Louisville, KY (January 5, 2015) – Just a few weeks after concluding their own annual meeting, volunteer leaders from Kentucky Farm Bureau (KFB) are headed to the 96th annual convention of the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF), January 11-14 in San Diego, California. Approximately 315 KFB members are traveling to the Golden State to help shape Farm Bureau’s national policy agenda for 2015, learn about and discuss new trends in agriculture during several special interest conferences, explore the innovative agricultural technology, equipment, programs and services featured at AFBF’s IDEAg Trade Show, and compete for some of the country’s top agricultural honors in a variety of contests.

Set with a theme of “Tradition, Perseverance and Vision,” AFBF’s annual convention is anticipated to draw nearly 6,000 attendees from the 50 state Farm Bureaus and Puerto Rico. Keynote speakers at the convention include AFBF President Bob Stallman, comedian Jay Leno, U.S. Navy SEAL Commander Rorke Denver and U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsak.

Newly re-elected KFB President Mark Haney of Pulaski County will head Kentucky’s delegation, which includes 23 additional KFB volunteer leaders who will serve as voting delegates during the business session of the annual convention. They will join their counterparts from across the nation to discuss and adopt policies on key national issues. Kentucky’s priority issues include farm labor reform, environmental regulations and nuisance wildlife management.

“Developing sound policy and priority issues for our organization is the most important thing we do all year, and bringing those issues to our peers for national consideration during the AFBF convention is the final step of the process,” said Haney. “We bring a full voting delegation to ensure the concerns of Kentucky’s farmers are heard and included in the development of national priorities for 2015.”

Additionally, several of Kentucky’s state-level winners will vie for top honors against competitors from around the country. KFB will be represented in the Young Farmer & Rancher Achievement Award competition by Chris and Rebekah Pierce of Pulaski County, in the Excellence in Agriculture contest by Aaron and Melissa Miller of Hardin County, in the Discussion Meet by Cameron Edwards of Webster County, and in the County Activities of Excellence contest by Hardin County Farm Bureau – each identified as Kentucky’s state winners during the KFB annual meeting held in December.

Greg and Contessa Harris, KFB’s 2012 Excellence in Agriculture winners, will continue to serve as members of AFBF’s Young Farmer & Rancher Committee through 2015.

For additional information regarding the AFBF annual convention in San Diego, visit annualconvention.fb.org.