Farm Bureau Family of Companies announces partnership with MSU College of Agriculture and Natural Resources

Michigan State University’s (MSU) Pavilion for Agriculture and Livestock Education will be renamed the “Farm Bureau Pavilion at Michigan State University” through a first-ever branding agreement between the university and the Michigan Farm Bureau Family of Companies.

Under terms of the branding agreement, Michigan Farm Bureau (MFB) has committed to invest in the MSU College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR) priority fund to support construction, renovations, improvements and other related costs of facilities used by the college.

According to MFB President Carl Bednarski, the agreement formalizes a legacy of the organization’s support of the nation’s first land-grant institution. The organization led the $67 million MSU Livestock Initiative in 1989 to renovate and expand campus livestock facilities, including the livestock pavilion constructed in 1996.

“It only seems fitting that Farm Bureau, once again, strategically invests in the future of Michigan’s agricultural industry,” Bednarski said. “As the nation’s premier land grant university, MSU's focus has always been on research and delivery of cutting-edge technology to help producers successfully grow Michigan agriculture which directly benefits our state’s rural economy.”

Since its inception, Bednarski said Farm Bureau has been tied to MSU, noting the organization was founded on the campus of Michigan Agricultural College in February 1919, before it became Michigan State University.

The branding agreement will help fund modernization and expansion of the high-traffic pavilion, including an additional indoor arena to allow for concurrent events and expanded exhibition space, according to Matt Daum, CANR interim dean.

Currently, the pavilion accommodates over 100 livestock and commercial shows annually, showcasing Michigan agriculture to more than 92,000 people while contributing an estimated $5 million dollars to the local economy. Once complete, the expanded facility is expected to have a direct economic impact of $7.2 million dollars annually. 

“Michigan Farm Bureau and CANR have collaborated for generations: as educators of agricultural leaders, as problem-solvers for Michigan’s farmers through MSU AgBioResearch and as in-the-field outreach providers through MSU Extension, and we are excited that MSU’s own agricultural exhibition center will bear the Farm Bureau name,” said Daum.

For more information on the partnership, contact Jen Miller at (517) 679-4725.

The Michigan Farm Bureau Family of Companies is comprised of several companies including Michigan Farm Bureau, Farm Bureau Insurance of Michigan, Michigan Foundation for Agriculture; MFB, Inc., and others.

Michigan Farm Bureau (MFB) is the state's largest general farm organization, with over 200,000 family members in 65 county Farm Bureaus. MFB is a highly respected champion of agriculture and the rural way of life in Michigan, with members from rural, urban and suburban Michigan. Farm Bureau Insurance of Michigan was founded in 1949 by Michigan farmers who wanted an insurance company that worked as hard as they did. Those values still guide the company today. Farm Bureau Insurance agents across Michigan provide a full range of insurance services—life, home, auto, farm, business, retirement, Lake Estate®, and more—protecting Michigan residents with more than 660,000 insurance policies statewide. For more information about the Michigan Farm Bureau Family of Companies visit MichFB.com.

Michigan State University has been advancing the common good with uncommon will for more than 165 years. One of the world’s leading public research universities, MSU pushes the boundaries of discovery to make a better, safer, healthier world for all while providing life-changing opportunities to a diverse and inclusive academic community through more than 400 programs of study in 17 degree-granting colleges.

The College of Agriculture and Natural Resources was established in 1855 as Michigan State University’s founding college, and its work continues to embody the land-grant mission by applying education, research and outreach to society’s grand challenges.