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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.

2010 Discussion Meet Schedule

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 Discussion Meet are:

1. District Level Topics:
   • Government has always been involved in agriculture. Is the current level of government involvement a net hindrance or a net benefit to agriculture?
   • Has technology become essential for American farmers? Should Farm Bureau influence and encourage all generations of farmers, ranchers and agriculturalists to embrace technological opportunities?
2. State Level Topics
   • How will food movements such as "foodie" and "locavore," which are focused primarily in urban centers, influence national agricultural production and federal programs?
   • Given recent challenges, such as volatile food prices and limited world food supplies, do American consumers adequately appreciate the importance of US-produced food? Will American consumers consider American agriculture important to our security in the future?