Day two of MFB’s 102nd Annual Meeting will start with a warm Farm Bureau welcome for an especially noteworthy local — a son of both host city Grand Rapids and the man with his own museum across the river: Steve Ford, son of 38th U.S. President Gerald R. Ford.
Ford will address attendees at MFB’s 102nd Annual Meeting in Grand Rapids, starting from his teenage years as the “First Son,” shadowed by 10 Secret Service agents before pursuing a lengthy and successful acting career.
After six years playing detective Andy Richards on The Young and The Restless, Ford went on to a string of other popular TV shows including Suddenly Susan, Dr. Quinn, JAG, 18 Wheels of Justice, Walker Texas Ranger and The Sentinel. He also appeared in more than 30 feature films, including Blackhawk Down, Transformers, Contact and When Harry Met Sally.
His speaking career, however, leaps past fictional roles into the challenges of addiction recovery rooted in ethics, character, integrity and family. Using his own experiences in politics and entertainment, Ford challenges his audiences to embrace change and transformation as positive forces.
Ford’s path also took him through agriculture. After studying animal science at California State Polytechnic, he worked the professional rodeo circuit as a roper. He still owns a ranch in California and was substantially involved in horse racing as an owner, breeder, race manager and track executive.
The AgriPAC Breakfast starts at 7:15 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 1 in DeVos Place Ballrooms B-C-D. For more information, contact MFB Government Relations Specialist, Matthew D. Kapp, 517-679-5338.