Daniel Gaston, newly elected Kentucky Farm Bureau Young Farmer chairman, recently returned from the 88th American Farm Bureau Annual Meeting held in Salt Lake City, Utah. More than 4,000 Farm Bureau members from across the nation gathered to attend issue conferences, general sessions and American Farm Bureau awards presentations.

Russell Poore, State Farm Bureau director, and his wife Patsy also attended this event. They attended several issue conferences to update Farm Bureau members on everything from the economic outlook for crop and livestock sectors, international trade and animal identification to farm policy, the economic implications of the growing biofuels market and regulatory and social pressures on animal agriculture.

Gaston mentioned that one of the exciting highlights of this meeting was that a Kentucky couple, John and Jill Mahan, were named winners of the American Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers Achievement Award, designating them the top young farm family in the nation.

The Mahans, who farm 1,600 acres in Fayette and Scott counties, won a 2007 Dodge Ram 3500 4x4 pickup truck in addition to being named members of the American Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers Advisory Committee. Logan County Young Farmers are eligible to enter this contest.

Next years' convention is set for Jan. 13-16, 2008 in New Orleans, La.