Outside engaging tours, a fun agenda, and loads of networking, Michigan Farm Bureau’s leadership and education conferences always pack a learning wallop for farmers.
Next year’s slate at Growing Together 2025 is no exception, with a deep, something-for-everyone approach. Here are just a few highlights from this year’s breakout lineup.
Agribusiness & Economics
Taming the Bullwhip: Navigating Uncertainty in Agricultural Supply Chains with Trey Malone, Purdue University Boehlje Endowed Chair for Managerial Economics in Agribusiness.
The "bullwhip effect" is about how small changes in consumer demand can create ripples — even shocks — throughout the agricultural supply chain. We’ll explore the critical importance of understanding your end user, the role of international supply chains, and how input pricing affects your operation. Learn strategies to identify supply chain vulnerabilities, diversify sourcing, and align your business with customer needs.
Whether you’re a farmer or an agribusiness professional, this session will help you anticipate challenges, make informed decisions, and build a more resilient operation.
Navigating the Lending Process to Help Grow Your Business with Jonathan LaPorte, MSU Extension Farm Business Management Educator.
What benefits do loans really provide your farm business? How do you prepare to apply? What do lenders look for when reviewing a loan request? Get these answers and better understand how loans can help grow your farm business.
Promotion & Education
Celebrate Your Farm’s Legacy: Methods for Preserving and Honoring Your Farm Family Story with Emily Klingbeil, Green Meadow Farms.
Learn how Michigan’s centennial farm families tell their story and document their farms’ history. Hear how to get involved in local history initiatives, connect with your community and preserve older farm buildings. Bring your farm’s history to life and celebrate its place in your community!
Come Build with Us with Katie Cooper, MFB Promotion & Education Specialist; Cody Baker, Michigan Ag in the Classroom Regional Ag Educator, Michelle Blodgett, MAITC Manager.
From fairs to classrooms to Projects RED, you’ll find new and updated hands-on activities for local outreach programming and return home with examples of fun new make-and-takes. Let's build together!
Safety & Mental Health
Your Grocery List for Mental Health, Sane Farming and Volunteer Retention with Sarah Zastrow of Cultivate Balance and Midland County Farm Bureau.
Stabilize mood swings and afternoon crashes while balancing out lulls and ensuring everyone has the fuel to be at their best, whether on the farm, in the classroom or during a county Farm Bureau event! Whether you're wrangling toddlers or seniors, learn how your grocery list impacts on your mental health.
Farm Safety and Fire Rescue: Protecting Michigan's Ag Community with Jonathon Degen, Rural Rescue Educators.
Discuss the crucial importance of farm safety and the role of local fire departments in farm rescues. Through real-life case studies and practical recommendations, we’ll empower attendees with the knowledge and tools needed to enhance farm safety and improve emergency response capabilities in Michigan's farm sector.
Sunday
Optional Sunday workshops also pack a punch, helping participants do a deep dive on the topics that really matter:
- Real Colors Assessment, Betty Jo Krosnicki, MSU Extension Supervising Educator
- Communication Strategies to Inspire Trust and Confidence, Donna Moenning, Center for Food Integrity Senior Director
- Lean Thinking in Agriculture: Smarter Processes, Better Results, Trey Malone, Purdue University
- Practical Farm Finance: Solutions for Stability and Growth, Michael H. McKeown, Partner at McKeown Kraai Professional, CPAs
- Around the World in Agriculture, Chris Koch, Keynote Speaker
Full descriptions of all these sessions (and more) can be found on the conference website.
Interested in attending? Let us know so we can connect you with your county Farm Bureau.
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