WILLIAMSBURG—Cheyenne Rhodes of Shenandoah County took top honors Dec. 2 in the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation Young Farmers Discussion Meet during the 2025 VFBF Annual Convention in Williamsburg.

The Discussion Meet is designed to simulate a county Farm Bureau meeting in which members discuss problems and develop possible solutions. Relevant topics are presented to a panel of four competitors who are judged on their discussion skills, understanding of important agricultural issues and ability to build consensus.

This year’s discussion focused on urban sprawl and how Farm Bureau can help promote responsible growth in communities while mitigating the loss of farms and the agrarian way of life. Competitors explored several ways to balance the opportunities and drawbacks of urban expansion. These include increasing engagement with legislators and local officials, and creating local advocacy boards dedicated to working with policy leaders on preserving agriculture and farmland.

They also discussed promoting strategic siting for future development, expanding succession and transition planning resources to help ensure farms pass on to those who will continue farming, and increasing farm profitability so producers can afford to stay in business.

Rhodes and her husband own a commercial poultry, cattle, crop and agritourism operation near Northern Virginia’s metro area. She noted that while preserving farms is a critical concern, responsible urban expansion can offer benefits to producers. It has given her an opportunity to “connect with groups of consumers we otherwise wouldn’t have access to and (who) might not know about our way of life.

“We talked a lot today about the fears and concerns we all have with urban sprawl, but the opportunities it creates are unique,” Rhodes said. “Urban sprawl is not going to be stopped, but I think with the help of Farm Bureau …we can find that balance.”

First runner-up was Jack Dixon of Rockingham County. Dixon is a first-generation farmer producing poultry, heritage hogs and turkey. Other finalists were Cutler Blankenship of Spotsylvania County and Alli Phillips of Rockingham County.

Rhodes will receive a travel package to the 2026 American Farm Bureau Federation Annual Convention in Anaheim, Calif., where she will compete for national honors.

With almost 137,000 members in 88 county Farm Bureaus, VFBF is Virginia’s largest farmers’ advocacy group. Farm Bureau is a non-governmental, nonpartisan, voluntary organization committed to supporting Virginia’s agriculture industry.

View more convention news as it becomes available at vafb.com/convention, and follow us on social media via #VFBF25 .

Contact Kathy Dixon, assistant director of communications, at 804-370-3055.