Cat Urbigkit is a western Wyoming livestock producer operating in large carnivore country and will share “One Thing” beginning farmers and ranchers need to know . . .


Details and a meeting link will be posted at YCFWyo.com

   
CAT URBIGKIT is a western Wyoming livestock producer, maintaining a flock of fine-wooled Rambouillet sheep in large carnivore country. To protect their livestock from predators ranging from coyotes and mountain lions to wolves and bears, the Urbigkits also raise livestock guardian dogs.
   Urbigkit is vice president of the Wyoming Wool Growers Association and volunteers for several ag organizations in the West, including the Western Landowners Alliance and the American Sheep Industry Association.
   Cat is a writer of books, articles and opinion columns that present perspectives and insights from what it’s like to be a livestock producer on the ground and the producer’s connection to the landscape. She’s an advocate for transhumance, the seasonal movement of people with livestock, that has long been practiced around the globe.

Ryan Boner is a 6th generation rancher from east central Wyoming and will share “One Thing” beginning farmers and ranchers need to know . . .


Details and a meeting link will be posted at YCFWyo.com

   
RYAN BONER is a 6th generation rancher from East Central Wyoming. His family has been raising sheep and cattle in Converse County since 1909. After graduating from Glenrock, Ryan went to the University of Wyoming for a degree in Livestock Business Management. After school, he came back to the family operation. At that time, his Dad and his Dad’s two brothers were all running the ranches and farm together.
   As he is one of the youngest of the next generation, they soon decided to work through the generational transition for Ryan and his cousins. It is his belief that generational transition is one of the most important tasks anyone will face in agriculture.
   They are a diverse operation. They run a black angus commercial cow/calf herd, as well as registered Black Angus and Red Angus seedstock herds. They also run a larger scale commercial range ewe herd, and a smaller Targhee and Rambouillet seedstock herd. The family has spent a lot of time and effort over the last century to help improve what was a dying sheep industry. Ryan is very thankful to be a part of this ongoing discussion today.

Casey Crosby is a 5th generation rancher/farmer from northern Wyoming and will share “One Thing” beginning farmers and ranchers need to know . . .


Details and a meeting link will be posted at YCFWyo.com

   
CASEY CROSBY grew up on a farm/ranch in northern Wyoming. From a young age he learned from his dad how to irrigate, handle livestock, and work long hours. Casey graduated from BYU with a bachelors in Agribusiness and later went back and got an MBA, graduating from BYU in 2008. Upon graduation the 2008 financial crises was hitting the country. This opened an opportunity to buy a farm close to home using cows he had bought from his dad a few years before, as a down payment.
   It was a roll of the dice, but fifteen years later, he and his wife Julia have expanded their farm and ranch interests to included several thousand acres of farm and ranch ground.
   His farming interests included sugar beets, alfalfa, grass, canola, and dry beans, all for seed, barley and barley seed, corn and oats. His ranching interests are primarily cow calf operation on high desert ground spanning the WY/MT border.
   Julia and Casey have 3 children, Annie, 13; Kate, 11, and; Luke, 9. They all enjoy working on the farm/ranch and spending time supporting the kids in the various sports and extracurricular activities.

Tucker Hamilton is a 4th generation rancher in Northeast Wyoming near Newcastle and will share “One Thing” beginning farmers and ranchers need to know . . .


Details and a meeting link will be posted at YCFWyo.com

   
TUCKER HAMILTON is a 4th generation rancher in Northeast Wyoming near Newcastle. He works with his parents Monte and Francie Hamilton and wife Annie on a commercial cattle operation. They raise Angus cattle that have some remnants of Herefords from his grandfather’s generation. They also farm acreage for hay. He recently started farming in the form of no-till drilling to try and rejuvenate the old alfalfa hay meadows. In the process of learning about no-till farming, he is experimenting with cover crops and some other hay crops that include barley and oats and peas. He reports that, after several experiments, his conclusion is that you can grow anything you want as long as it rains.
   Tucker graduated from Newcastle High School in 2007 after which he attended Sheridan College and obtained Associates of Science Degrees in Animal Science and Agricultural Business. In 2009 he transferred to the University of Wyoming where he obtained Bachelor of Sciences degrees in Animal Science and Agricultural Business. After that he was recruited into the Agricultural Economics Department at UW where he earned a Master of Science degree in Agricultural Economics and finally wrapped up his educational career. After school he worked as a grain buyer in Nebraska for about a year before he grew tired of an office job and returned home to the ranch.
   When he is not on the farm he is also involved in the local community. He was recently elected chairman of the Young Farmers and Ranchers Committee in the Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation. The YF&R committee is very involved with raising up young farmers and ranchers, those under 35 years of age, to be leaders in the industry. He believes that it is very important since the average age of farmers and ranchers continues to increase. Tucker is also a board member of the Weston County Conservation District where he strives to promote conservation and diligent stewardship within the district through a variety of projects.

