Welcome to the 2026 Minnesota Farm Bureau Annual Meeting |
| November 19-21, 2026 Minneapolis Marriott Southwest, Minnetonka
Come together with fellow Farm Bureau members from across the state as we celebrate our shared commitment to agriculture at the 2026 MFBF Annual Meeting. |
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| Schedule of Events + Featured Speakers This annual event features a variety of activities, networking and learning opportunities.
- Voting Delegate Session
- Learning Sessions
- AFBF Speaker Joby Young
- Keynote by Dr. Liz Fiedler Mergen
- Service Project with Second Harvest Heartland
- Young Farmers & Ranchers Competitions
- PAC Breakfast, supporting the MFBF state Political Action Committee
View a complete schedule and information on featured speakers below. |
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| Registration Full event and one-day registration rates are below. Full Event Registration: $250 One-Day Event Registration: $150 |
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| Hotel Information A limited number of hotel rooms are available for the annual meeting at the Minneapolis Marriott Southwest Minnetonka.
Rates are $119/night, excluding taxes and fees.
Rooms must be booked online by November 5 to receive the MFBF discount.
Minneapolis Marriott Southwest 5801 Opus Parkway Minnetonka, MN 55343 |
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| Thursday, Nov. 19 3-8 p.m. Registration Open 4:30 p.m. Educational Session 'How We Operate: The Structure, Function, and History of American Farm Bureau' Featuring Maegan Meredith, American Farm Bureau Federation 6 p.m. Educational Session 'Giving with Purpose: Creative Ways to Support What Matters to You' Featuring Cary Knudson, FBFS Senior Wealth Management Advisor and Erin Swalwell, Associate General Counsel for FBFS 7:30 p.m. Welcome Reception |
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| Friday, Nov. 20 6:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Registration Open 6:30 a.m. PAC Breakfast
Featuring Blois Olson, Fluence MediaFe 8 a.m. District Meetings & Caucuses 9 a.m. Voting Delegate Session 9:30 a.m. P&E Educational Session 'Understanding Generations to Beef Up Membership' Featuring Maegan Meredith, American Farm Bureau Federation 11 a.m. Off-site Service Project – Second Harvest Heartland
Pre-registration required 12 p.m. Lunch 1 p.m. Voting Delegate Session Resumes 2 p.m. Young Farmers & Ranchers Contest Orientation (Participants and Judges)
Includes Discussion Meet, Achievement Award and Excellence in Ag 2:30 p.m. Young Farmers & Ranchers Competitions
Discussion Meet Round 1, Excellence in Ag, Achievement Award 3:30 p.m. Young Farmers & Ranchers Competitions
Discussion Meet Round 2, Excellence in Ag, Achievement Award 4:30 p.m. Social Hour with Elected Officials 6 p.m. Annual Awards Banquet
Featuring guest speakers, membership and county Farm Bureau awards, Distinguished Service to Agriculture award, Honorary Life recognition, and MFBF awards: Ag Communicator of the Year, Extension Educator of the Year, FFA Advisor of the Year, and Post-Secondary Educator of the Year. 8 p.m. Minnesota Foundation for Agriculture evening event |
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| Saturday, Nov. 21 6:30-11 a.m. Registration Open 7:30 a.m. Breakfast Buffet 7:45 a.m. Young Farmers & Ranchers Final Four Discussion Meet 8:30 a.m. Opening General Session Featuring annual address from President Dan Glessing; and an address from American Farm Bureau Executive Vice President Joby Young 9:30 a.m. General Session Keynote Flowers Bloom Anyway, Dr. Liz Fiedler Mergen 10:30 a.m. Closing General Session
Featuring Young Farmers & Ranchers contest winners announcements 11 a.m. Adjournment |
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Volunteer at Second Harvest Heartland
Members not participating in the voting delegate session on Friday, Nov. 20 are invited to participate in the volunteer opportunity at Second Harvest Heartland. The activity will include packing food items, and will require standing/movement and potential lifting.
Pre-registration is required as part of the general registration process, as a limited number of spaces are available.
Individuals confirmed to participate will be sent additional information ahead of the event.
Contact Leadership & Education Manager Pam Debele with any questions. |
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PAC Breakfast
$100 Support the Minnesota Farm Bureau State Political Action Committee (PAC) by attending the PAC Breakfast on Friday, Nov. 20 at 6:30 a.m.
