Stay Informed

The Young Farmers & Ag Professionals Discussion Meet isn’t your average competition.

According to four members who have reached the contest’s final four, keeping that in mind is important if you want to do well.

“It’s really a conversation,” said Grace Moster, who reached the final four in 2020.

In a series of interviews, the four contestants – Moster, Kent Burton, Mason Gordon and Amanda Mosiman – provided a number of tips and tricks to help new contestants succeed:

Grace Moster, Franklin County

• Dress professionally. Even if you’re competing virtually, it can help your confidence level to wear something you feel confident in.
• Set up your camera at least a half hour before the competition starts so that you can make adjustments and accustom yourself to how you look on camera.
• Become familiar with Farm Bureau.
• Don’t get too worried if you find yourself competing with people older than you. “My first year, everyone was 5 to 10 years older because I was only 20 years old,” she said. But it’s those varying perspectives that make for a good discussion.

Kent Burton, Fulton County

• It’s important to keep in mind that it’s a discussion, not a debate, so you have to keep things cordial and friendly.
• Be sure to take notes during the discussion because it’s important to incorporate your thoughts and those of other participants into the points you make during the discussion and in your closing remarks.
• While your closing remarks will be partly determined by the discussion, it’s also a good idea to plan just a few key points ahead of time.
• Be sure to read up on and refer to Farm Bureau policy, and then find a way to tie that to real world experience.

Mason Gordon, Rush County

• For quiet people especially, remember that the point of the contest is to contribute to the conversation. You’ve got to talk. You can’t be afraid to jump in.
• Try to bring into the conversation the people who haven’t contributed as much.
• Become knowledgeable about Farm Bureau. “I had no idea what an associate member was,” he said.
• For virtual rounds, practice in the location where you’re going to compete.
• Also for virtual rounds, be aware of your hands, which can be distracting, particularly if they go in and out of frame.

Amanda Mosiman, Warrick County

• While collecting information and outlining talking points ahead of time is important, just as important is developing an action plan in the moment and working with those who are with you at the table.
• The point of the discussion meet is to find action items – concrete actions that Farm Bureau can take. “It’s not so much a competition as an action committee,” she said.
• The closing statement is key. It has to bring together the points you made in your opening statement with the points made in the course of the discussion.
• For virtual rounds, make sure that your mic is high quality, and minimize distractions. She added that she thinks there might be value in standing up, at least for the opening statement.