Robbie is the Young & Beginning Relationship loan officer for Farm Credit Services of America and will share “One Thing” beginning farmers and ranchers need to know . . .

 

Details and a meeting link will be posted at YCFWyo.com

ROBBIE ALEXANDER is the Young & Beginning Relationship loan officer for Farm Credit Services of America. In this role he serves Wyoming and the panhandle of Nebraska, seeking ways to help both generational and first time farmers and ranchers reach their dreams of being involved in agriculture.
   Robbie and his wife Annie are also first generation agriculturalist who moved to Wyoming in 2022. Originally from Hopkinsville Kentucky, Robbie has worked in agriculture education and agriculture finance for the past 15 years. Robbie holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in agricultural science from Murray state University.
   While working off the farm, Robbie and his wife are working to build their own cattle operation so that the next generation can expand to meet their needs.

Tom Watson is a 4th generation farmer/rancher on his family farm, homesteaded in 1917 by his great-grandpa in eastern Platte County, and will share “One Thing” beginning farmers and ranchers need to know . . .

 

Details and a meeting link will be posted at YCFWyo.com

TOM WATSON grew up on a farm in Platte County. After high school, he obtained a B.S. and M.S. from the University of Wyoming in Civil Engineering and worked as an engineer in Laramie for about 5 years. In 2012, he, along with his wife Joanna and 3 kids, moved back to the family farm because his grandpa was slowing down. He still does some engineering work on the side. Tom grows dryland winter wheat and raises cattle alongside his parents, John and Kathy.
   He is the Recording Secretary for the Wyoming Wheat Growers Association. In his spare time, he is active in his church, enjoys spending time with his wife and kids, and hunting when he can.

Garrett Horton is a farmer and Financial Officer with Farm Credit Services in Northwest Wyoming, and will share “One Thing” beginning farmers and ranchers need to know . . .

 

Details and a meeting link will be posted at YCFWyo.com

GARRETT HORTON grew up on a farm north of Riverton, WY. Throughout his youth on the farm, a passion for agriculture was cultivated. In college, he pursued a degree in Agribusiness at the University of Wyoming. He recognized the farm he grew up on and loved so much was not large enough to come back to immediately following college.
   While he was still searching for a career coming out of school, he fell into an internship with Farm Credit Services of America. He enjoyed working with production agriculture through agricultural lending and pursued that path with Farm Credit Services of America with his first role as an associate in the corporate headquarters in Omaha, NE. After a short stint there he relocated with the company to northwest Wyoming as a Financial Officer where he has remained in that role for going on 14 years now.
   Here he met his wife Katie, started his family and purchased his first farm. He now has a family of 3 boys: Jack (5), Connor (2), and Owen (5 months) and farms alongside his partner Armando Rios with the help of his uncle and cousin. Additionally, he and his two brothers run a cow calf herd together headquartered back on the farm he grew up on.

Kerin Clark oversees public relations and leadership development, as well as coordinates WyFB Young Farmer & Rancher for Wyoming Farm Bureau, and will share “One Thing” beginning farmers and ranchers need to know . . .

 

Details and a meeting link will be posted at YCFWyo.com

YOU CAN FARM TALKS will be LIVE Tuesday, October 10th at 6P Mountain Time. Join us online for a conversation with Kerin Clark, born and raised on a centennial cattle ranch north of Laramie Wyoming. Tune in Tuesday to learn about “One Thing” that she believes will help new and beginning producers succeed.

