Glossophobia is the fear of public speaking. Most of us would likely identify with having some version of this fear. Our heart rate increases, our voices shake and we can’t think of the words we need right when we need them. This fear affects up to 75 percent of the population to some degree and is often cited as a stronger fear than death.

For Lindy McMillen of Lane County, glossophobia presented itself in small ways when she was young, but now, in her 30s, she loves public speaking. Whereas most people get sweaty palms, McMillen thrives.

“My first public speaking experience was as a 4 H’er when I was 8 or 9 years old. I was giving my first project talk in my club about a bucket calf I had at the time, and I was shaking in my shoes and so nervous,” McMillen says. “That’s where the public speaking started, and through other opportunities in 4-H, FFA and Farm Bureau, I’ve grown to love public speaking and competing.”

McMillen has honed her public speaking skills to the point of winning Kansas Farm Bureau’s Young Farmers and Ranchers (YF&R) Discussion Meet, earning her a spot to compete nationally at American Farm Bureau Federation’s (AFBF) YF&R Discussion Meet this past January.

A COMPETITION WITH IMPACT

The competition simulates a committee meeting in which a topic is presented, then four to six competitors discuss and interact to reach possible solutions or outcomes. Rather than memorizing a speech or having a heated debate, the idea of the discussion meet is to work as a team and adopt congenial attitudes around a board table, where even if disagreements arise, they’re handled civilly and respectfully.

“What matters in the competition are the same things that matter if you’re in a boardroom: being able to think about an issue, think critically about why it’s an issue, how it’s affecting people, what the problem is — and then think critically about
what the solutions ought to be while having collaboration and good conversation with the others in the room,” McMillen says. “That’s what makes this competition different from other contests. You’re sitting in a group of other people who have their own opinions on the topic. It’s being able to figure out how everybody’s thoughts come together into solutions that make sense, even if they aren’t the solutions you brought into the room.”

Through a lot of preparation and talking with industry experts on the predetermined list of questions for the four rounds of competition, McMillen was ready to take the national stage. Topics for the questions included urban sprawl, how Farm Bureau members can leverage technology to connect with their elected and appointed officials, farm succession planning, environmental stewardship and Farm Bureau member benefits.

“Kansas Farm Bureau jumped all in to help me get ready to prepare for the national competition,” McMillen says. “I talked to a lot of really involved Farm Bureau members about how the issues we were to discuss affected them on their operations or in their businesses. It gave me really good perspectives on the issues beyond just my own. And I think that was probably the most valuable thing: just hearing about the issues that are affecting other people in agriculture.”

THE FINAL ROUND

The stage is set in Anaheim, Calif. Two tables stand ready for four finalists — the last contenders after rounds of competition have drawn participants from across the country. The moderator steps forward, lays out the prompt and invites the competitors to begin their discussion about strategies to enhance member benefits. Throughout the competition, the conversation flows easily and respectfully, a welcome reprieve in a world where the opposite is often on display.

“In our society now, we’ve forgotten how to agree to disagree,” McMillen says. “No one’s perspective is necessarily wrong; it's just how they’re viewing the issue through their lens. You don’t have to agree, but maybe sharing how your perspective is different means there’s a compromise in the middle — or maybe there’s not — but being respectful, that’s a life skill that’s translatable outside of a discussion.”

When the final result was announced, Lindy McMillen of Kansas was named the first-place winner in the AFBF YF&R Discussion Meet.

“Winning the competition leaves me inspired by the power of advocating for issues that matter and of being plugged in,” McMillen says. “The voice of the collective is stronger than the voice of the individual, but it takes the individual voices to make up the collective.”

THE VOICE OF THE COLLECTIVE FOR THE BETTER

McMillen sees the mission of Farm Bureau as being the “Voice of Agriculture,” where together, change can be made in a respectful, positive way to empower farmers, ranchers and rural communities to thrive.

“My particular perspective on an issue might not matter so much if I call my legislator, which I still do, but if I
give my issue to Farm Bureau, and it’s the voice of the collective, it can matter a lot more,” McMillen says.

