State-annual delegates: Register by Oct. 25!

Hundreds of county Farm Bureau delegates — like Missaukee County fish farmer Dan Vogler, for instance — chart your organization’s direction on the delegate floor in Grand Rapids, Dec. 3-4 this year.

Date Posted: October 11, 2024

Jeremy C. Nagel, Michigan Farm Bureau

First things first: Friday Oct. 25 is the deadline to register for Michigan Farm Bureau’s 2024 State Annual Meeting. Regular members interested in representing their county Farm Bureau throughout this year’s State Annual should immediately reach out to their county president, administrative manager or MFB Regional Manager!

Now, about that event…

For the fifth year running, MFB’s State Annual Meeting will continue the hybrid format launched in 2020 as a result of the Covid pandemic. Here’s how that breaks down this year:

Online Kickoff

Your state Farm Bureau’s 2024 Annual Meeting all starts 7-8 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 6 with a virtual (online) kickoff event. County Farm Bureau delegates will receive an invitation link via email.

The virtual kickoff launches the overall annual meeting process with opening remarks and a call to order from MFB President Carl Bednarski, followed by reports from the credentials and rules committees; approval of the 2023 Annual Meeting Minutes; and reports from MFB COO Michelle Reynaert, Farm Bureau Insurance CEO Don Simon, and Treasurer Tom Nugent.

Discussion Meet Prelims

Another online component setting the stage for Grand Rapids is the preliminary round of the state-level Young Farmer Discussion Meet. Virtual prelims will happen in cyberspace starting at 9:30 a.m. Nov. 9.

The preliminary rounds will narrow the field of contestants who will face off in the Sweet 16 and final rounds, Dec. 3 in Grand Rapids.

District Meetings

Delegates in Districts 4-9 will meet in Grand Rapids, just prior to the Annual Meeting: 11:45 a.m. Dec. 3 in various conference rooms in the Amway Grand Hotel. (Specific rooms aren’t yet assigned; stay tuned!)

Delegates in Districts 1-3 and 10-12 will meet local in November:

District 1 — 6:30 p.m. Nov. 11; Delta Hotel, 2747 S. 11th St., Kalamazoo
District 2 — 6:30 p.m. Nov. 19; Olivia’s Chop House, 205 E. Chicago St., Jonesville
District 3 — 6 p.m. Nov. 13; Weber’s Ann Arbor, 3050 Jackson Rd., Ann Arbor
District 4 — 11:45 a.m. Dec. 3; Amway Grand Plaza, Grand Rapids
District 5 — 11:45 a.m. Dec. 3; Amway Grand Plaza, Grand Rapids
District 6 — 11:45 a.m. Dec. 3; Amway Grand Plaza, Grand Rapids
District 7 — 11:45 a.m. Dec. 3; Amway Grand Plaza, Grand Rapids
District 8 — 11:45 a.m. Dec. 3; Amway Grand Plaza, Grand Rapids
District 9 — 11:45 a.m. Dec. 3; Amway Grand Plaza, Grand Rapids
District 10 — 9 a.m. Nov. 11; Buck’s Country Cookin’, 105 Plaza East, West Branch
District 11 — 6 p.m. Nov. 12; The Boathouse, 204 Water St., East Jordan
District 12 — 12 p.m. Nov. 12; Holiday Inn Marquette, 1951 US-41 West, Marquette

Members representing each district on the state-level Policy Development Committee will provide attendees with an overview of the issues county Farm Bureau representatives will consider on the delegate floor in Grand Rapids.

Look for an overview of this year’s policy slate in the next issue of Farm Gate, crashing your inbox Nov. 5.

District meetings also cover several important housekeeping items, including delegate chair responsibilities and training in CloudVote, the system used by delegates taking part both in-person and remotely.

Grand Rapids

Everything culminates Dec. 3-4 at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel & DeVos Convention Center in downtown Grand Rapids, where delegates will engage in their final deliberations on policy recommendations that began taking shape months ago at your own county Farm Bureau.

