KFU member selected as Next Generation rep to NFU board

Matthew Fowler (right) with wife Madeline and daughter Kennedy at their Cottonwood Valley Farm near Emporia, KS.

Emporia area farmer Matthew Fowler has been selected as the Next Generation Advisory Representative on National Farmers Union’s Board of Directors.

Fowler is a sixth-generation resident of Lyon County, Kansas, where his family has farmed since 1855. A third-generation Farmers Union member, he is passionate about strengthening family agriculture, advocating for rural communities, and ensuring the next generation of producers has a voice in shaping the future of American agriculture.

He also operates Cottonwood Valley Farm near Emporia, Kansas, where he and his family grow vegetables for local markets and direct consumers. As a beginning farmer, he understands firsthand the opportunities and challenges facing young and beginning producers, including access to markets, profitability, and long-term farm sustainability.

"I am honored to be selected to serve as one of the National Farmers Union's Next Generation Advisory Representatives for the next three years. I look forward to learning from producers across the country, building lasting relationships, and helping ensure the voice of family agriculture continues to be represented as we prepare for the next generation," Fowler said.

“Matt is a fine young man who will represent rural Kansas, and Kansas Farmers Union, well on the board of directors of National Farmers Union,” KFU President Donn Teske said. “The NextGen program offered by NFU, which chooses only one applicant nationally each year, is an excellent program to help young leaders with natural leadership traits to help those traits refine and mature. And it is special that Matt comes from a three-generation Kansas Farmers Union family. Matt’s grandfather, Ray Fowler, served on the KFU board of directors for many, many years,” Teske said.

In addition to farming, Fowler serves as Director of Visit Emporia, leading efforts to strengthen the region's economy through tourism, events, and community development. His background in communications, media production, and public engagement has allowed him to work with local, state, and national organizations to promote rural communities, build partnerships, and advocate for initiatives that support economic growth and quality of life in rural America.

Through Farmers Union, Fowler has participated in leadership development programs, agricultural policy discussions, and advocacy efforts on behalf of family farmers and ranchers. He is particularly interested in issues affecting beginning farmers, rural economic vitality, market opportunities, and the long-term sustainability of family agriculture. He believes strongly in Farmers Union's principles of Education, Cooperation, and Legislation and is committed to helping ensure family farmers remain at the center of agricultural policy and rural development.

Matthew lives in Emporia with his wife, Madeline, and their daughter, Kennedy, where they continue a family tradition of farming, service, and community leadership that spans more than 170 years.