January 17, 2024

Delta College Agricultural Technology student Audrey Martin, is the collegiate-level champion of Michigan Farm Bureau’s Discussion Meet held last November.

According to Michigan Farm Bureau, the purpose of the meets is to allow for discussion and an exchange of ideas on topics facing agriculture and its future. Participants build basic discussion skills, develop a keen understanding of important agricultural issues and explore how groups can pool knowledge to reach consensus and solve problems.

“There are predetermined topics and the competitors have to create solutions,” Martin said. “For the 20-minute long discussion, the topic at the state competition was the high cost of entering into farming for a beginner, someone who doesn't inherit a farm.

“As a collegiate winner, I’ll represent our state in March at the National Farm Bureau discussion meet in Nebraska. I'm excited but also very nervous about that.”

Through the Ag Tech program partnership between Delta College and Michigan State University, Martin, of Midland, plans to graduate this spring with an associate's degree from Delta and a certificate from MSU. She plans to continue her studies at MSU to earn a Crop and Soil Science bachelor's degree.

“Right now, I am looking at either going into research and development like herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, those sorts of things, or potentially plant breeding and genetics,” she said.

Sponsored by the Michigan Farm Bureau State Young Farmer Committee at the District and State level and the AFBF Young Farmers and Ranchers Committee at the National Level, the Discussion Meet program started in 1948.