That’s not all that happens in Grand Rapids, of course. Keep reading for a preliminary look at this year’s agenda, subject to some change as details are finalized in the coming weeks:

Tuesday, Dec. 3

8 a.m. – 9 p.m. — Registration; DeVos Secchia Lobby
8 – 10 a.m. — Young Farmer Discussion Meet registration; DeVos Grand Gallery
10 – 10:20 a.m. — Young Farmer Discussion Meet competitors’ & judges’ briefing; DeVos Grand Gallery Rooms
10:30 – 11:30 a.m. — Young Farmer Discussion Meet, Sweet 16 round 1; DeVos Grand Gallery Rooms
11:45 a.m. – 1:15 p.m. — District meetings; various Amway meeting rooms TBD
1:15 – 7 p.m. — Connecting Communities Showcase; DeVos Grand Gallery
1:15 – 7 p.m. — Michigan Foundation for Agriculture Agricultural Art Gallery showcase & voting; DeVos Grand Gallery
1:30 – 2:30 p.m. — Young Farmer Discussion Meet, Sweet 16 round 2; DeVos Grand Gallery Rooms
2:45 – 5:45 p.m. — Opening Delegate Session (virtual attendees join at 2:15 p.m.); DeVos Ballroom A — welcome; scheduled policies
2:45 – 4 p.m. — Young Farmer Excellence Award presentation & Discussion Meet Final Four announcement; DeVos Grand Gallery Room CD
6:15 – 7 p.m. — Consumers Energy Reception; DeVos Grand Gallery
7 – 9:15 p.m. — Leadership Banquet; DeVos Ballroom BCD — Young Farmer Discussion Meet finals; Young Farmer Award recognition; Educator of the Year Award; President’s Address; Young Farmer Discussion Meet & winner announcement
9:30 – 11 p.m. — President Bednarski Retirement Reception; Amway Ambassador Ballroom

Wednesday, Dec. 4

6 a.m. – 9 p.m. — Registration; DeVos Secchia Lobby
7:30 – 8:45 a.m. — AgriPac Breakfast, guest speaker Bill Ballenger; DeVos Ballroom BCD
7:45 – 8:15 a.m. — High School & Collegiate Discussion Meet registration; DeVos Grand Gallery
8:15 – 8:45 a.m. — High School & Collegiate Discussion Meet briefings: High School (DeVos Grand Gallery D); Collegiate (DeVos Grand Gallery A)
8:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. — Michigan Foundation for Agriculture Agricultural Art Gallery showcase & voting; DeVos Grand Gallery
9 – 9:45 a.m. — High School & Collegiate Discussion Meet, round 1; DeVos Grand Gallery Rooms
9 a.m. – 12 p.m. — Children’s Museum Field Trip (pre-registration required); meet in DeVos Grand Gallery
9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. — Delegate Session (virtual attendees join at 8:30 a.m.); DeVos Ballroom A — nomination and elections of district, Young Farmer, Promotion & Education and at-large directors; scheduled policies; block voting
10 – 10:45 a.m. — High School & Collegiate Discussion Meet round 2; DeVos Grand Gallery Rooms
11:15 a.m. — High School & Collegiate Discussion Meet finalist announcement; DeVos Grand Gallery DE
11:30 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. — High School & Collegiate Discussion Meet finals: High School (DeVos Grand Gallery DE); Collegiate (DeVos Grand Gallery AB)
12:45 – 2:30 p.m. — Member Engagement Lunch; DeVos Ballroom BCD — Key Club recognition; membership awards; High School & Collegiate Discussion Meet winners announced; Volunteer of the Year Award
2:30 – 6:30 p.m. — Michigan Foundation for Agriculture Agricultural Art Gallery silent auction; DeVos Grand Gallery
2:45 – 5:30 p.m. — Closing Delegate Session (virtual attendees join at 2:15 p.m.); DeVos Ballroom A — scheduled policies; block voting
5:30 – 6:30 p.m. — Reception; DeVos Grand Gallery
6:30 – 9 p.m. — Annual Banquet with guest speakers AFBF President Zippy Duvall & former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue; DeVos Ballroom BCD — Sonny Perdue’s address; Distinguished Service to Agriculture Award; Zippy Duvall’s address; Michigan Foundation for Agriculture Agricultural Art Gallery live auction