Breaking Old Habits: Modern Strategies for Promoting Farm Bureau

In an organization that is over 100 years old, we must think proactively and forge new paths for the future. In this session, we will discuss opportunities and strategies to break out of old habits, expand the reach of Farm Bureau and engage with new audiences.

Speakers:

Vaughn Willoughby

Vaughn Willoughby is the president of Alamance County Farm Bureau and has proudly served on the NC Farm Bureau State Board of Directors. He also serves on the Ornamental Horticulture Advisory Committee for NC Farm Bureau.

A graduate of NC State University in horticulture, he operated a landscape contracting business for 35 years. He owns and operates Pritchett Farms Nurseries along with his in laws. They produce nursery stock and greenhouse flowers and vegetable plants for wholesale and retail sales. The nursery is part of a working 200-acre farm growing soybeans, wheat and hay. In addition to the crops, they have a small cow-calf heard of beef cattle.

Vaughn is married to Amy Pritchett Willoughby and have two wonderful and talented children: Heather W. Morton and George V Willoughby.

Emily Schaapman

Emily Schaapman, 29, is a Pennsylvania dairy girl who now resides in Newberry, Florida with her husband and golden retriever. She is the owner and founder of Dairy Girl Fitness, an online personal training business and community.

She grew up very involved in youth dairy organizations through her family's show herd, Linden-Loch Holsteins. And along with her love for the dairy industry, Emily spent the rest of her free time playing an array of sports year round. This is where her passions for dairy and health came from, helping her form the idea for Dairy Girl Fitness.

Dairy Girl Fitness was created in 2018 as Emily's way to show others that you don't need to cut dairy and other animal products out of your diet to be “healthy.” She wants to continue to encourage women to make their health a priority, and show that it doesn't have to be extreme, miserable or confusing. Emily continuously strives to have Dairy Girl Fitness represent a strong, confident, and hardworking group of women.

Austin Large

Austin Large joined the American Farm Bureau Federation Leadership, Education & Engagement department as the Senior Director, Membership & Organization Development in September 2021. Austin came to Farm Bureau from the Texas FFA Association where he served as the Executive Director. There, he provided strategic leadership to the 138,000-member youth organization focused on education, training, and development of future agricultural leaders. Prior to Texas FFA, Austin served as an Education Specialist for the National FFA Organization and was also a high school agricultural science teacher. Originally from California, Austin received his B.S. in Agriculture from California State University, Chico and M.S. in Agriculture and Consumer Resources from Tarleton State University.

As the AFBF Senior Director of Membership and Organization Development, Austin will develop resources and tools to support state Farm Bureaus in marketing membership and recruiting members, support state field staff development and provide consulting support to state Farm Bureaus with fewer than 10,000 members.