The 2022 county annual season launched Aug. 4 with the St. Clair County Farm Bureau convening the first meeting of the year at the county fairgrounds in Goodells.
The meeting kicked off with an optional policy development session where members visited about current issues on their farms and brainstormed possible solutions. As longtime MFB staffer Ernie Birchmeier says, “The best people to come up with a solution are those who are impacted directly by the problem.”
St. Clair President Betty Jo Krosnicki ran an effective, efficient meeting celebrating members’ accomplishments over the past year, thanking volunteers and looking forward to another great year ahead.
District 6 director and St. Clair native son Travis Fahley recognized members for their work supporting a millage for improving agriscience facilities at Capac, including an FFA barn. He also recognized Key Club recipients and praised President Krosnicki for her efforts throughout the year.
Following the meal, MFB Regulatory Relations Specialist Craig Anderson shared a pre-harvest safety overview with members. It’s never easy to be last on the agenda but Craig did a great job keeping members engaged — even laughing — as he reviewed keys to keeping everyone safe through the upcoming harvest.
Farm Bureau members across the state provide food, fuel and fiber to everyone. That’s not something we take lightly or take for granted. We often hear about our members giving back and ensuring those in their own communities are fed.
That is exactly what St. Clair County Farm Bureau did, purchasing four hogs at the county fair raised by local youth. Two were processed and the four halves given away as door prizes at the end of the annual meeting — an effective tactic for keeping folks from sneaking out after dessert!
The remaining two hogs were processed and donated to Julie’s Kids, a Yale Public Schools program that supports students and families in need with emergency assistance, links to helpful resources and other contributions. Yale students raise funds with generous support from communities across St. Clair County. The hogs donated by the county Farm Bureau were purchased and processed at no expense to Julie’s Kids and will be made available to families when they need it the most.
All of this is nothing new, of course. We all know farmers are salt-of-the-earth. Farmers care. Farmers help. And the St. Clair County Farm Bureau embodied that ethic throughout their annual meeting, from the donations to the door prizes and the safety training and everything in between.
The St. Clair County Farm Bureau is there for their members, and every member is an invaluable part of Farm Bureau.
Becca Gulliver is MFB’s member engagement and field training specialist.
Share Story
Article Tags
