Shiawassee Co. Farm Bureau earns Grassroots Lobbying Award

Shiawassee County Farm Bureau earned Michigan Farm Bureau’s 2023 Excellence in Grassroots Lobbying Award for its outstanding efforts to build relationships with elected officials at the local, state, and federal level.

Awarded during MFB’s Washington Legislative Seminar in Washington, D.C., the honor recognizes county Farm Bureaus that excel at building relationships with lawmakers and other officials and championing farm-friendly causes.

Shiawassee County’s marquee event is its annual legislative breakfast, which brings in lawmakers as well as the county sheriff, county commissioners, drain commissioner and road commissioner, among others.

“It's more of a community event coming together,” said MFB board member Stephanie Schafer. “It allows their representation from Lansing to see what's going on in Shiawassee County and discuss issues that are coming up.”

The event has yielded meaningful results for farmers, including a 2-mile stretch of road having trees trimmed to open it up for combines to travel on after Shiawassee County Farm Bureau members raised concerns about the issue to the county sheriff and road commissioner.

In recognition of their hard work, Shiawassee County Farm Bureau received a plaque and a $500 grant for their advocacy activities.

“Everybody in the Shiawassee County is very active and we've had great leadership that has helped move that activity,” said Shiawassee County Farm Bureau member Dave Williams, who accepted the award on behalf of the county.

“We've got great membership that really tunes in on the issues and drives engagement, and the staff backs everything up and things just work.”

Congressman John Moolenaar represented Shiawassee County for eight years in the U.S. House prior to Michigan’s recent redistricting changes. In a video message, he said it’s no surprise that Shiawassee County earned the Grassroots Lobbying Award and said it was well deserved.

“I always enjoyed the opportunity to meet with you on your farms and to see firsthand the work you're doing to grow crops and raise livestock,” Moolenaar said.

“Those visits made a big difference and improved my understanding of the issues you face every day. I hope you'll continue your excellent work and serve as an example for local Farm Bureau's across the state.”