Longtime Michigan Farm Bureau (MFB) commodity guru Bob Boehm has been honored with Michigan State University’s (MSU) College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR) Distinguished Service Award. Boehm retired in 2020 after nearly 30 years serving Michigan Farm Bureau members.
Awarded during CANR’s March 11 awards program, the recognition honors individuals or partners who have made outstanding contributions to Michigan’s agriculture and natural resources industries, and who possess high standards of integrity and character to positively reflect and enhance the prestige of the college.
Boehm invested his life’s work into advancing and promoting Michigan agriculture, starting as part owner of a 250-acre produce and cash crop farm while he was still attending MSU. In 1980 he earned his undergraduate degree in food systems management with emphasis in agriculture economics.
After nine years in the farm-credit world he started with MFB in May 1991 as an agricultural commodity specialist. In 1998 he was promoted to manage MFB’s Center for Commodity, Farm and Industry Relations.
“Being a part of the Farm Bureau family has given me so many wonderful experiences,” Boehm said. “I remember early on attending meetings to learn about the issues of the day and began working to achieve our policy priorities.
“I realized right away the instant acceptance and respect I received when I introduced myself as representing Farm Bureau. I was walking on the hallowed ground of all those who had gone before me and built that reputation.”
Boehm has been a strong advocate for MSU AgBioResearch and MSU Extension over the years. He has been a great partner with MSU and was involved in many projects with members to support Farm Bureau policy priorities during his career, including Project GREEEN and the Alliance for Animal Agriculture. He was instrumental in coordinating many “supper seminars” with the AFRE faculty and staff to enhance coordination between MSU and MFB.
He coordinated with MSU and other partners to lead international study tours to Australia and Ukraine, as well as represented Michigan agriculture at the first and only U.S. Cuba Food and Agribusiness Expo in Havana. He also worked to support the establishment of the farmer-controlled Farm Produce Insurance Authority and assisted in the formation of the Michigan Wheat Program under PA-232.
He had a hand in optimizing several federal-level farm bills and international-trade agreements, and represented Michigan agriculture at the first and only U.S. Cuba Food and Agribusiness Expo in Havana.
Boehm capped his Farm Bureau career by helping design and manage Great Lakes Ag Labor Services (GLALS), helping Michigan become a national leader in applying the H-2A visa program to agriculture. Under his leadership the initiative grew into Michigan’s largest seasonal guestworker agent filer, facilitating the employment of more than 1,700 workers annually on almost 60 farms across the state.
“My goal has always been to make a positive impact by working collaboratively with our members, staff, commodity and industry partners, state and federal agencies and our land grant university to address the challenges and opportunities facing our farmers,” Boehm said.
“As I look back over my career, I hope I’ve upheld the focus on service to our members and contributed positively to our industry and the history of this great organization.”
Boehm and wife Tana plan to spend more time with family, plying the Great Lakes and slowing down at his family’s U.P. cabin.