Developing the next generation of farmers was a key focus at the National Farmers Union annual convention in New Orleans. Minnesota Farmers Union Vice President Anne Schwagerl says the organization is making a strategic investment in young farmers and ranchers to prepare them for leadership roles in agriculture. “National Farmers Union sees the strategic value in investing in the next generation of family farmers and ranchers and is really working to create an organized structure to support that next generation of family farmers by giving them leadership and development opportunities through their programming.” Schwagerl, who farms near Browns Valley, Minnesota, says bringing young farmers together also helps build relationships and reinforces the importance of organizing around the shared challenges facing rural America. “When you’re living in a rural place and maybe you don’t know a whole lot of people, you can come to farmers union conventions and find that you’re not alone. Your struggles are our struggles.”
