LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Ten Farm Bureau leaders from across California have been selected to participate in a year-long training program that lays the foundation for future contributions to the farming and ranching community.

The 2013 Leadership Farm Bureau class will receive more than 250 hours of instruction in subjects including political advocacy, public speaking, media relations, personal development and the Farm Bureau organization.

This year's class will participate in an advocacy trip to Washington, D.C., as well as a trip to North Carolina to allow the group to compare and contrast what they have seen in California with the forces affecting farmers and ranchers in other regions of the country.

Farm Bureau members selected for the 2013 Leadership Farm Bureau class include:

• Ashley Bush, Stanislaus County, a territory manager for Mycogen Seeds and chair of the Stanislaus County Young Farmers & Ranchers Committee;
• Carrie Crane, Tulare County, program coordinator for the Tulare County Farm Bureau;
• Tori Ann Fischer, Calaveras County, cattle rancher, accounting assistant with the Calaveras County Office of Education and president of the Calaveras County Farm Bureau;
• Chris Garmon, Ventura County, farmer, exhibits representative and large livestock superintendent for Ventura County Fair and state YF&R Committee member;
• Jon Lavy, Butte County, rice and prune grower;
• Lindsey Liebig, Sacramento County, program coordinator for the Sacramento County Farm Bureau;
• Benjamin McFarland, Kern County, executive director of the Kern County Farm Bureau;
• Michael Palmer, Monterey County, food safety specialist for Ocean Mist Farms;
• Claudia Street, Lake County, executive director of the Lake County Farm Bureau;
• Karen Whaley, Tulare County, cattle rancher, agricultural company consultant and state YF&R Committee member.

The participants’ training will culminate at a graduation ceremony during the California Farm Bureau Federation Annual Meeting this December in Monterey.

The California Farm Bureau Federation works to protect family farms and ranches on behalf of more than 74,000 members statewide and as part of a nationwide network of more than 6.2 million Farm Bureau members.