Lifestyles: Young Ag Couples

The 32nd annual Young Ag Couples Conference takes place this week in Helena. The conference agenda includes discussions about communication, finances and estate planning.

In this week’s Lifestyles Report, Beartooth NBC reports attendees learn lessons about agriculture, business and much more.

Walt Anseth with the Montana Department of Agriculture calls it a once in a lifetime opportunity. Once a year couples from across the state meet to talk about different aspects of life as a farming or ranching family.

"The leadership issues that are involved in agriculture; communications, markets, family estate planning," says Anseth. 

"They touch on so many things, so many things."
"How you can grow your ranch, giving you ideas of looking outside of the box..."
"Diversifying."
"Yeah, diversifying your ranch or your farm," says Jonathan and Dena Griffel

Most couples only attend the conference once, but Columbus ranchers Jonathan and Dena Griffel were invited back to be part of the steering committee.

"We try to get people to mingle and just communicate; 'Where are you from? Who are ya, you know. What do you do? What part of agriculture are you in?" says Jonathan and Dena Griffel

Anseth says the goal of the Young Ag Couples Conference is to have attendees take new skills back to their families and hometowns.

"We want them to go back and be leaders, not only in the agriculture industry, but in their local communities, school board, county commission, etcetera," says Anseth. 

But the couples often walk away with more than a new outlook.

“They meet friends, meet lifelong friends.  We've got, like I said, the 32nd annual, we've got couples that came 20 years ago that are still communicating today from the friendship that they started here at Young Ag Couples Conference," says Anseth. 

"It's kind of a neat deal, you know, we're way across the state from one another and there's people that we see and stay friends with.  Who knows how long, might be lifelong," says Jonathan and Dena Griffel

The Conference continues through Saturday.
Anseth says 42 couples are attending this year.

Story by Kaelyn Kelly, Beartooth NBC.
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