Former NFL player to speak at Ark. Farm Bureau conference

Former NFL football player Keith Jackson, founder of Positive Atmosphere Reaches Kids, will speak at the closing luncheon of the Arkansas Farm Bureau’s 65th annual Officers and Leaders Conference.

The conference, entitled “True North,” will be held July 22 and 23 at the Hot Springs Convention Center. The meeting is expected to draw around 500 attendees.

Registration will begin at 10: 30 a. m. July 22. The opening general session entertainment will begin at 1 p. m.

Workshops will be held the morning of July 23, and the conference will conclude with the luncheon.

Arkansas Farm Bureau President Randy Veach, University of Arkansas System President Dr. Donald Bobbitt, and author V. J. Smith will speak during the July 22 afternoon general session.

Workshop topics will range from the environmental certification process of C& H Farms in Mount Judea to online “agvocacy,” and will also include a discussion on the status of the federal Farm Bill, livestock and crop updates and a legislative overview.

“Our mid- summer conference will once again offer our county Farm Bureau leaders an opportunity to improve their leadership skills,” Veach, a cotton, soybean, corn and soybean farmer from Manila in Mississippi County, said in a news release.

“Their ongoing commitment to the mission and purpose of this organization is proof that they have accepted the challenge of being a better leader,” Veach said.

“As leaders we should always be seeking the best and most appropriate direction for those we lead. We are constantly seeking ‘ True North,’ which is the theme for this conference,” he said.

“When we have a better understanding of the issues facing all facets of agriculture, we can do a better job of helping others navigate through and around the challenges they will face in reaching their destination. We have an interesting set of speakers and presentations to help those in attendance become better leaders and continue to make an impact in their local communities,” Veach said.

Jackson’s NFL career was highlighted by six Pro Bowl appearances while playing for the Philadelphia Eagles, Miami Dolphins and Green Bay Packers, concluding with a win of Super Bowl XXXI.

At the conference, the organization will also recognize its Young Farmer and Rancher Achievement Award finalists as well as recipients of the Romeo E. Short, Farm Bureau Foundation and Marvin Vines Memorial scholarships.