Overview

The Ohio Farm Bureau Young Ag Professionals (YAP) Discussion Meet is a competitive event thatsimulates a committee meeting where discussion and active participation are expected from eachparticipant. This competition is evaluated on an exchange of ideas and information on a pre-determined topic.

 

Eligibility

• Applicant shall be a Farm Bureau member between the ages of 18 and 35 in good standing with his/her county Farm Bureau. The individual or spouse/spousal-equivalent shall have reached his/her 18th birthday at the time he/she qualifies for the state competition and shall not have reached his/her 36th birthday by the completion of the national competition. Competitors qualify at the time the state application is submitted and the completion of the national competition is the day awards are given out (January 17, 2028). [Meaning for the 2027 contest year, an applicant must be born on or after on or after January 18, 1992.]
• Applicant must be actively engaged in agriculture.
• Applicant may only compete in one national YF&R competition per year.
• Applicants must be available to attend on-site at the Winter Leadership Experience, January 22-23, 2027 if they are selected for the Final Four round.
• Past and present members of the AFBF Young Farmers & Ranchers Committee and/or theirspouse are not eligible to compete.
• Previous AFBF Discussion Meet competitors are not eligible to compete.
• Current employees or agents of county, state and/or the American Farm Bureau organizations andtheir affiliates are not eligible to compete. An affiliate is defined as an entity owned or controlled in whole or in part by another entity through, for example, ownership (including partial ownership) or positions on the board of directors.
• Professional speakers are not eligible to compete. Professional speakers are those whohave received a fee, royalty or honorarium for speaking (i.e. paid speaking appearances or speaking engagements) within 24 months prior to this annual competition. This excludes reimbursement for travel or expenses attendant to the appearance.

Competition Timeline

During each round of competition, competitors will discuss pre-selected topics for the general discussion and will be scored largely on: cooperation, constructive criticism, problem-solving, and communication skill.

Semi-Finals (2 Rounds) - December 10, 2026
All applicants will be invited to participate in the Discussion Meet Semi-Finals to be held at the Ohio Farm Bureau Annual Meeting in Columbus, OH at 9 am on December 10, 2026. The semi-finals consist of 2 rounds of competition. Each round will consist of a 30-second opening statement, then move to 15 minutes of open discussion, and end with a one-minute closing statement by each participant. Competitors will be randomly assigned to rooms for both semi-final rounds. The four competitors with the highest combined scores will move forward to the Final Four round of competition.

Final Four - January 22, 2027
The four competitors with the highest overall score from the semi-finals will advance to the Final Four round of competition to be held at the Winter Leadership Experience in Columbus, OH on January 22, 2027. This round will include a 30-second opening statement, 25 minutes of open discussion, and a 1-minute closing statement. The individual with the highest score will be named the state winner and will move on to the Young Farmers & Ranchers (YF&R) competition to be held in Oklahoma City, OK during the American Farm Bureau Federation Annual Convention January 14-18, 2028.

 

Note: Once you start the JotForm application, you are unable to save your work and return later. Click here to download a pdf version of the application for reference prior to starting your form JotForm application. Only applications submitted through this JotForm will be considered for the award.

Competition Resources - Download Now for Future Reference
Below are competitor specific resources both to provide more context of what to expect and to aidin your preparation.

The 2026 American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) Discussion Meet Competitor Guide provides a wealth of knowledge of why the discussion meet exists, an overview of how each discussion meet round will look, and competitor best practices. NOTE: While the Ohio Farm Bureau YAP Discussion Meet does align in many ways with the AFBF contest, there are a few minordifferences. Most notable, the specific topic for each round of competition is shared well in advance for the state contest and there are fewer rounds of competition at the state level (outlined above in the competition timeline).

2027 Discussion Meet Questions

Sample Discussion Meet Rubric

2026 AFBF Discussion Meet Competitor Guide

Save-the-Date: Virtual Discussion Meet Training

A virtual discussion meet training will be held October 21st at 8pm. Attendees will review the basics of what to expect for the contest, hear tips and tricks of how to best prepare, and learn basics of each of the discussion topics. This is a training you won't want to miss! Full details will be shared will all competitors after the close of registration.

Prizes
The final four receive an award package valued at over $1,000. The overall award winner receivesan award package valued at over $10,000.

Award Winner

• Expense-paid trip to the Ohio Farm Bureau Annual Meeting and Kick-Off Luncheon inDecember (Four Guest Tickets included)
• Expense-paid trip to the American Farm Bureau Annual Convention as the national competitor, January 14-18, 2028 in Oklahoma City, OK
• Media package
• $3,000 cash prize of choice

Final Four

• Expense-paid trip to the Winter Leadership Experience January 22-23, 2027 to compete in the Final Four round of competition
• Embroidered Ohio Farm Bureau branded apparel
• $100 Cash Award

Semi-Finalists

• $50 Cash Award

Registration Due: October 1, 2026

Questions? Contact yap@ofbf.org

If you are selected as a finalist, part of your award package includes an embroided Ohio Farm Bureau branded apparel item. Use the links below to review your apparel options and resepctive size guides to make your preferred selection.

Soft Shell Jacket - Navy Heather |  Men's Size Guide |  Women's Size Guide

Uni-sex 1/4 Zip Pullover - True Heather Navy |  Uni-sex Size Guide Uni-sex

Lace-up Pullover Hooded Sweatshirt - True Royal |  Uni-sex Size Guide