Farm Bureau Women’s Communications Boot Camp Graduates Hone Skills

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

The intensive four-day course completed by the agricultural leaders featured hands-on sessions related to public speaking, working with the media and messaging. Graduates will use their training in a variety of ways such as participating in local media opportunities to strategically support Farm Bureau’s policy work, sharing information with elected officials and joining social media campaigns that spotlight modern agriculture.

Photo info –

Row 1 (L to R) – Tiffany McConkie, Utah; Linda Pryor, North Carolina; Rachel Hyde, Indiana, Tara Luckie, Washington; and Jodi Morgan, Georgia.

Row 2 (L to R) – AFB Women’s Leadership Committee Chair Isabella Chism, Indiana; Lindie Huffman, Kentucky; Leslie Bauer, Maryland; Renee Keith, Mississippi; Amber C. Owens, Arizona; Brittany Scott, Arkansas; Ashley Kuhler, Virginia; Kelsey DeCloux, New York; Maggie Blankenship, West Virginia; Nancy Harris, Utah; Melanie Hendrix, Georgia; and AFB Women’s Leadership Committee Western Representative Shawn Wood, Arizona.

“Farm and ranch women are tremendous advocates for agriculture, always striving to find new and creative ways to share their stories in a broad range of settings,” said Isabella Chism, an Indiana row crop farmer and chair of the AFB Women’s Leadership Committee. “I’m excited to see how the women leaders who completed this training will use their skills to benefit their communities and Farm Bureau on the local, state and national level.”

Boot Camp graduates are Leslie Bauer, Maryland; Maggie Blankenship, West Virginia; Amber Cheatham Owens, Arizona; Kelsey DeCloux, New York; Nancy Harris, Utah; Tiffany McConkie, Utah; Melanie Hendrix, Georgia; Jodi Morgan, Georgia; Lindie Huffman, Kentucky; Rachel Hyde, Indiana; Renee Keith, Mississippi; Ashley Kuhler, Virginia; Tara Luckie, Washington; Linda Pryor, North Carolina; and Brittany Scott, Arkansas.

“AFBF is proud to offer this training twice each year, which affords women farmers and ranchers the opportunity to develop their agriculture advocacy skills,” said AFBF President Zippy Duvall. “I applaud our graduates as they strive to increase their engagement with both consumers and elected officials while also exploring new leadership roles.”

This is the 18th Boot Camp. The program has 269 graduates and is open to all women involved in Farm Bureau.

“Participating in Women’s Communications Boot Camp has been extremely helpful,” said Huffman, a 7th-generation farmer who raises beef cattle and grows hay in Kentucky. “This training will help me accomplish my personal mission to keep farmers farming and keep families fed.”

The American Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee, in partnership with AFBF staff, hosts and provides training for Women’s Communications Boot Camp. A fall session of Boot Camp will be held Oct. 16-19, 2023, with applications opening in June.

Photos from this event may be downloaded at https://fb.org/spring23bootcamp.