Tag Archives: young farmers and ranchers

From Hospital Halls to Farm Fields: Haley Scruggs Honored for Excellence in Agriculture

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Macon, GA |

For Haley Scruggs, life is anything but ordinary. By day, she’s a nurse practitioner specializing in vascular surgery—working long shifts, saving lives, and navigating the nonstop pace of hospital life. But when the scrubs come off, she steps into a very different role: fourth-generation farmer.

“Our farm is over a hundred years old,” said Scruggs. “We grow Christmas trees—choose and cut Christmas trees—pecans, and coastal Bermuda hay. But when I’m not here, I’m a nurse practitioner. So that is my full-time job. And this is my second full-time job. So, it keeps us very, very busy.”

That contrast—between the sterile hospital halls and the quiet beauty of the farm—is exactly what Scruggs says keeps her grounded.

“This is such a great way to just become grounded because that hospital can get very crazy and become very stressful,” she explained. “When you’re trying to save lives all day and handle patients’ situations, it is so nice to be able to come out and literally enjoy what God has given us and spend time on the farm with my family.”

Her unique story recently earned her top honors as the Georgia Farm Bureau’s Young Farmers & Ranchers Excellence in Agriculture Award winner—recognition she says left her nearly speechless.

“Honestly, I was completely speechless,” said Scruggs. “Tears filled my eyes. I could not have been more excited. This is such a tough competition. And any competition with Farm Bureau—when you make it to the top level—you’re not competing with someone they just drug off the street. These are very top competitors, who are all extremely active in agriculture and are passionate about what they do.”

That passion—both for healing and for growing—is what sets Scruggs apart and helps connect two very different communities that she says often don’t understand each other.

“People at the hospital see a nurse practitioner. They don’t see someone in agriculture,” she said. “They don’t understand everything else I’m doing behind the scenes and how we’re involved in the community with our farm. Same thing with people on the farm—they don’t understand that we actually all work full-time jobs. So I think with that award, it is very important to show people both in and out of agriculture how you can become involved in the community.”

That sense of community is what first drew her to Farm Bureau’s Young Farmers & Ranchers program—and what keeps her coming back.

“What an incredible experience the Young Farmer and Rancher program has been,” Scruggs said. “A lot of times you think farmers are old and there’s no one out there you can really reach out to. But that’s completely wrong. There are so many young farmers and ranchers from across the state. It’s absolutely incredible to know that you have that support out there with people who are your age—some a little older, some a little younger.”

Whether in a hospital gown or work boots, Scruggs proves that passion and purpose can thrive in more than one field—and that the line between healing people and feeding them is not as far apart as it seems.

By: Damon Jones

Rooted in Family, Rising in Leadership: Kylie Sizemore Wins GFB Discussion Meet

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Carnesville, GA |

Before the spotlight. Before the pressure of judges’ questions. There was simply home.

For Kylie Sizemore, that home was a family farm where agriculture wasn’t just a topic of conversation—it was a way of life. From an early age, she was surrounded by the rhythms and values of rural living: hard work, patience, and responsibility. And guiding her through it all was a strong support system of family members who saw her potential long before she stepped into any arena.

“I would say that my dad probably encouraged me the most when it came to agriculture and encouraging me to get involved in FFA,” Kylie said. “My older sister showed pigs, so of course I wanted to be like her and I wanted to show pigs, and that was really my start—showing pigs in 4-H. Then once I went to middle school, I showed pigs in FFA and became more involved doing leadership development events, LDEs, and career development events, CDEs. And that really is where I got my start in agriculture.”

That start paved the way for Kylie to compete in—and win—the 2025 Georgia Farm Bureau Young Farmers & Ranchers Discussion Meet, a competition that rewards not confrontation, but collaboration. But her journey to the state title was years in the making, and her family played a central role in every step.

“My family’s always encouraged me to be actively involved and just shoot for a hundred percent no matter what I’m doing,” she said. “I can remember in sixth grade I wanted to do meat judging in FFA and I started it and I didn’t like it, but my mom and dad were like, you can’t quit. Even with Discussion Meet and being involved in Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers, and the women’s committee here in my local Franklin County Farm Bureau chapter—it’s my family that has encouraged me to do more and be the best that I can be.”

