Leadership Training

Ag Leaders Institute

The Ag Leaders Institute prepares leaders for Farm Bureau, agriculture, and rural Iowa into the future. This is an opportunity for Farm Bureau members of all ages who care about the future of agriculture and want to make a positive impact, have the potential for providing exceptional leadership in their community, county, and state, and are interested in advancing in leadership positions within Farm Bureau and agriculture. Participants learn about the latest information and insights on issues important to agriculture, practice in developing the leadership skills needed to deal with issues critical to agriculture and leading change, and develop a statewide network of leaders in Farm Bureau and agriculture who are committed to the future of rural Iowa.

 The 2025 nomination period has closed. Nominations for the 2026 Ag Leaders Institute will open in June 2025, with applications due Friday, December 5, 2025.

 Each county can nominate an individual to apply for the program. Farm Bureau members nominated by their county will be sent applications to apply. Twenty-five to thirty individuals are selected to participate. The program includes four two-day sessions (January-March), a summer session (August), and a trip to Washington, D.C. (September).

Contact your county Farm Bureau president if you are interested in participating. Contact a past participant for more information about a program.

 County Leadership Conference

A County Leadership Conference is held annually, in conjunction with the Iowa Farm Bureau Annual Meeting each December, to set-up each county Farm Bureau’s presidents and vice presidents for a successful year in office. During the conference, county leaders are provided training to assist them in effectively leading their County Farm Bureau. This includes new ideas for projects and program work, honing their skills for involving leaders and volunteers, and networking with peers and IFBF staff. In addition to invite-only County Leadership Conference sessions, leaders are immersed in all other parts of the IFBF Annual Meeting. Contact your Regional Manager for more information.

County Board Training

On-demand custom county board training is available to county Farm Bureau boards. Topics include board roles & responsibilities, nominating committees & recruiting leaders, better board meetings, recruiting and working with volunteers, leadership/personality styles, goal setting, action planning, conflict resolution and dealing with change, and more. Contact your Regional Manager to schedule training for your County Board members.

 We also offer the County Leaders Manual, produced annually to equip county leaders with the knowledge and tools they need to effectively lead their county Farm Bureaus, as well as monthly County Board Discussion Sheets, which provide leadership tips and discussion topics designed to bring lively leadership discussions to your board meetings. For more information, please reach out to your Regional Manager.

Online Membership Training

Membership is foundational to Farm Bureau. One more member lets one more story be told. One more member allows for better representation in your community. One more member helps Iowa farmers. As a Farm Bureau leader, it is your charge to find that “one more member” every day.

Online membership training is available to support you in your membership campaign efforts. This self-guided tutorial will help you understand the steps in the process, make you more comfortable having conversations about membership and increase your success in getting others to join Farm Bureau.

 This interactive training will take you about 20 minutes and includes narration, so listen to it in a place where you can have the volume turned up.