Kern County ag teacher wins YF&R Discussion Meet

By Christine Souza 

A teacher from Kern County earned top honors in the California Young Farmers & Ranchers Open Discussion Meet for his discussion on the tools available and programs needed to help young farmers and ranchers gain access to capital to start an agricultural business.

Timothy Collins, who teaches high school agricultural mechanics in Bakersfield and who said he hopes to farm in the future, emerged as the winner in the competition held at the California Farm Bureau’s 105th Annual Meeting in Reno, Nevada.

His discussion addressed the question: What tools are currently available, and what new programs could be introduced to help young people access financial resources and make sound financial decisions to run their farms and ranches?

The Open Discussion Meet featured YF&R participants from across the state. They advanced to the final competition from earlier rounds in which they were challenged to demonstrate their abilities in exchanging ideas and offering detailed opinions on important issues. The final round of the contest was moderated by 2022 Discussion Meet winner Trevor Airola of Calaveras County.

Cheyenne Erickson of Antioch in Contra Costa County was first runner-up in the contest. The other finalists were Daniel Jones of Dixon in Solano County and Lillian Smith of Wheatland in Yuba County.

In discussing the issue of starting in farming and purchasing property, Collins said, “There are a lot of nuances,” such as water availability and water rights.

“Coming in as a new farmer and not understanding water is going to make it almost impossible to be able to get into the industry, even if you do have some capital,” Collins said, adding that YF&Rs and Farm Bureau could partner to help new farmers navigate the complexities of starting a farming business.

As they seek financing, Collins said young farmers need help with writing grant applications, especially with the type of technical language that is necessary. He suggested that Farm Bureau help new farmers apply for grants and access funding through beginning farmer programs.

First runner-up Erickson, who works as a marketing coordinator at Mt. Diablo Resource Recovery, talked about a newly announced $575,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture that the California Bountiful Foundation received to start a mentoring program to help young farmers and ranchers. She said the program, Expanding Our Roots, “is going to partner Farm Bureau members who have been in operation for 10-plus years with those who are trying to start their business.”

Jones, who works as a crop insurance adjuster and raises cattle and farms tree crops and hay, said the new mentoring grant “pairs well with a system that’s already in place—California FarmLink—which is a program that connects retiring farmers with young and beginning folks looking to gain access to land and operating capital.”

Smith, who farms rice and almonds, spoke about the difficulties of being a first-time farmer.

“I’m a young farmer who’s experienced the struggle of trying to gain capital,” she said, suggesting that county Farm Bureaus partner with farm credit unions to educate young farmers on proper ways to fill out documents and how to create a proper working budget, which is required.

As a crop insurance adjuster, Jones said, “It’s imperative to have the necessary capital to not only carry forward with your operation but be able to have the vision for where you want your operation to grow as well.”

Most young people he has met who are seeking capital relied heavily on low-interest, government-backed loans, he said, and they visited a bank for secondary financing.

As the winner of the Open Discussion Meet, Collins earned $5,000. First runner-up Erickson received $1,000, and finalists Jones and Smith each received $500. The winner will represent California in the national contest held during the American Farm Bureau Federation annual conference, held Jan. 19-24, in Salt Lake City, Utah.

In the Collegiate Discussion Meet contest, Clayton Merrill, who majors in agricultural communications at California State University, Fresno, was named the winner of the contest. He earned $1,250 and will represent California in the national competition during the American Farm Bureau Federation’s YF&R Leadership Conference, held March 8-11, in Omaha, Nebraska.

During the collegiate contest, 13 YF&Rs from four colleges competed discussing a question on how Farm Bureau can address water management challenges and seek long-term solutions for farmers and ranchers. The contest was moderated by the 2022 Collegiate Discussion Meet winner, Brendan Black of Tulare County.

“Water is the single most important issue facing agriculture today,” said Merrill, who is from Santa Maria in Santa Barbara County. “Why, in 2023, are we still talking about this water challenge? In my opinion, the Farm Bureau has the capabilities to work with our producers and our state agencies to make sure that water is protected for agriculture in the future.”

Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, student Reagan Dahle of Bieber in Lassen County was awarded $750 as the first runner-up in the competition.

“This is my first time doing the discussion meet,” Dahle said. “It is a great time with great people, and I’m really fortunate to have the platform to be able to talk about the issues.”

Finalists in the contest each earned $500. They were: Emiliano Cisnejos Ruiz, who majors in agricultural communications and agricultural business at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, and Alonzo Vera, a natural resource major at Santa Rosa Junior College in Sonoma County. Ruiz is from Santa Maria in Santa Barbara County and Vera is from Occidental in Sonoma County. Fresno State won the collegiate team award, earning a $250 prize.

(Christine Souza is an assistant editor of Ag Alert. She may be contacted at csouza@cfbf.com.)