That encouragement followed her all the way to this year’s state convention in Jekyll Island, where she decided to give the Discussion Meet another shot after taking a break for a few years.

“I love being a part of active conversation and I love getting to meet and mingle with new people,” she said. “I hadn’t been [to convention] the past couple years, and Discussion Meet is a great thing to do while I’m there. So I was just ready to get into it again.”

And while the competition may be solo on paper, Kylie is quick to point out it was very much a team effort—especially with her husband Willie by her side. A former Discussion Meet winner himself, Willie offered encouragement, coaching, and the occasional push when Kylie needed it most.

“Willie said, ‘It’s time for you to do Discussion Meet again and we’re gonna try to win.’ And I said, ‘We? We are gonna try to win?’” she laughed. “But it really was a team effort. As a question was drawn, we would go back to the room or go to a restaurant and talk about the topic. He would 100% help me prepare.”

Now, with the state title under her belt, Kylie’s eyes are set on the next challenge: competing on the national stage and continuing to serve as a voice for Georgia agriculture.

By: Ray D’Alessio

Georgia Young Farmers & Ranchers Head to D.C. | Advocating for Ag’s Future on Capitol Hill

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Washington D.C. |

Providing leadership development, educational opportunities, and social networking are the cornerstones for the GFB Young Farmers and Ranchers program. And that is best exemplified by their annual trip up to Washington DC, where the next generation of farmers get plenty of all three.

“So, I definitely think it’s important and they need to hear from the younger generation so we are not getting silenced. You know, we’re up here, we’re caring about our operations just as much as the older generation. Then, also, to network with other young farmers around our state that we don’t really necessarily get to do back home; this trip takes us away from the operation, to be able to do that and build those networking opportunities,” says Allie Andrews, GFB YF&R Chair.

While young farmers might question just how much of an impact, they can really have on government policies, the answer is, in fact, quite a bit.

“They have a tremendous voice, and they have a lot of advantages when you think about it; built in institutional advantages. There are agriculture committees in both the Senate and the House. I mean, other industries don’t have that. We know agriculture is in every state. So, every senator cares about agriculture. Most of the members of the House, whether they have a lot of ag or a little know about ag,” says David Salmonsen, AFBF Senior Director of Government Affairs.

That’s why this trip up to DC is so meaningful each and every year. As lawmakers get a first-hand account of just how much federal policies are affecting the next generation of farmers in Georgia.

“We’re bringing our stories up here, to the representatives, to the senators. We’re bringing our industry to their office door and letting them understand what we’re struggling with and what they can do on their side of things to help us out,” says Andrews.

“There is nobody better than people who are actually in the industry, in agriculture, to come to DC, meet the people here. Explain what’s going on. Farmers tell their stories best and a lot of what’s going on by people who don’t understand agriculture don’t even think about how it might impact agriculture. Our senators and representatives, they love to hear from voters. Voters have the best stories. That’s who they really want to hear from,” says Salmonsen.

And not just any voters, but specifically those who have a long-term stake in what kind of decisions are being made affecting the ag industry.

“Our young people can say what you do now, I’ll be living with the rest of my life, or I’ll be operating in a business environment that you are impacting for the rest of my life. Whether it’s positive or negative, you’re imposing costs that are going to affect me as I’m trying to be a successful farmer or a rancher. So, I think it’s great to hear from them,” says Salmonsen.

So, between the educational sessions, meeting with lawmakers and creating new friendships, this annual trip is truly a unique experience.

“It’s awesome. I make new friends every time we get to come. I’m so thankful that this is my second year in a row getting to come. So, that opportunity in itself and I’m coming with a whole new group. So, I’m really excited about the new kids that have come up and then the middle-aged young farmers that are here as well to represent,” says Andrews.

