The Barren River Leadership Conference consisted of leadership workshops, networking with FFA members from other chapters as well as industry leaders, and stakeholder engagement.
Initiative, responsibility and networking are all key traits of being a leader in the world. Kentucky FFA members are no stranger to these; its leaders are striving toward the future.
Located in southern Kentucky is the Barren River FFA Region. This year’s regional officer team wanted to start a brand-new event to help members develop their skills, so they created the Barren River Leadership Conference.
The conference consisted of three components: leadership workshops, networking with FFA members from other chapters as well as industry leaders, and stakeholder engagement. These components became the foundation for the conference.
The Barren River Leadership Conference consisted of leadership workshops, networking with FFA members from other chapters as well as industry leaders, and stakeholder engagement.
On the day of the event, members started with leadership workshops covering topics like networking with fellow members, an introduction to teamwork with the Kentucky FFA state officers, social media usage with Kentucky Farm Bureau and team building.
This conference was geared toward students in grades 7-11 and designed to help them learn about and apply for opportunities. Kentucky Farm Bureau promoted its summer agricultural event, the Institute for Future Agricultural Leaders (IFAL), and members participated in fun activities during each workshop to encourage them to take initiative to do more in the future.
The Barren River Leadership Conference consisted of leadership workshops, networking with FFA members from other chapters as well as industry leaders, and stakeholder engagement.
The Barren River Leadership Conference consisted of leadership workshops, networking with FFA members from other chapters as well as industry leaders, and stakeholder engagement.
Once all the members had gone through the workshops, they were given time for lunch. During this time, they could also meet with several industry leaders who came to network with them.
Participating industry leaders represented Kentucky Cattlemen’s Association, Kentucky Pork Producers, Western Kentucky University, Kentucky Farm Bureau and The Market KY. Their booths provided members with information about future opportunities available while they are in high school and after graduation.
The Barren River Leadership Conference consisted of leadership workshops, networking with FFA members from other chapters as well as industry leaders, and stakeholder engagement.
The Barren River Leadership Conference consisted of leadership workshops, networking with FFA members from other chapters as well as industry leaders, and stakeholder engagement.
Finally, stakeholders from the Barren River Region spoke to FFA members to close out the event. This included representatives from the Kentucky Department of Agriculture and the Barren County Judge Executive. These leaders spoke from personal experience, expressing their involvement in agriculture and how they got to where they are today.
The Barren River Leadership Conference consisted of leadership workshops, networking with FFA members from other chapters as well as industry leaders, and stakeholder engagement.
The first Barren River Region Leadership conference was a success, and its attendance included more than 100 members. The current regional officer team expressed that this would not be the last one they hold. “By far the best part of this year’s conference was seeing it come to life,” says Barren River Region President Matthew Estes.
Although the officers don’t have a date set for next year’s conference, they hope to host it again next year around the same time.
The Barren River Leadership Conference consisted of leadership workshops, networking with FFA members from other chapters as well as industry leaders, and stakeholder engagement.
