American Farm Bureau Federation members ventured to the tropics for their annual meeting, where they made decisions about the future of agriculture and learned about life in an important United States territory.

Their meeting, held earlier this winter in Puerto Rico, included a massive trade show along with an extensive set of speakers and presenters. Most participants found enough time to also see some of the sights in the San Juan area.

“It’s a great opportunity to network,” said Minnesota Farm Bureau Federation Vice President Carolyn Olson. “The speakers are a valuable part of it, and there’s also plenty of informal interaction on the trade show floor. We have friends from throughout the country that we only see at the annual Farm Bureau meetings.”

She enjoyed hearing from participants in Farm Bureau promotional activities such as the Young Farmer and Rancher contest and the agriculture innovations competition, which this past year included Ghent area farmer Brad Hennen as a finalist for his pig chute vaccination invention.

“Minnesota was very well represented,” Olson said. “All of the speakers have great ideas. They help to shape the future of farming.”

She said she also enjoyed the closing keynote address from Bert Jacons, co-founder of a major tee-shirt sales business and operator of a non-profit foundation.

Jacobs talked about he grew up with very little money, and how he and his brother got their start in business by selling T-shirts out of a van.

“He tells an inspiring story,” Olson said. “He talked about overcoming obstacles and finding the good in things. Much of what he said relates strongly to agriculture.”

The Farm Bureau meeting was one of the largest conventions ever held in Puerto Rico. Olson said it was a great location with plenty of hospitality.

“It exceeded my expectations,” she said. “The parts of San Juan we saw are very well kept. We enjoyed the slower pace than what we have in most of the United States. It was nice to relax during meals.”

Near the end of the conference she was a voting delegate for an all-day business meeting. She found that helping to make national decisions about Farm Bureau policies was valuable to her work as a Minnesota Farm Bureau Federation board member.

Karin Schaefer, who serves as Minnesota’s Farm Bureau Executive Director, said the annual meeting was successful both as a networking activity and as an opportunity to learn.

She added that it provides a yearly way to bring together Farm Bureau leaders from all part of the United States for a chance to exchange information. Input from all locations helps in setting national priorities.

“The participants have many different backgrounds,” she said. “We share a commitment to the farm sector and a goal to work on behalf of all farmers. The annual meeting helps to build on that.”

She said Puerto Rico provided an opportunity to see firsthand an important side of agriculture in the United States, one that many people never experience.

“I was impressed with the quality of our speakers and with the facilities,,” Schaefer said. “We learned how Puerto Rico is valuable to American agriculture. Its long growing season makes it an important place for crop development.”