Thriving Rural Businesses and Communities a Priority for Kansas Farm Bureau Leader

With a particular passion for rural vitality, Kansas Farm Bureau member Jackie Mundt continually seeks opportunities to share her passion for agriculture and the people, infrastructure and economic development on which thriving rural communities are built.

Mundt, who won first place in the national Young Farmers and Ranchers Discussion Meet at the American Farm Bureau’s Annual Convention in 2019, is the communications and marketing manager for Kanza Cooperative Association. She grew up on a dairy farm in Wisconsin and now lives on her significant other’s family farm in Pratt County. The family grows irrigated and dry-land crops and raises cattle.

Mundt said she taps into the skills she honed competing in the Discussion Meet, first at the state level, then at the AFBF Convention, every day.

“It’s okay to disagree. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion,” she explained. “Discussion Meet teaches people to disagree civilly, share opinions and be open to other people’s perspectives.”

Mundt is very involved with Farm Bureau, on both the county and state levels. She’s just coming off of her second two-year term on the Pratt County Farm Bureau board of directors; the county limits board members to two consecutive two-year terms.

She also recently served on a task force assessing the Kansas Farm Bureau’s Voters Organized to Elect Farm Bureau Friends Political Action Committee, more commonly known as Vote FBF.

“We looked at the PAC’s relevancy and how to connect political advocacy to people. We thought about how to better prepare our members to be engaged, as well as how to make it easier for them to do so,” Mundt said, emphasizing how important support from farmers and ranchers is to candidates.

In her work with 4-H, FFA and as a Collegiate Farm Bureau advisor, Mundt serves as an unofficial Farm Bureau ambassador.

“I hope along the way they’ll realize Farm Bureau is cool,” she said.

Underpinning Mundt’s professional and volunteer efforts is her passion for strong, healthy rural communities, starting with her own.

Pratt County is a place people want to live because the residents have invested in their community, drawing businesses like large retail stores, a hospital and a movie theater, according to Mundt. County residents also have access to robust professional services – attorneys, doctors and teachers.

“I believe that if you want to have a good life, you need a healthy community,” Mundt said.

For Mundt, health encompasses not only the well-being of her neighbors, but also solid economic development, access to a variety of amenities, residents committed to investing in the community and the financial solvency of the businesses and government in the community.

As Discussion Meet winner, Mundt received a new Ford truck, courtesy of Ford. Ford is generously sponsoring the 2021 national YF&R competitions, providing new Ford trucks to the winners of the Achievement Award, Discussion Meet and Excellence in Agriculture competitions.