This year's featured speaker will be Blois Olson of Fluence Media. He will break down the midterm election results and what it means going forward.
Pre-registration is preferred as a part of the general registration process. Payments will be accepted at the event (no pre-payment available).
Contact Director of Public Policy Loren Dauer with any questions. |
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Minnesota Foundation for Agriculture - Friday Events On Friday evening, join the Minnesota Foundation of Agriculture for its annual live auction, followed by its new event, Butter Bingo! The night will provide a fun way to connect with fellow members, enjoy some friendly competition and have the chance to take home an exciting bundle of Minnesota-grown products.
Throughout the day, attendees can also participate in the online auction, with proceeds supporting the Foundation and its mission to grow agriculture across the state. |
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Free Health and Hearing Screenings
Medical students from the Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine participating in the Rural Health Initiative will again be in attendance to provide free health screenings for attendees from 2-4 p.m. on Friday.
Start Hearing will be on-site from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., offering complimentary hearing evaluations. Screenings take approximately 15 minutes and are provided in partnership with MFBF by Platinum Sponsor, Start Hearing. Schedule Your Free Hearing Screening | Koalendar |
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| Joby Young Joby Young serves as the Executive Vice President of the American Farm Bureau Federation. He leads the AFBF staff, managing across all departments to achieve the goals of the President and Board of Directors and fulfill AFBF’s mission.
Joby has fifteen years of experience in food and agriculture policy, which includes leadership positions in the halls of Congress and the Executive Branch. He served as Chief of Staff to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue after serving in that same role for the Deputy Secretary and several USDA offices. He also previously served as Chief of Staff in the House of Representatives and as a consultant in the private sector.
Joby is a graduate of the University of Georgia, with degrees in History and Communications, and he holds a law degree from the UGA School of Law. He is also a civil affairs officer in the U.S. Army Reserve. |
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| Dr. Liz Fiedler Mergen Dr. Liz Fiedler Mergen is a flower farmer, nurse practitioner, podcast host, and rural entrepreneur.
She is the founder of Sunny Mary Meadow, a sixth-generation Minnesota farm turned thriving floral business and agritourism destination. After losing her husband unexpectedly in 2020—and finding out she was pregnant the day after the funeral—Liz began sharing her story through flowers, podcasting, and her book, Flowers Bloom Anyway.
Dr. Fiedler Mergen speaks nationwide on grief, rural business development, life preparedness, and the power of starting over. Her podcast, Flower Farmer Forum, explores the future of agritourism, while her coaching program helps farmers grow revenue without burning out. She also created Before It Matters, a digital guide supporting families and life insurance agents with practical, grace-filled end-of-life planning tools. |
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| How We Operate: The Structure, Function, and History of American Farm Bureau Thursday, Nov. 19 4:30 p.m. Featuring Maegan Meredith
American Farm Bureau Federation
Gain a deeper understanding of what makes the American Farm Bureau tick, from who makes decision and how, to the priorities of the organization, and uncover how Farm Bureau has shaped American history over the past century. |
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| Giving with Purpose: Creative Ways to Support What Matters to You Thursday, Nov. 19 6 p.m. Featuring Cary Knudson FBFS Senior Wealth Management Advisor, and Erin Swalwell Associate General Counsel for FBFS
Whether you are considering a gift today, making year-end financial decisions, or thinking about the legacy you want to leave, there are creative ways to make your generosity go further. This session will introduce charitable giving strategies such as gifts of appreciated stock, Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs), and Charitable Remainder Trusts (CRTs), and explore how these tools may help you achieve your philanthropic goals while offering potential financial and tax advantages.
Come learn about options for giving today and planning for tomorrow—and how thoughtful charitable planning can create meaningful impact for the Minnesota Foundation for Agriculture and other causes that matter to you. |
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| Understanding Generations to Beef Up Membership Friday, Nov. 20 9:30 a.m. Featuring Maegan Meredith
American Farm Bureau Federation
Generations aren’t simply separated by years. People divided by generations experience gaps in culture, technology, and life experiences. These gaps often challenge organizations like Farm Bureau in our quest to recruit prospects and engage members. In this workshop we’ll discover not only key generational differences, but also the major stages of the member journey. This new understanding will clarify the role we play and enable us to create a plan for beefing up our membership work on behalf of Farm Bureau! |
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