The Minnesota Farm Bureau Leadership, Education, Advocacy and Promotion (LEAP) Conference is designed to provide leadership and advocacy training for all Farm Bureau members.
Jan. 10-11, 2025 - Red Wing
Registration and hotel information coming soon!
During the two day conference, attendees have the opportunity to take deep dives into agriculture issues during breakout sessions hosted by topic experts, develop their advocacy toolkit, participate in leadership and professional development experiences and expand their agriculture network by connecting with other members and leaders from across the state. There are also pre-conference tours, connecting attendees to agriculture and businesses located in the host city, and a service project in which members can give back to a unique community-based organization.
2025 LEAP Conference Keynote Speaker
We are excited to announce Lieutenant Colonel Robert J. Darling as this year's keynote speaker, Lieutenant Colonel Robert J. Darling, USMC (Ret.).
Lt. Col. Darling retired from the United States Marine Corps in 2007 with just over twenty years of active duty service. After an impressive early career piloting attack helicopters in Desert Shield, Desert Storm, and as a presidential pilot with Marine Helicopter Squadron One, he was handpicked in October 2000 to work for the White House Military Office, Airlift Operations Department. It was in this position that, during the attack of September 11, 2001, he supported the President, Vice President and National Security Advisor in the underground President's Emergency Operations Center (PEOC) and witnessed unprecedented leadership and decision making at the highest levels of our government.
Lt. Col. Darling chronicles these developments in his book: 24 Hours Inside the President's Bunker, 9/11/01: The White House, and shares the principles of crisis leadership and decision making with his audiences with an “edge of your seat” presentation that’ll take you from the moment the attack was realized, to the courageous decisions made to stop it, to the safeguards and policies our country now has in-place in an attempt to prevent it from ever happening again. This presentation is designed to ensure we, as a nation, never forget the events of 9/11/01, and to inspire all leaders to take the necessary steps to protect and safeguard their employees, organizations and their communities.