By: Damon Jones

Georgia’s YF&R Competitors Compete in San Antonio

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San Antonio, GA |

Some of Georgia’s brightest in the world of agriculture were on hand here in San Antonio to compete in this year’s YF&R Competitive events. The journey to get here hasn’t been an easy one, but nonetheless, they’ve been in great hands preparing for this moment.

“We’ve got several practices that we’ve had with discussion meet in particular, we’ve talked to several people that have done the competition before, several state winners that have competed on a national level before. They’ve given some good insight to how it actually runs here. As far as the other, achievement and excellence, it’s really just been working through presentations, making sure that their applications are finalized, ready to go, and making sure that they feel comfortable with the questions that they potentially will be asked. We’ve done a few practices for them as well, again, just trying to make sure that we’re attacking this from every angle,” says Levi Davis, GFB YF&R Program Coordinator.

For discussion meet competitor, Cain Thurmond of Jackson County, competing in Texas at the national level is a task he took very seriously, spending the last few weeks, months even, preparing by doing what he does best: having conversations.

“I think the preparation process was a really good experiment because it forced me to have the conversations that I need to be having anyway. So reaching out to not only my County Farm Bureau, but meeting with people within the state and then reaching beyond that, maybe some Farm Bureau members of the past or Farm Bureau people that should be Farm Bureau members and asking them questions about how are we doing, what more can we be doing? What are the challenges on your farm? And so the preparation process was long and arduous, and I’m glad to finally get here to use some of that preparation and put it to work, but I just believe in being prepared no matter what, and so I wanted to be overly prepared, better to be overly prepared and not prepared at all,” says Cain Thurmond, YF&R Discussion Meet Competitor.

For Kaitlyn and Kaleb Marchant of Oglethorpe County, competitors in this year’s Excellence in Agriculture competition, being here in San Antonio is a testament to preparation that has been years in the making, and of course a support system of fellow GFB members that have encouraged them along the way.

“The great thing about this contest is that it’s really just an opportunity for us to share the work that we’ve already done on the front end. So the tough part was the last five or six years of being really actively involved and building up our resume, getting here and just being able to share that and tell that story is really, honestly been kind of the easy and fun part, and we just surround ourself good people. So we came from a really strong YF&R committee that was really cohesive and worked really well together, and our local farm bureau really supported us and anything we wanted to do, and they kind of pushed us along and encouraged us to step out of our comfort zones,” says Kaleb & Kaitlyn Marchant, Excellence in Agriculture Competitors.

In the end, Thurmond advanced his way to the final four round, but ended the competition just shy of the grand prize, coming in second place, however he’s still thrilled with the result and the experience that came with it and says he’s ready to get to work to make a difference back in Georgia.

“Every round we mentioned grassroots and so I’m really excited to kind of get off the stage and get into the grassroots to dig in in Jackson County to make a difference and to do that and everything that I can to ensure that future generations can enjoy agriculture there,” says Thurmond.

By: John Holcomb

Kaleb & Kaitlyn Marchant: Passionate Advocates for Georgia Agriculture

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Athens, GA |

Few couples embody the spirit of Georgia Farm Bureau’s Young Farmers and Ranchers program more than Kaleb and Kaitlyn Marchant. Currently serving as the fourth district’s representative on the YF&R committee, each have dedicated their lives to advancing the industry here in Georgia. And for that reason, they were recently named this year’s Excellence in Agriculture winners.

“We were very excited. It was a goal that Kaleb and I have had for several years that we had been working towards. We’ve been really invested in the Young Farmers and Ranchers program for ten or twelve years now. So, to see that kind of pan out into that recognition was really rewarding,” says Kaitlyn Marchant.

“We have a passion for agriculture. I know a lot of people say that, but we really had a passion, and we are ingrained in this industry, and we just feel really glad that we were able to receive this award,” says Kaleb Marchant.

Both Kaleb and Kaitlyn developed their passion for agriculture at an early age growing up around family farms. And it’s a something they are hoping to pass down through Ag education.

“Both Kaleb and I did grow up in families who had been involved in production agriculture, but we didn’t have that opportunity necessarily to inherit or take over those operations, both of us kind of went into careers where we could make sure that those opportunities were still available for future generations,” says Kaitlyn.

