Arkansas Farm Bureau Strengthens Focus on Young Farmers & Ranchers Programs and Leadership Development
Arkansas Farm Bureau Strengthens Focus on Young Farmers & Ranchers Programs and Leadership Development
LITTLE ROCK, Ark., Mar. 6 — Lindsey Rucker will take on a new role as Young Farmers & Ranchers (YF&R) programs coordinator at Arkansas Farm Bureau. Jennifer Craig, previous YF&R coordinator, will shift her focus to the organization’s leadership development programs at Arkansas Farm Bureau.
In her new capacity, Rucker will provide ArFB Federation staff leadership for the state YF&R program and will seek opportunities to bolster engagement and participation at the county Farm Bureau level. Rucker will also continue to focus on the development, implementation and oversight of elementary agriculture education curriculum programs.
As director of leadership development, Craig will focus her efforts on creating leadership training for new and existing leaders at the county and state level within ArFB. In her capacity, Craig will be responsible for ArFB’s new leadership development program, Arkansas Grassroots Leadership (AG Leaders).
Launched in 2024, AG Leaders is a two-year program that provides training and resources for emerging Farm Bureau leaders. AG Leaders introduces participants to all aspects of the organization, connecting them with current Farm Bureau leaders to ensure their success and offering leadership opportunities at the county, state, and national level.
“With extensive experience in agriculture and leadership development, we are fortunate to have both Lindsey and Jennifer focused on building a strong leadership pipeline for Arkansas Farm Bureau,” said Justin Reynolds, vice president of Organization and Member Programs. “I look forward to the contributions they both will make to strengthen our agricultural community and support its sustainability for generations to come."
Rucker was raised in Bonnerdale (Garland County) and represents a fifth-generation family farm. She holds a bachelor’s degree in agriculture business from Arkansas Tech University and a master’s degree in agriculture and extension education from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. She joined ArFB in 2021.
Craig was raised on a rice and soybean farm in Independence County. She holds a bachelor’s degreein agriculture business from Arkansas State University and a master’s in public health from the UAMS College of Public Health. She serves on the UAMS College of Public Health Advisory Board.
Arkansas Farm Bureau is a nonprofit, private advocacy organization with more than 190,000 families throughout the state working to improve farm and rural life.
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Steve Eddington
(501) 228-1383
Jason Brown
(501) 891-1475
