Four Montcalm Community College students competed in the Michigan Farm Bureau (MFB) Collegiate Discussion Meet at DeVos Place in Grand Rapids on Nov. 30. The Discussion Meet is designed to replicate a committee meeting where participants explore an agricultural topic and ways to address it.

Olivia Cain of Sparta, Emily German of Lowell, Tanner Carr of Morley, and Dylan Knauf of Cedar Springs attended the meet and competed in the two opening rounds.

“The Discussion Meet brought out a new skill set that we haven’t really touched on yet – discussion, public speaking and presentation skills,” Knauf said. “These skills are important to our major and something we don’t often work on besides giving presentations. The whole experience was great.”

In the opening round, the question was, “Due to current economic demands, many farmers and ranchers spend a lot of time outside the ‘fence rows’ on off-farm jobs. How can Farm Bureau become more accessible and welcoming to members who are working in related fields and juggling responsibilities on and off the farm?”

In the second round, the question was, “Advancements in autonomous equipment and drone technology offer solutions to challenges farmers and ranchers have faced for years. How can Farm Bureau improve access to, and help farmers and ranchers deploy, these emerging technologies on their operations?”

In each round, the participants deliver an opening statement in response to the question, which is followed by a thoughtful discussion by all contestants. At the end of the discussion, they are given the opportunity to sum up their view by delivering a closing statement.

German talked about some of the challenges of the competition.

“Public speaking was challenging and not knowing what you were going into,” German said. “We did have the questions ahead of time so we could prepare, but we didn’t know what to expect really.”

Carr said the enthusiasm of the participants kept the conversation lively.

“It was tough to get a chance to speak at times,” Carr said. “There were five to six people discussing a question at once, and it was hard to find the right time to interject with your thoughts.

“The professionalism of it all was great to experience,” he added. “A lot of people think farmers are just dirty people that are out working in fields 24/7, but everyone was extremely professional and put together.”

Media contact:
Shelly Springborn
Director of Communications and Public Relations
shellys@montcalm.edu
989-560-0833