Minnesota Farmers Union

ST. PAUL (July 17, 2012) – Mitchell Farmer-Lies, son of Tim Lies and Kathy Farmer of Belle Plaine was elected to serve on the National Farmers Union’s (NFU) National Youth Advisory Council (NYAC).

NYAC is made up of six youths who were elected by over 70 of their peers from across the country at the NFU All-States Leadership Camp in Bailey, Colorado.  Those Minnesotans attending the All-States Leadership Camp are youths who have completed four years of Minnesota’s Senior High Camp and have shown dedication to working in a cooperative manner with a commitment to bettering themselves through education and leadership.

“Mitchell has shown great leadership skills that a lot of kids his age do not have, and being elected by your peers to serve on the National Youth Advisory Council is something to be proud of,” said Doug Peterson, Minnesota Farmers Union President.  “Rural Minnesota is in good hands with people like Mitchell representing us, and I thank him for his hard-work and dedication to family farmers.”

The youths spent a week in Bailey, Colorado June 24-29 at the NFU Education Center to take part in cooperative activities and listen to several inspirational speakers. The camp included presentations by William Nelson, president of CHS Foundation, who spoke about cooperatives; motivational speaker and Olympic Grecco Roman Wrestling Champion Rulon Gardner; and members of the Center for Disease Control, who spoke about how to handle outbreaks.

The 2013 NYAC are Mitchell Farmer-Lies of Belle Plaine, Minnesota; Briana Green of Fort Benton, Montana; Bre Stafford of Springfield, Colorado; Patrick Swift of Ellendale, North Dakota; Cole Musland of Jamestown, North Dakota; and William Felzien of Limon, Colorado. Members of NYAC work at the annual NFU Convention, and also help plan next year’s NFU All-States Leadership Camp.

For more information, please log on to http://nfu.org/about/education/all-states-leadership-camp.