Cattle farmer Cody Burke of Franklin County won first place in the final round of Kentucky Farm Bureau’s (KFB) 2025 Discussion Meet, a debate-styled competition for young farmers that relies on an individual’s skill in reasoning and logical discussion of issues. The topic was: “How can Farm Bureau help promote responsible growth in communities while mitigating the loss of farms, ranches and the agrarian way of life?”

Burke participated with three other entrants in the final event, winning a Kubota RTV sponsored by Southern Farm Bureau Life. He will represent Kentucky in the national competition at the 2026 American Farm Bureau Federation convention in January and will be vying for prizes, including a new Ford truck.

Runner-up in the state Discussion Meet was Megan Wetenkamp of Henry County, who received $1,000. The other finalists in the state-level contest were Jacob Mattingly of Meade County and Molly Sullivan of Taylor County. They each received $250.

KFB’s Discussion Meet tests entrants on their basic knowledge of critical farm issues and their ability to respond in a panel-type discussion.