2026 Ag Industry Tour

Young Leader Ag Industry Tour is headed to Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine

July 13-19, 2026

The Young Leader Committee is excited to announce that this summer, the Young Leader Ag Industry Tour is headed to Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine July 13-19, 2026!

What to Expect: Northern New England agriculture is defined by diverse, smaller-scale family farms and specialty production, including maple, dairy, blueberries, potatoes, and high-value produce, along with a strong emphasis on soil health and climate resilience. This ag industry tour highlights farm management, technology, and agronomic practices across Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.

Registration Procedure: Registration will follow the same process as years past. 35 spots will be available, and the procedure will be as follows:

Registration will be open from 8:00 a.m. on Monday, March 16 through 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 31. During this time period, CFBs can register as many members as they wish, and attendees will be drawn at random. Timestamp does not apply. The registration link will go live on CVENT on March 16.
10 spots will be reserved for first-time attendees. These names will be randomly drawn from the pool of first-time attendees.
The remaining spots will be randomly drawn from the pool of all previous attendees and the remaining first-time attendees.
If a member from your county is accepted and cancels, another member from your county may NOT be substituted. As cancellations arise, open spots will be given to the next alternate on the list.
Members of the State Young Leader Committee do receive priority in registering. Spouses of committee members must register through their county and are subject to the same registration process as CFB members.
CFB managers and staff are not eligible to attend.

Registration Submission: Member information must be submitted by CFB staff through CVENT. The registration link will be on Leader’s Portal.

The form will open at 8:00 a.m. on Monday, March 16 through 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 31.
Please fill out one form per member. The form will ask for the following:

Member info: Name, Email Address, Cell Phone #, Date of Birth, IMIS ID, and County (please double check to make sure all this info is correct)
Has this member attended an Ag Industry Tour before?
Is the member willing to share a room with another participant? If so, list who they would like to be roomed with.
County Staff info: Name and Email Address

An automated email will be sent to the county contact’s email address letting you know the registration form has been received. This does not guarantee the member a spot on the tour. Perry Harlow will send an email after registration closes letting CFBs who registered members know who is accepted into the trip and who will remain in the waiting pool. For those accepted, registration fees will need to be received by May 8.

Registration Link: www.ilfb.events/2026AgIndustryTour

Registration Fee: The registration fee will be $750 per person, which includes all meals and hotel accommodations for Monday through Saturday nights. The registration fee is based on double occupancy and does not include travel to/from Vermont and Maine. If a member does not wish to share a hotel room with another attendee, the county will be invoiced for an additional $450 fee to cover the cost of a single occupancy room.

Logistics: Attendees must arrive at the hotel in Burlington, VT on Monday, July 13 at 4:00 PM and hotel accommodations will be provided that evening. If there are enough members arriving at the same time group travel will be coordinated but that will be announced at a later date. The tour will begin on Monday evening with a tour and wrap up on Sunday, July 19 at 9:00 AM. The tour will conclude from Portland, ME, so traveling by car is prohibited for this trip. Attendees can then fly home on Sunday morning. Travel to and from Vermont & Maine is at their own expense.

YL Age Restriction: Please note that to attend the trip, the member must be between the ages of 18 and 35, while not turning 36 before July 19, 2026. They must also be a Member in Good Standing when registered and at the time of the trip.