The format of this contest not only highlights important topics in agriculture and rural America, but also requires cooperative attitudes, diverse perspectives, unified solutions and an overarching mission to leave the world in a better place.

“I left the competition feeling like our generation is going to solve a lot of problems in this industry,” McMillen says. “We’re already solving problems, but we’re going to make this industry better because we care about it being better. Farm Bureau is an important part of the voice of the collective to help us figure out how we move the needle on issues that make us better.”

THE GRASSROOTS MISSION AT WORK

Even at the top of her game, McMillen knows the grassroots level is really where impacts are made and matter most. The
discussion meet competition isn’t just a contest about public speaking, but an opportunity to move the needle on issues important to agriculture and rural communities across Kansas.

At the end of each round, McMillen remembers the moderator challenging the competitors to take the issues they talked about and implement the solutions in their home states and on their Main Streets.

“It was refreshing to have that reminder,” McMillen says. “It’s so important to take the things we discussed throughout the competition and actually implement some of the solutions — to go back to the grassroots level and advocate for policies that matter and to translate these skills into something that enacts change. Winning this competition made me feel empowered to do things on issues I care about locally.”

And McMillen cares. She loves being part of rural America and raising her son, Clark, with her husband, Matt, on their farm south of Dighton. 

“Honestly, I love living in rural America,” McMillen says. “I just love living here in Dighton. The best people live here. People care about each other. You know, if we go anywhere in town, people are asking how we’re doing, they’re glad to see my kid. It’s a great place to have a family, and I love living where people care about each other.”

Dighton loves her too. After winning the national contest, McMillen says her friends threw her a surprise party, a community member told her she put Dighton on the map, and her husband jokes about being her “trophy husband.” It seems easy to be proud of McMillen.

“I didn’t do this competition because I wanted a pat on the back,” she says. “I did want to win, of course, but man, it floors me that so many people cared about my success.”

A FULL-CIRCLE 4-H MOMENT

After McMillen found out she won the national discussion meet, she learned one of the judges was Jill Bramble, president and CEO of the National 4-H Council — a full-circle moment when she remembered experiencing a bit of glossophobia as a young 4-H’er.

That’s the impact organizations like 4-H, FFA and Farm Bureau can have on individuals — transforming a young girl from shaking while talking about her bucket calf to a leader winning a national public speaking competition addressing important issues in agriculture.

“It’s because of organizations that pour into you and help you develop lifelong skills,” she says.

Fear of public speaking is not a factor for her. 

To learn more about the competition and other competitive events through Farm Bureau, go here.

ALL ABOUT LINDY

• Lindy McMillen grew up in Finney County, where she first connected with KFB as a high school ag ambassador on the Finney County Farm Bureau board. She attended Kansas State University, where she won the state Collegiate Discussion Meet and advanced to the Sweet 16 nationally in the collegiate competition.
•  After a stint in Colorado, Lindy and Matt moved back to Kansas in 2020 and rapidly expanded their operation in 2021, when two local retiring farmers offered them opportunities to take on additional land. Lindy, Matt and their son now live in Lane County, south of Dighton, on their fifth-generation, 100-plus-year-old family farm.
• Lindy works in the grain industry with Garden City Co-op, overseeing merchandising and origination for 21 locations from Dighton to Oklahoma. She loves helping farmers navigate markets and market their grain profitably.
• She served on the KFB YF&R committee, then was KFB’s YF&R Discussion Meet champion (2025) before winning the national AFBF YF&R Discussion Meet (2026).
• She is active in 4-H and FFA alumni circles and was recently sworn in as a member of the United Sorghum Checkoff Board. She’s a strong advocate for grassroots, collective advocacy through Farm Bureau.
• For placing first in the AFBF YF&R Discussion Meet, McMillen was awarded $35,000 from Ford, a generous sponsor of the competition. She traded up to a brand-new Ford Expedition.
  • “It’s too much,” McMillen says humbly, “but I love it.”
  • Ford, Case IH, AmericanAg and Stanley Black and Decker are all supportive sponsors of the YF&R competitive events.