2026 Illinois Farm Bureau Young Leader executive committee members chosen

CHICAGO — The Illinois Farm Bureau Young Leader Committee elected Garrett Williams of Richland County as its 2026 chair and Michael Bernhard of Kendall-Grundy as vice chair.

“My current tenure as a YL Committee member has been enjoyable as I’ve gotten to know each of my fellow committee members and adjacent staff while working together on Young Leader programming,” Williams said.

“Moving ahead, I’m eager to see what the committee and I can do to better serve our Young Leaders in Illinois and continue to represent them best. I believe our committee is well equipped with the right skill sets to tackle everything from advocacy and education to policy.”

In addition to chair and vice chair, the following were elected as 2026 executive committee members: Secretary Christina Weller of Stephenson County; Governmental Affairs and Commodities Subcommittee Chair Cody Conrady of Vermilion County; Achievement Subcommittee Chair Amber Towle of Tazewell County; and Education and Recruitment Subcommittee Chair Sam Deisher of Wabash County.

Williams said a goal in his new role is to “add value” to Young Leader programming. He hopes future training and resources will lead more people to be engaged in Young Leaders.

His earlier achievements with Young Leaders include competing nationally in the American Farm Bureau Federation Collegiate Discussion Meet, representing the Wabash Valley Collegiate Farm Bureau. He was also active in the Collegiate Farm Bureau chapter at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale.

Williams said growing up on a farm helped him be “a good manager of time and resources.” Along with his full-time job as an agronomist, he remains involved with the family farm.

Members of the IFB Young Leaders are 18- to 35-year-old men and women who are passionate about agriculture.

It is a member-created, member-driven program of IFB that allows members to promote agriculture, attend conferences and compete in events, including the Young Leader Achievement Award, Excellence in Agriculture Award and discussion meets.

Giving back is also a priority for Young Leaders. Through their Harvest for All program, Young Leaders raise funds, donate food and contribute their time to help fight food insecurity throughout the state.

Former IFB Young Leader Chair Stephen Riskedal of La Salle County in a farewell column in FarmWeek reflected on his time with the Young Leaders.

“As my time as chair comes to an end, I reflect with pride and appreciation on the opportunities Illinois Farm Bureau provides Young Leaders,” Riskedal said.

“The past year has been a rewarding experience and gave me better insight into the inner workings of our organization and its commitment to our members. IFB’s focus on farmers, meeting their needs and setting our organization up for future success is unwavering.”