Michigan Farm Bureau’s Champions of Excellence Awards recognize county Farm Bureaus for outstanding grassroots efforts implementing member-developed policy, advocating organizational positions and promoting Michigan agriculture.
Activities are evaluated based on the innovation and effectiveness of programs executed over the preceding program year. Successful programs are shared with other counties so great ideas can spread, enriching Farm Bureau and Michigan agriculture overall.
Our fourth batch of Champions of Excellence winners looks at the outreach and member-engagement activities in Emmet and Saginaw counties that earned them district-level Champions of Excellence awards.
Emmet
Emmet County Farm Bureau made room this summer to celebrate its members and the value they get for being part of Michigan’s largest farm organization.
After a long day on the farm — and often a shift off the farm — few are up for a high-intensity activity, so this event aimed to give members relaxed social time with their peers: A beautiful June evening at member-owned Petoskey Farms Vineyard and Winery did the trick, giving Emmet’s hard-working members a night away from the farm, with camaraderie and fellowship and plenty of wood-fired pizza.
Membership Captain Ben Blaho led the event-planning committee, assigning board members sub-tasks from food and games to signage and invitations. Everyone played a role to ensure the evening went smoothly.
Direct-mail invitations to 140 members netted 35 attendees — approximately one-quarter of Emmet’s regular membership.
President Bill McMaster spoke with one of Emmet’s new Young Farmer members and convinced him to attend after a long year of inactivity. That Young Farmer also brought members of his own family as well to take in the event.
Membership leaders made the most of the county’s prospect list and drove home the latent value of benefits that save members many times their annual dues, from publications like Farm Gate and Michigan Farm News, to the work of MFB lobbyists fighting for farmers’ priorities in Lansing and D.C.
Promotion & Education Chair Maria Ginop talked about Centennial Farms and how Emmet County Farm Bureau will help those seeking that status complete the application process — even foot the $175 bill for the first centennial farm family who asks. She also spoke about distributing FARM Crates and other ag-education materials to local schools.
A Connecting Communities grant helped put a new ag trivia wheel and branded Jenga games in play to keep attendees challenged and engaged.
Third Member and AgriPAC-endorsed candidate Parker Fairbairn spoke to the importance of voting in national, state and local elections. And Petoskey-based Farm Bureau Insurance Agent Megan Nothelfer and her staff treated members to ice cream.
Membership value is key to Emmet’s mission, but recent data on its aging demographics inspired renewed focus on new-member recruitment, involving the uninvolved and appreciating those who’ve remained on the books. A proactive approach to bolstering the membership roster and encouraging involvement is central to Emmet’s continued endurance and prosperity.
Saginaw
Saginaw County Farm Bureau’s annual ag tire recycling drive checks several boxes on its board of directors’ to-do list by providing members with a practical, needed service, and sparking conversations encouraging members to engage with other Farm Bureau programs.
Board-approved back in February, an ad hoc planning committee included members active in several program areas, all coordinating with the County Administrative Manager Kate Laski to choose dates, dialogue with a nearby rubber recycling center, and carefully map out logistics.
Direct-mail postcards invited all regular members with instructions for reserving assigned time slots for delivering their old tires to Environmental Rubber Recycling of Flint, where they were mechanically unloaded and donors could see them shredded into useful new products like rubber playground “gravel” and construction-ready aggregate.
Delivery was scheduled at 15-minute intervals, ensuring an organized and safe flow of traffic. Farmers received delivery tickets to present upon arrival in Flint. Prior to that, though, they reported in the number and types of tires they had on hand — information Laski tracked in a spreadsheet along with appointments, time slots and estimated weights for each load.
The $10,000 bottom line was paid partly with sponsorships the planning committee solicited from Greenstone, local ag businesses and community foundations, with the county Farm Bureau covering what remained.
Key to the drive’s success was the responsibility shouldered by the participating members, who accurately reported their spent-tire inventory and delivered them promptly to the recycling location.
There’s already a waiting list for the next go-around, and another cherry on top is that 80% of this year’s participants were newcomers to Farm Bureau involvement. One farmer even renewed his long-dormant membership after years of inactivity.
On the practical side, this year’s drive helped more than 40 members tidy up their farms and dispose of worn tires in a responsible, environmentally friendly manner that upholds their commitment to responsible environmental stewardship. Altogether 455 farm tires and tracks were removed from Saginaw County’s agricultural landscape — nearly 50,000 pounds of spent rubber.
Even more foundational support for the endeavor is found in Farm Bureau policy, specifically those regarding pollution prevention, recycling and waste recovery.
Look for our final Champions of Excellence district winners in the next Farm Gate, Oct. 15.
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