Farm Bureau Honors 21st Women’s Communications Boot Camp Graduates

Fourteen farm and ranch women leaders graduated from the fall session of Women’s Communications Boot Camp hosted by the American Farm Bureau Federation.

The agricultural leaders completed an intensive four-day course that featured hands-on sessions focused on public speaking, working with the media and messaging. Program graduates will use their training to strategically support Farm Bureau’s priority issues. This includes participating in local media opportunities, sharing information with elected officials and joining social media campaigns that spotlight modern agriculture.

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Row 1 (L to R) – Suzanne Shea, Pennsylvania; Holly Harper, Tennessee; Leah Groves, California

Row 2 (L to R) – Lorenda Overman, vice chair, AFB Women’s Leadership Committee, North Carolina; Darcy Perehinys, New Jersey; Elizabeth Walker, Arkansas; Mindy Orschell, Indiana; Tonya Pennix, North Carolina; McKayla Robinette, North Carolina; Jennifer Greene, Florida; Isabella Chism, chair, AFB Women’s Leadership Committee, Indiana

Row 3 (L to R) – Elizabeth Cooper, Virginia; Megan Dresbach, Ohio; Kelly Wilcox, Arizona; Sally Turpin, Wisconsin; Ashley Reese, New Jersey

“Communicating effectively about agriculture is more important than ever,” said Isabella Chism, an Indiana row crop farmer and chair of the AFB Women’s Leadership Committee. “Boot Camp graduates have honed their skills and are ready to use them to benefit their communities and Farm Bureau on local, state and national levels.”

Boot Camp graduates are Elizabeth Walker, Arkansas; Kelly Wilcox, Arizona; Leah Groves, California; Jennifer Greene, Florida; Mindy Orschell, Indiana; Darcy Perehinys and Ashley Reese, New Jersey; Megan Dresbach, Ohio; Tonya Pennix and McKayla Robinette, North Carolina; Suzanne Shea, Pennsylvania; Holly Harper, Tennessee; Elizabeth Cooper, Virginia; and Sally Turpin, Wisconsin.

“Agricultural advocacy remains a cornerstone of Farm Bureau,” said AFBF President Zippy Duvall. “We’re proud to honor the farm and ranch leaders who completed this training and congratulate them for taking the next step in their leadership journey.”

This is the 21st Boot Camp hosted by AFBF. The program has 313 graduates and is open to all women involved in Farm Bureau.

“This training was exactly what I needed to refine the skills that I use both on and off the farm to successfully share farmers’ mental health needs,” said McKayla Robinette, a North Carolina beef cattle farmer who also coordinates the Farm and Stress Assistance Network-North Carolina. “The training and peer support provided helped me grow in a number of different areas.”

The American Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee, in partnership with AFBF staff, hosts and provides training for Women’s Communications Boot Camp biannually. Applications open in December for the 2025 spring session of Boot Camp.

Photos from this event may be downloaded here.