American Farm Bureau Virtual Convention waives registration fees

The lineup of featured speakers including Mike Rowe, Rorke Denver and Beth Ford

The American Farm Bureau Federation opened registration for the 2021 American Farm Bureau Virtual Convention and unveiled the lineup of featured speakers including Mike Rowe, Rorke Denver and Beth Ford.

The AFB Virtual Convention will be held Jan. 10-13, 2021, and for the first time ever, registration fees are being waived to give all Farm Bureau members and anyone interested in agriculture the opportunity to experience one of agriculture’s premier events from the comfort and safety of home.

“We are excited to open up the doors of this event and to bring home the high-quality content our attendees have come to expect from our events,” AFBF President Zippy Duvall said. “Our featured speakers this year are no strangers to Farm Bureau. We are honored to have Mike Rowe, Rorke Denver and Beth Ford join us as we reflect on this unique year and press on, stronger together, for agriculture and our rural communities.”

Best known for his hit TV series Dirty Jobs and most recently his show Returning the Favor featuring people making a difference in their communities, Mike Rowe will join the AFB Virtual Convention as our special guest for a fireside chat in the closing general session. As the country’s leading advocate for skilled labor and the CEO of the mikeroweWORKS Foundation, Rowe seeks to debunk myths and misperceptions about blue-collar jobs. His foundation has granted millions of dollars in scholarships to help close the skills gap.

Land O’ Lakes President and CEO Beth Ford will join AFBF President Zippy Duvall to discuss hot topics and issues facing agriculture today. A native of Sioux City, Iowa, Ford is a passionate advocate for farmers and rural America and is committed to connecting consumers to the farmers and rural communities who grow their food. Ford was recently recognized by Fortune Magazine as one of the World’s 50 Greatest Leaders and Most Powerful Women. Under her leadership, Land O’Lakes, Inc. will soon join AFBF in the century club in 2021, when it celebrates 100 years as a farmer-owned cooperative.

The AFB Virtual Convention will also feature an inspirational and entertaining keynote address from Navy Seal Commander Rorke T. Denver. Commander Denver has run every phase of training for the U.S. Navy SEALs and led special-forces missions in the Middle East, Africa, Latin America, and other international hot spots. He starred in the hit film Act of Valor, which is based on true SEAL adventures, and shares his personal story in his New York Times bestseller, Damn Few: Making the Modern SEAL Warrior. He is the founder of Ever Onward, a fresh, new brand designed to use Navy SEAL principles to call leaders to action, to be bold so they can perform at their highest levels.

This open invitation is a rare opportunity to attend the American Farm Bureau convention free of charge simply by registering. Registration will provide access to live sessions as well as special on demand programs focused on hot topics in agriculture. Featured live events include:

• AFBF President Zippy Duvall’s annual address
• Ag Innovation Challenge
• Young Farmers & Ranchers competitions
• Foundation Night In, featuring soon-to-be-announced musical performances
• Workshops focused on what farmers and ranchers need to know in 2021

Workshop topics range from the future of the livestock industry to financial planning for disasters and from standing up for agriculture with effective advocacy to sustainability in 2021 and what it will mean for farmers and ranchers.

View the full agenda here and register for free here (registration required).