Cache County dairy farmer wins Utah Farm Bureau Discussion Meet

SANDY – Mike Gibbons of Lewiston, Utah won the Utah Farm Bureau Young Farmer and Rancher Discussion Meet. The competition was concluded at the recent Utah Farm Bureau Annual Convention in Layton and is considered a top honor for young farmers and ranchers in Utah.

The Discussion Meet contest is designed to simulate a committee meeting where discussion and active participation are expected from each participant. This competition is evaluated on an exchange of ideas and information on a pre-determined topic. The judges are looking for the contestant that offers constructive criticism, cooperation, and communication while analyzing agricultural problems and developing solutions.

The competitors talked on topics such as how to develop a fair and reasonable regulation reform; the challenges youth face working on farms safely; how agriculture can drive economic growth; how farmers and ranchers can become better leaders in their industry and society; and other issues.

Mike and his wife Kallie live, farm, and work in Lewiston with their four children. Together, they work on Mike’s family’s 500-cow dairy and raise forage crops, growing primarily alfalfa hay and corn. Their children now make up the 5th generation of their family to work the farm.

Gibbons, representing the Cache County Farm Bureau, competed with more than 24 other contestants from around the state in the competition. For winning the competition, Mike received a plaque, a $500 check from General Motors, a 2013 Polaris Trailboss ATV courtesy of IFA, and an expense-paid trip to the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) annual meeting in San Antonio, Texas.

Gibbons will compete at the American Farm Bureau Discussion Meet against Discussion Meet winners from across the nation during its annual convention in January. National winners of the Discussion Meet have their choice of either a Chevy Silverado or GMC Sierra Truck, courtesy of General Motors.

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