Adair County High School senior and Adair County FFA President Riley Yarberry recently traveled to Kentucky Farm Bureau’s Institute for Future Agricultural Leaders, commonly referred to as IFAL, for a leadership conference.
Two identical IFAL conferences were held this summer, with one at Murray State University from June 9 through 13 and the other at University of Kentucky from June 23 through 27. MSU had 47 students attend while UK saw 43, including Yarberry. Overall, 90 students attended IFAL this year. County Farm Bureaus sponsor one person per county to go, and Yarberry applied and was selected to represent Adair County.
IFAL is, as Yarberry describes it, focused on helping its attendees become the best leaders possible. While there, Yarberry attended numerous trainings and workshops to enhance her leadership skills—skills that she says will come in handy as she prepares for tenure as FFA President.
The Institute for Future Agricultural Leaders also serves as an introduction to college life for those entering their senior year of high school. Yarberry plans to attend UK after graduation for a degree in animal science, so traveling there for IFAL allowed her to get a sense of the state-of-the-art technology that UK has access to and acquire a feel for the campus.
Throughout her time at IFAL, Yarberry’s leadership trainings and workshops were designed to give her and the others in attendance a deeper understanding of the modern agriculture industry. Yarberry was already well aware of agriculture—she grew up on a farm, raising her own beef cattle for market. The experience, she says, played a strong role in her decision to become a large animal veterinarian. What IFAL provided was insight into the science of agriculture and farming, and the political processes which influence agricultural policy.
Above all, Yarberry most valued her time at IFAL for the connections she made. Several of those involved with managing the program this year went to IFAL when they were in school and maintain close friendships with their fellow attendees to this day. Making friends herself at the convention was one of Yarberry’s favorite aspects. She also got to meet several people who may be her pre-veterinary professors when she attends college next fall.
“Any junior needs to apply,” Yarberry said in her endorsement of the Institute for Future Agricultural Leaders convention. “You meet a lot of people you wouldn’t.”
By Kenley Godby
kenley@adairvoice.com
