LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Students from around the state have had a chance to learn leadership skills this summer, first through the FFA State Convention, then the Kentucky Farm Bureau’s (KFB) Institute for Future Agricultural Leaders (IFAL).

Dozens of high school juniors accepted the invitation to be part of the IFAL, which was held in two locations last month just after the conclusion of the convention. The KFB described the leadership training as a unique five-day summer leadership conference that highlights a variety of careers in agriculture while exposing high school students to a preview of college life.

KFB President Mark Haney said the agency has long emphasized the importance of ag-based youth development programs.

“IFAL has been a part of our organization’s strategy to meet that need for the past 27 years,” he said. “Some of our participants will go on to pursue careers directly in the field of agriculture, others will work in areas that support the industry, but all will leave our program with a better understanding of what it means to be a farmer in today’s society.

“We are ultimately giving these students the opportunity to make an informed decision about a promising career in agriculture.”

Stacy Lowe, director of KFB’s Young Farmer program, said there were 101 applications for the two IFAL locations this year. One school is held at Murray State University, the other at the University of Kentucky. Those participants are each nominated by their county Farm Bureau board of directors, with the assistance of school personnel and youth group advisors.

“The program encourages high school students to develop leadership skills and prepare for the college life after high school,” she said. “It’s an agriculture-based program, so when we work with the universities, we work with the agriculture departments.

Throughout the week-long curriculum, it is all ag-based – we do ag tours, we try to better their leadership though ag activities.”

KFB noted the students involved in the program are among the top in their classes, plan to further their education at the post-secondary level and have an interest in pursing a career in agriculture. Lowe said each week-long event is filled with projects that make the students think and gives them a chance to learn about things, that they might not otherwise have had.

She also said the institute is important because it encourages the students to stay in the agriculture industry and gives them an opportunity to see other areas of the discipline in addition to the farm – such as agronomy, ag education and agribusiness.

“It lets these students see what’s available that they may not know of, and how they can still contribute to the agriculture industry,” Lowe said.  “And it’s critical we keep these kids in the industry.”

While the students are knowledgeable about agriculture, as nearly everyone attending this year’s institutes is an FFA member, the program gives them a chance to learn about ag subjects they may not have thought of as being related to agriculture.

“They may not know about the different careers related to agriculture and (the program) gives them that link,” said Lowe.

Students involved in the institutes not only learn new things about agriculture, they get a chance to interact with college professors and get a real taste of a college setting. Likewise, it becomes a good recruitment tool for these instructors to bring new students into their classrooms and encourage them to stay in the ag industry.