Volunteer of the Month

Lester Langeland

Lester
Langeland



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Community Action Groups

Community Action Groups

Michiagn Ag Council

Your Agriculture

Discussion Meet

The Discussion Meet is a contest where participants can freely discuss a current topic affecting the agriculture industry, and practice their public speaking and analytical skills.

The discussion is not a debate but rather a way to share ideas, identify the cause and effect of the problem, and evaluate and compare alternative solutions. The participants should attempt to cooperatively share ideas and further develop their understanding of the topic/issue.

There are three parts of a Discussion Meet. They are:

  1. The opening statement is 30 seconds in length. The statement should be broad in scope, show relevancy, and importance of the topic.
  2. The body of the discussion will last 20-30 minutes in length. During the body of the discussion, contestants have the freedom to talk about any part of the topic. It is recommended the discussion start with addressing the background of the topic, discuss why it is an issue, come up with solutions to the issue, and share how they feel they can be a part of the solution.
  3. The closing statement is given at the end of the body of the discussion. Contestants will be given one minute of quiet time to put their closing statements together. Closing statements should summarize the discussion that took place during the body and make any final comments about the topic.

Contestants are scored in 6 areas:

Opening Statement, Closing Statement, Delivery, Problem Solving, Analysis of the Topic and Cooperative Attitude.

This year the topics for the MSU Collegiate Discussion Meet are:

  1. How can agricultural producers reach out to the public to gain their support on important issues impacting agriculture?
    • Environmental
    • Animal Welfare
    • Food
    • Collaborating with other industries
  2. How can we continue to bridge the gap between farmers/ranchers and lawmakers in order to have an influence in the changing political environment?
    • Different generations
    • Training (county, state, national)
    • Different industry segments

Here is a list of resources to help research the topics:

  1. How can agricultural producers reach out to the public to gain their support on important issues impacting agriculture?
  2. How can we continue to bridge the gap between farmers/ranchers and lawmakers in order to have an influence in the changing political environment?

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