By Jamie Martin
The American Farm Bureau Federation has graduated twelve farm and ranch women leaders from its spring Women’s Communications Boot Camp. The program is designed to build leadership skills and strengthen agricultural advocacy.
“Women play a vital role in advancing agriculture through leadership and engagement,” said Isabella Chism, an Indiana row crop farmer and chair of the AFB Women’s Leadership Committee. “As Boot Camp graduates refine their communications skills, their impact will benefit their communities as well as Farm Bureau at the local, state and national level.”
The four-day training included hands-on sessions in public speaking, media interaction, and message development. Participants practiced real-life communication situations to better explain agriculture to people outside the farming community.
Graduates are encouraged to use their skills by engaging with local media, sharing accurate information with policymakers, and supporting social media campaigns that highlight modern farming and ranching.
Isabella Chism, chair of the AFB Women’s Leadership Committee, stated that effective communication helps women leaders play a stronger role in advancing agriculture and supporting Farm Bureau efforts.
The spring 2026 graduates are Kelsey Prothro and Margie Raimondo from Arkansas; LaDonna LaValle from Florida; Sherry Kenney from Louisiana; Jennifer Williams from Mississippi; Nicole Lujan from New Mexico; Michelle Patterson from North Carolina; Caitlyn Barton from Ohio; Mieke deJong from Oregon; Diann Bussell and Haley Brazel from Tennessee; and Natalie Fullmer from Utah.
“Farm Bureau women across the country continue to step up as advocates for agriculture,” said AFBF President Zippy Duvall. “We value their commitment to leadership and lifelong learning.”
This training marks the 24th Women’s Communications Boot Camp hosted by AFBF. The program now includes 353 graduates nationwide and remains open to all women involved with Farm Bureau.
“This training let us ‘put our boots to the ground’ through real-life scenarios that prepare us to effectively share with people outside of agriculture,” said graduate Haley Brazel, a farmer and Farm Bureau member in Tennessee who is also an analyst at her local USDA Farm Service Agency office.
The program is hosted twice a year by the American Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee in partnership with AFBF staff. Applications for the fall 2026 session open June 22.
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