Nebraska Farm Bureau announces 2026 Leadership Academy members

Thanks to the 2025 NEFB Leadership Academy and all their efforts to become stronger leaders for Nebraska Farm Bureau and agriculture.

Nebraska Farm Bureau (NEFB) has announced the 10 farmers,ranchers and agribusiness professionals selected for the 2026 LeadershipAcademy. The group begins its year-long program in January.

The 2026 class will approach the year with a focuson building practical leadership skills.

“This program gives members real experience inleadership and advocacy, preparing them to step into roles that strengthen FarmBureau and their communities. Throughout the year, they gain a clearerunderstanding of the issues facing agriculture and learn how to speak up inways that make a meaningful difference,” said Audrey Schipporeit, NEFB’sdirector of leadership development.

Throughout the year, participants will take part insessions on leadership development; Farm Bureau’s county, state and nationalstructure; key policy issues in agriculture; and the importance of agriculturalliteracy. The class will also travel to Lincoln and Washington, D.C., to meetwith elected officials and agency staff.

“This class represents a group of passionate,committed individuals who are ready to make a real difference in theircommunities and across Nebraska. We’re proud to recognize their achievement andcan’t wait to see all they accomplish. Congratulations to the 2026 LeadershipAcademy class,” Schipporeit said.

These 10 members have been selected for the 2026Nebraska Farm Bureau Leadership Academy:

Isaac Brunkow is a member of Clay County FarmBureau. He grew up in northeastern Kansas and was involved in Farm Bureaubefore moving to Nebraska. He is now the sheep operations manager at the U.S.Meat Animal Research Center and takes great pride in his role as a partner forindustry partners.

Seth Hanna is a member of Cherry County Farm Bureauand resides near Valentine. He is a sixth-generation rancher and currentlymanages the family cow/calf/yearling operation. Hanna attended NebraskaWesleyan University and spent two years living and working in Phoenix, Arizona,before returning home to his family’s ranch.

Bryce Roberts is a member of Harlan/Furnas CountyFarm Bureau. He grew up in central Kansas and has been involved in productionagriculture his entire life, showing sheep and cattle across multiple statesand competing in livestock judging at the collegiate level. After receiving adegree in feed science from Kansas State University, Roberts relocated to south-centralNebraska where he works as a grain merchandiser for Ag Valley Co-Op. He ispassionate about supporting the next generation of agricultural leaders,coaches a local FFA livestock-judging team and judges livestock at county fairsthroughout Kansas and Nebraska.

Matthew Bloss is a member of Pawnee County FarmBureau and farms near Pawnee City. He and his family have farmed for 25 yearsand owned and operated a small business for 15 years.  

Ellen Schmidt is a member of Thayer County FarmBureau and resides near Deshler. She and her husband, Andy, raise corn,soybeans, wheat, alfalfa and a 75-head commercial Simmental-Angus herd with asmall feedlot. They are the fifth generation to live on the family farm and areraising their four children there. Schmidt is active in her community andchurch, serving in leadership roles on various boards and organizations.

McKinley Wilson is a member of Saunders County FarmBureau and was raised on her family's row crop farm north of Yutan. Growing up,she was active in 4-H, showing horses, cattle and pigs. She earned her lawdegree from Creighton University and now practices as a business attorney inOmaha, while remaining involved in her family’s farming operation andagricultural lime business. McKinley is also active in her community, servingon the boards of the Saunders County Agricultural Society and the Saunders CountyFair Foundation.

Ariel Gartner is a member of Johnson County FarmBureau and works as a sales associate for Farm Bureau Financial Services inTecumseh. She received an agribusiness degree with a focus in animal sciencefrom Southeast Community College. Gartner lives on a farm with her husband andtwo children and enjoys spending time with her horses, dogs and chickens.

Travis Runge is a member of Colfax County FarmBureau and lives near Schuyler. Travis works full-time as a fertilizer,chemical and seed dealer and raises 475 acres of corn and soybeans.

Carter Smith is a member of Polk County Farm Bureau.He grew up on a row crop farm south of Shelby, raising corn and soybeans, and,more recently, seed corn. He attended Nebraska Wesleyan University where healso played football. Smith briefly interned at Farm Bureau before taking aninternship with Sen. Deb Fischer’s office in Washington, D.C. He returned toNebraska to work on the family farm and for Rep. Mike Flood, focusing onagriculture policy and constituent casework.

Micah Erickson is a member of Johnson County FarmBureau and lives with his wife, Averi, in Lincoln. Originally from Sterling,Erickson grew up working on his family farm and is still involved today. Theoperation includes roughly 1,000 acres of row crops along with several customfarming services. Having previously raised hogs, the family has transitionedout of that enterprise and now raises chickens for Smart Chicken in Tecumseh.