Kaitlyn, who is also the 2019 GFB Young Farmers and Ranchers discussion meet winner, spent her first twelve years in the classroom as a teacher and recently took on a new role as the North Region ag education coordinator.

“Being in the classroom, I really enjoyed getting to work with students who were passionate about agriculture, and as I’ve transitioned to working with the Department of Education, it’s been being that support person for Ag educators because I did that job for so long and kind of understood some of the struggles and the challenges that are faced by Ag education in the state. Being able to work to promote that on the state level on the government level for teachers has been really rewarding,” says Kaitlyn.

Kaleb is now the farm manager at UGA’s Double Bridges Farm beef and sheep unit, where he not only trains the next generation of large animal vets, but also oversees some cutting-edge research.

“I help assist with hands on learning for students who want to be veterinarians primarily, and also students who want to get into farming. We also do research on beef cattle and a little bit on sheep where we’re looking at different types of feed ingredients and methane production that they do and different grazing experiments as well,” says Kaleb.

Thanks to educators like the Marchants, agriculture has a bright future here in Georgia.

“I feel like in my role as an agriculture educator, and in the work that Kaleb has done working with the University and in research, we’re really working to promote the industry and make sure the industry stays viable in Georgia for many years to come,” says Kaitlyn.

By: Damon Jones

GFB Young Farmers and Ranchers Gather for Summer Leadership Conference

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Jekyll Island, GA |

There was plenty of fellowship, learning, and friendly competition this year on Jekyll Island as Georgia Farm Bureau held its annual Young Farmer and Rancher Summer Leadership Conference – an event that aims to engage like-minded members by giving them the community and confidence they need to advocate and protect the state’s ag industry back home.

“What we hope when people come and experience summer leadership conference is that they really, number one, gain confidence, confidence to advocate for agriculture and for the industry, confidence to be successful in their operations or in their jobs, but also, more than anything, we want them to gain community. We want them to find fellow members that are like minded. Sometimes agriculture can be really challenging. It’s a challenging field and so having those people that they can call and lean on, that are going through similar life stages and things in life is just really helpful,” says Breanna Berry, GFB Leadership Programs Coordinator.

The importance of the yearly event can’t be overstated, as Berry says this event is tailored specifically with GFB’s young farmers and ranchers in mind.

“It’s one of the few opportunities that these members have to get off of the farm and get together and network with each other, meet each other, but also hopefully take valuable information that they’ve gained from breakout sessions or keynote speakers, or just sitting down at the dinner table with fellow members back to their operation, back to their homes and communities and implement those,” says Berry.

Of course, no conference would be complete without a theme, and this year, that theme was “Digging in”, which describes the passion and grit producers have for the ag industry and the opportunities a conference like this one can offer them.

“I think it was best expressed by our speaker yesterday, Joey Jones, but what he spoke about during that, presentation was about responsibility. I think that that’s a great way to describe digging in, because we have to dig in in our communities, our counties, on our farms or on our ranches, and figure out what those responsibilities are that we need to do each and every day to be successful in our operations. So, I think the conference really embodies that. It’s a challenge for us to dig in and figure out what it is that we’re going to take home, to employ, to make our operations better, to take that responsibility that we have and producing food and fiber for our growing world,” says Cleve Jackson, State YF&R Chair.

As stated, the conference also offers educational opportunities, one of which is the important component of the YF&R program and organization as a whole; advocacy, in which members got to hear why staying engaged with elected officials is crucial.

“One of the big things we talked about today with advocacy was not only advocating to other farmers that are in your community and explaining the importance to them of getting out and voting, but also advocating in the more traditional sense to elected officials. Elected officials this time of year are on the campaign trail, they’re out and getting out and seeing constituents, and they’re very active this time of year. They’re hosting a lot of events and we encourage our folks to do is to get out and take those opportunities for these public meetings, take the opportunity to get out to these candidate forums and these fundraisers and things like that, and really get in front of their elected officials,” says Adam Belflower, GFB Governmental Affairs Specialist.

By: John Holcomb