Jon Iverson usually starts his mornings with a farm meeting, reviewing with staff what needs to be done that day at Wooden Shoe Farm in Woodburn. He’ll check the sugar levels of the grapes in the vineyard before interacting with customers in the store, as most farmers might.

“One of the beautiful things about agriculture is every day is different,” Iverson said. “As soon as you get bored with a task, it seems like you’re on to the next thing.

What makes Iverson’s days a little different from most farmers, though, is that on some afternoons, he’s spending his downtime completing online lessons for the Partners in Advocacy Leadership program, or PAL, with the American Farm Bureau.

As part of the program, Iverson and nine other farmers from across the U.S will embark on a trip to South Af

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