Free Virtual American Farm Bureau Federation Convention

The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) will be holding their annual convention January 10-13, 2021 virtually this year and registration is free. "We are excited to open the doors of this event and to bring home high-quality content our attendees have come to expect from our events, " said AFBF Zippy Duvall. It was a few years ago I was able to attend the AFBF national convention and it was quite an experience.

It is not every day you have an opportunity to hear some of the speakers that have been lined up for the AFBF convention. Land-O-Lakes President and CEO Beth Ford will talk about hot topics and issues facing agriculture today with AFBF President Zippy Duvall. Navy seal Commander Rorke T. Denver will also be speaking. Commander Denver has run all phases of training for the Navy SEALs and led special forces missions to international hot spots all over the world.

There is one more speaker that I have heard before and would enjoy hearing again. That is Mike Rowe who is best known form his TV series Dirty Jobs. Rowe spoke a number of years ago at the National FFA Convention in Louisville. The Media Room where we were meeting area FFA members was close to the main stage. While waiting for more FFA members to stop by we could listen to Rowe speak to the main delegate session.

After the session Rowe was back-stage right next to the Media Room signing autographs and talking to a lot of FFA members in wheelchairs. He spent more than 45 minutes with these kids. I am quite certain he did not have to spend all that extra time with these FFA members but he did and appeared to enjoy it.

I am sure that it has happened to you too, when you find out someone famous that you liked to watch on TV or listen to on the radio is not a nice person "in real life.'" Watching Rowe spend all that time with those FFA members in wheelchairs sure indicated to me he is a nice person. In case you are wondering, I did not go and ask him for an autograph. The convention was all about the FFA members and it was their time!