KERIN CLARK is the Media and Member Relations Director for Wyoming Farm Bureau. Kerin oversees public relations and leadership development. She manages the Federation’s communication and outreach channels including a monthly newspaper, website, social media, public relations, and marketing materials. On the leadership side, Clark is the WyFB Young Farmer & Rancher Coordinator, conducts field service work for 11 county Farm Bureau Federations, and presents leadership workshops.
   Her Farm Bureau career began in August 1994 with a WyFB internship through her college years. After graduating in 1998 with an Agricultural Communications degree from the University of Wyoming, Clark joined WyFB full-time as a field staff representative. She was promoted in 2003 to her current position of Media and Member Relations Director.
   Clark was born and raised on a centennial cattle ranch north of Laramie, Wyo. During college she was honored to serve as a Wyoming FFA State Officer and as Miss Rodeo Wyoming.
   She and her husband, Jake, have two children. Their daughter, Kadra, is a college student and their son, Kyler, is a college student.

James Sedman, a fourth generation farmer and rancher, shares “One Thing” that beginning farmers and ranchers need to know . . .

Details and a meeting link will be posted at YCFWyo.com

YOU CAN FARM TALKS will be LIVE Tuesday, September 12th at 6P Mountain Time. Join us online for a conversation with James Sedman, a fourth generation farmer and rancher from near Huntley Wyoming. Tune in Tuesday to learn about “One Thing” that he believes will help new and beginning producers succeed.

JAMES SEDMAN is a 4th generation farmer and rancher, residing on the family farm (homesteaded in 1920’s) south of Huntley, Wyoming. After earning a B.A. in Agribusiness and M.S. in Ag Economics from the University of Wyoming, he purchased the farm from his Grandparents in 2003.

Along with his wife, children, and parents, they run a diversified operation including a commercial Angus herd, irrigated farming, haying, and feedlot business. Their cropping mix is primarily focused on providing feed, including alfalfa, corn, sorghum-sudan, oats, rye, irrigated grass, and triticale.

Off the farm, James’ wife LeeAnn is a local junior high/high school Language Arts teacher, and James has worked with John Hewlett, UW Ranch/Farm Management Specialist, on various risk management education projects.

Cindy Garretson-Weibel an enduring advocate for Wyoming agriculture shares “One Thing” that beginning farmers and ranchers need to know . . .

Details and a meeting link will be posted at YCFWyo.com

YOU CAN FARM TALKS will be LIVE Tuesday, May 30th at 6P Mountain Time. Join us online for a conversation with Cindy Garretson-Weibel, an enduring advocate for Wyoming agriculture. Tune in Tuesday to learn about “One Thing” that she believes will help new and beginning producers succeed.

Cindy Garretson-Weibel has been an advocate for Wyoming agriculture her entire 35-year career. She grew up on a ranch near Saratoga and received her bachelor’s degree in agricultural communications from the University of Wyoming. She has been the Director of Wyoming L.E.A.D., an adult agricultural development program, for 25 years. She has facilitated intense leadership training for over 200 individuals during this time and was named the Outstanding Leadership Director by the International Programs of Agricultural Leadership in 2014.

Cindy served as the agricultural marketing director for the State of Wyoming for 11 years, at which time she led a team that developed value-added forage and livestock programs for agricultural producers in the state. She is a lifetime member of the North American Ag Marketing Officials and served as president of the organization. Cindy represented the state of Wyoming at the National Association of Rural Rehabilitation programs for several years and was a board member for the Wyoming Rural Development Council for over 10 years.

One of her passions is assisting agricultural producers interested in creating income diversification opportunities and she co-led a team that developed a 400-page training manual for agricultural diversification, including a financial resource section. She is currently the Community Navigator Program Coordinator for UW Extension, and is coordinating the development of on-line resource material for rural entrepreneurs.

Cindy has years of non-profit experience and served as the executive director of the Wyoming Stock Growers Association early in her career, where she worked to advance the interests of the livestock industry in Wyoming. In addition, she served as editor of Cow Country magazine for 13 years.

Cindy was a 4-H leader for over 15 years and has been very active in numerous other organizations, including serving on the advisory board for the Sustainable Ag Research and Extension Center (SAREC) in Lingle, Wyoming. She also sits on the board of directors for the Wyoming Women’s Business Center, an organization that operates a microloan program and assists underserved populations with business development needs. She was recently appointed to the Wyoming Farm Service Agency State Committee.

In 2015, Cindy formed her own company, Leading Edge Consulting, where she continues to provide marketing and business development assistance to agricultural producers and small businesses, while continuing to develop leaders in the agricultural industry.