Card.

The deadline to sign up for the MFBF Discussion Meet is Thursday, Nov. 5. For more information on the 2020 MFBF YF&R Discussion Meet and to view the 2020 Discussion Meet questions, visit http:www.mfbf.org/programs/young-farmers-ranchers  or contact Sue Ann Streufert, 406-587-3153, [email protected].