Ag Art Gallery auction nets nearly $10K for Michigan Foundation for Agriculture

The coffers at the Michigan Foundation for Agriculture saw a windfall of nearly $10,000 after the Ag Art Gallery auctions at MFB’s 2024 State Annual Meeting in Grand Rapids. Almost 40 contributions — that’s a record — from members crafty and creative were voted on by annual-meeting attendees, with the top three popular vote winners fetching pumped-up sums in a live auction that wrapped up the Dec. 4 annual banquet.

Here’s how those pieces fared that made it into the live-auction ring:

• A walnut bench crafted by Calhoun County Farm Bureau member Patrick Butler fetched the biggest sum after being bought three times by as many buyers. It first went to the Kalamazoo County Farm Bureau, then bounced to George Smith before finally going home with Ingham County members Doug and Tami Shaw. 
• Metal creations from Eaton County’s Katelyn Thompson continues their popular run. This year her 3-D metal barn scene netted a tidy sum from buyer Jerry Neyer (which rhymes) of Isabella County and the Michigan House of Representatives.
• A wooden rocking horse pig named Pork Chop, crafted by MFB Commodity Specialist Teresa Sisung, was purchased by Patrick Cudney. 

Also sneaking onto the live auction stage was MFB’s own “At the Table” branding iron, custom made for use in promoting the theme of this year’s annual meeting. Muskegon County cattleman Wayne Klein took home that keepsake.

Another 34 member submissions across all categories went home with new owners following the silent auction, which generated another $3,335 for an overall take of $9,935 for Foundation programming. 

Crafty items contributed to this year’s Ag Art Gallery came from across a wider than ever spectrum of Farm Bureau members, from well-know who’s-who-ers to gallery newcomers and even some of MFB’s own home-office staff.

Donations to the Foundation are tax-deductible and super easy to squeeze in before the end of the tax year; just click here!

A 501c3 formed by Michigan Farm Bureau, the Michigan Foundation for Agriculture has a mission of positively contributing to the future of Michigan agriculture through leadership and educational programming. Strategic partners are being sought to invest in helping Michigan’s citizens understand agriculture’s importance and the vital role it plays in their daily lives. Key programs, along with additional educational opportunities continually reviewed, foster leadership and outreach to build understanding of agriculture in Michigan.