In 1986, Mar­tha Layne Collins was gov­ernor, Ferdinand won the Kentucky Derby, a gallon of gas averaged 86 cents, and Kentucky Farm Bureau (KFB) was about to embark on a youth program that would help shape the future of ag­riculture for decades to come.

The Institute for Future Agricul­tural Leaders (IFAL) brings rising high school seniors to a five-day event to educate them about the organization, acquaint them with the top agriculture issues of the day, and help them begin their leadership journeys.

Forty years later, the program re­mains as strong as ever and boasts a who's-who of today's top state leaders in agriculture, local and state government, and county Farm Bureaus, spanning all 120 counties.

Taylor Nash, IFAL class of 2015, now oversees the program as the KFB Federation’s Director of Young Farmer programs. He said the goal of IFAL is to help students see how they can fit agriculture into their future through a variety of activi­ties.

“The students come to spend a week with us at one of our partic­ipating universities (the University of Kentucky and Murray State Uni­versity) to help expose them to col­lege, experience what it's like to be on campus, help them see how they can fit agriculture into their futures by taking them on ag-related vis­its and participating in agricultural discussions.”

Nash noted the importance of a program like IFAL as a way to get young people involved in Farm Bu­reau, as well.

“These students are the future of our industry, and, in many ways, they're already leading it at their age, and so we want to find a way to help engage them and help set them up with the resources that come with being involved with KFB,” he said.

Like so many others who have become IFAL alumni, Nash said his experience made a lasting impres­sion on him.

“As a student, I loved it and it was the first time that I ever left home by myself,” he said. “I'd been involved in FFA and gone with my school to various places and events, but this was the solo trip for me and where I was pushed out of my comfort zone to get to meet new people. And I would've never guessed the people that I met there. Now I get to work with them in dif­ferent capacities.”

Nash noted that many people who were involved in his IFAL group have gone on to leadership roles at all levels and serve as resources for him in his present position.

A FAMILY TRADITION

LaRue County Farm Bureau Pres­ident Jeremy Hinton, a 1991 IFAL participant, began a tradition for his children, as two of them have now gained the title of IFAL alum­ni. Jacob attended in 2021, while Joslyn just completed her time as a participant.

Jeremy said the program helped shape his college experience and steered him toward agriculture in Farm Bureau.

“At the time, I wasn’t for sure about what college to go to or what I wanted to major in, but attending IFAL helped to solidify my decision to attend UK and major in agri­culture,” he said. “It also planted seeds for my future in Farm Bu­reau.”

Jeremy, who also serves as Chair of the Kentucky Horticulture Coun­cil, owns two farm markets as part of his overall farming operation, which includes traditional crops such as soybeans and tobacco.

“I hope my children have had the same experience I did while attending IFAL, to motivate them to be involved in the agriculture industry in whatever way they are able,” he said, “I know they have made friendships that will last them a lifetime.”

Joslyn said having a brother and father who attended IFAL helped her to know more about the pro­gram.

“I knew quite a bit about IFAL, and I think it was a good opportu­nity for me,” she said.

Joslyn already has some farm­ing business experience growing mums for her family’s markets.

“I think that the people I'm meeting here are definitely going to stay in touch in the future and be of help with whatever I decide to do,” she said. “Just making those connections with people around the state is important.”

While many programs of this sort come and go over the years, IFAL has stood the test of time.

“I'm not surprised this program has endured through time, and when I think about my experience as a participant and just knowing how many students have gotten that opportunity since,” Nash said. “IFAL has had such an impact on so many over the 40 years of the pro­gram, and it has shaped Kentucky agriculture throughout the years and will continue to do so for years to come.”

Nash added that there are many people and organizations that have helped to contribute to the success of IFAL.

“Honestly, I think it's the people we have who are a part of it and the community support that we have,” he said. “We can't go out and create this experience without the farmers and the universities that we get to work with. We have a lot of people here that believe in the future of ag and it starts with these students, and every year we renew that ex­citement for what's going to come for agriculture through IFAL.”