Delegates to the American Farm Bureau Federation's (AFBF) 2020 Annual Convention re-elected Scott VanderWal of Volga as Vice President of AFBF for another two-year term.

 

VanderWal is the president of South Dakota Farm Bureau (SDFB) and a third-generation corn and soybean farmer and cattle feeder.

 

Zippy Duvall of Georgia was also re-elected President of AFBF. Duvall and VanderWal were first elected in 2016.

 

Nick and Bekah Ihnen of Tulare, placed among the Top 10 contestants in the Young Farmer and Rancher (YF&R) Excellence in Agriculture Competition at the annual event that was held in Austin, Texas.

 

The Excellence in Agriculture competition recognizes young farmers and ranchers who do not derive the majority of their income from an agricultural operation, but who actively contribute and grow through their involvement in agriculture, their leadership ability and participation in Farm Bureau and other organizations.

 

Competing in the YF&R Discussion Meet Competition from South Dakota was Matt Smith of Hitchcock.

 

Voting delegates who represented SDFB at the policy session included Jeffery Gatzke of Hitchcock, Jerry Runia, Esteline, and Cindy Foster of Fulton.

 

Over 6,000 Farm Bureau members from across the country attended the annual convention. President Donald Trump spoke at the event on Sunday.  This is Trump's third appearance at the AFBF Annual Convention.

 

More information on South Dakota Farm Bureau can be found at www.sdfbf.org.