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March 29, 2024 7:06 am
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Local Farmer/Rancher Attends Women’s Leadership Seminar

Moapa Valley Progress

Local resident Lacey Sproul-Tom met with Congressman Cresent Hardy to discuss public lands issues during the Women’s Leadership Communication Boot Camp which he attended in Washington DC earlier this month.
Local resident Lacey Sproul-Tom met with Congressman Cresent Hardy to discuss public lands issues during the Women’s Leadership Communication Boot Camp which he attended in Washington DC earlier this month.

Be authentic. Be you. Tell your story.
These were the underlying themes for the Women’s Leadership Communication Boot Camp sponsored by the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF).

Lacey Sproul-Tom of Moapa Valley applied for the opportunity to attend the Boot Camp in April of this year. The application asked about Tom’s involvement in Farm Bureau, why she wanted to participate in the Communications Boot Camp, how she planned to use the skills, and what her experience is in public speaking and working with the media.

On June 1, 2016 Tom received the call that she had been accepted into the tenth class of the American Farm Bureau Women’s Communication Boot Camp held at the AFBF headquarters in Washington, D.C. There were only 14 women selected for this opportunity from around the country with varying backgrounds. The boot camp was scheduled for July 12-15, 2016.

Then the fun began. Each participant was required to establish social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn) and schedule appointments with their congressional offices.
They were also asked to to select a topic for a presentation and a three-minute speech about one of the following issues: Food Security & Safety, Regulatory Reform, Technology, or Trade. The speech and discussion needed to support the current Farm Bureau policy position and be from a farmer/rancher perspective.

Tom chose the topic of Regulatory Reform specifically the Endangered Species Act.
The Endangered Species Act hit close to home for Tom and her husband’s family ranch. The Nay Ranch has been in their family for over 100 years. AFBF encouraged the use of personal stories and how the selected topic affected their farm or ranch.

Tom met with Congressman Cresent Hardy of Bunkerville and was able to discuss the public lands issue and how the endangered species act fits into play with this important topic for Nevadans. Hardy and Tom were able to discuss how the public lands act affects her family ranch and how important it is to continue to have multi-use on these lands in Nevada.
The Farm Bureau participants learned how to testify on behalf of agriculturists, speak to the media with a goal in mind, do interviews, and how to send the correct message when doing these tasks.

The last day consisted of a final exam, which entailed a speech that included the AFBF staff’s suggestions along with a rigorous question and answer portion.
The boot camp also scheduled time for fun for the participants. This included a night tour of Washington, D.C. along with a dinner at a local restaurant.
With only 14 participants at the boot camp, each was able to get to know one another and learn how the important issues relate to them and their farms.

The graduation of the participants included inspiring words from AFBF President, Zippy Duvall, which likened the communication boot camp; and the hard work, and dedication that came from it; to the same dedication and hard work his son had in his military boot camp when he was young.

Tom encourages all women to apply for this opportunity.
“I applied the day after our county fair and I am thankful I did,” Tom said. “I was worried that the application was going to be overwhelming and it wasn’t. It was a simple application that asked for my background in Farm Bureau and agriculture. Who knows that information better than me?”
The mission of American Farm Bureau Federation is the unified national voice of agriculture working through our grassroots organizations to enhance and strengthen the lives of rural Americans and to build strong, prosperous agricultural communities.

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1 thought on “Local Farmer/Rancher Attends Women’s Leadership Seminar”

  1. Richard "Rick" Huskins

    Great story and Thanks Lacey for representing NV Farm Bureau! I look forward to talking to you about this fantastic trip.

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