
Collegiate Discussion Meet
Amy Jentges, a student at UW-River Falls, was selected the winner of the Wisconsin Farm Bureau’s Collegiate Discussion Meet contest.
Jentges is a junior at UW-River Falls studying Agricultural Education. She grew up in Ozaukee County on her family’s dairy farm and has showed dairy and livestock at the local and state levels. Jentges was active in 4-H and FFA, holding many leadership roles including 2023-2024 Wisconsin FFA Secretary. She has worked as a Farm Camp Counselor at Roden Barnyard Adventures LLC since 2019. Amy is passionate about hands-on learning and is dedicated to fostering agricultural literacy and student success as a future agricultural educator.
The Collegiate Discussion Meet is a panel discussion. In this collegiate members are judged on their ability to lead a committee discussion on current issues affecting agriculture. Also, to develop consensus on an action plan to effectively address issues.
By participating, members build basic discussion skills, develop a keen understanding of important agricultural issues and explore how groups can pool knowledge to reach a consensus and solve problems.
Jentges will receive a $1,500 scholarship courtesy of GROWMARK, Inc., will represent Wisconsin in the national Collegiate Discussion Meet. This will be held in conjunction with the American Farm Bureau FUSION Conference in Denver, Colorado. She will also be a guest of WFBF at the 2025 YFA Conference.
Other finalists included Dafney Yates from UW-River Falls, Brandon Boyd and Samuel Mell from UW-Madison, and Carter Conderman and Isabelle McReath from UW-Platteville.
YFA Discussion Meet
Kallie Jo Coates of Racine County was selected the winner of the 2024 Wisconsin Farm Bureau Young Farmer and Agriculturist Discussion Meet.
The Discussion Meet is a panel discussion in which Farm Bureau members between the ages of 18 and 35 are judged on their ability to express their ideas and opinions and reach a solution on current issues affecting agriculture.
Coates works for Harry Hansen Meat Service and is a marketing freelancer with Briar Marketing. Her and her husband, Devin, own Coates Farm. There, they raise 150 laying hens in addition to corn and forage crops. She graduated from UW-Platteville with a degree in agricultural education. She then received her masters degree in agricultural communications from Texas Tech.
Coates will represent Wisconsin during the American Farm Bureau Annual Convention in January. She will receive $1,500 courtesy of GROWMARK, Inc., is eligible to participate in the 2025 YFA Washington, D.C. Fly-In and will be a guest of WFBF at the 2025 YFA Conference.
Other finalists included Isaac Christensen of Polk-Burnett Farm Bureau, Stephanie Hoff of Dane County and Collin Weltzien of Buffalo County.
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