Michigan Farm Bureau Grants Empower Counties to Connect with Consumers

Michigan Farm Bureau’s Connecting Communities grant program helped 59 county Farm Bureaus reach more than 107,000 youth and adults, strengthening trust in farming and food production, expanding community partnerships and elevating agriculture’s visibility across the state.

Funding Consumer Engagement

Launched in 2024 as a strategic initiative by the Michigan Farm Bureau Promotion and Education Committee, Connecting Communities supported consumer engagement by directly funding county Farm Bureau initiatives.

The program provided any interested county Farm Bureau with a $1,000 non-competitive grant, as well as media kits, support in securing media streaming campaigns, career exploration materials, templates and other resources, to engage directly with consumers.

There were two application categories: connect and celebrate, which was focused on building relationships through social events, and explore and learn, which highlighted agriculture’s role in careers and community life. Counties could apply individually, partner with other counties or collaborate at the district level.

State Support for a Local Focus

The 59 counties that participated executed more than 30 events that ran the gamut from ag career fairs and food preservation workshops to live media broadcasts, road safety campaigns and farm-to-fork dinners.

“The state-provided resources maintained message consistency and brand visibility while the funding allowed counties to customize activities and events to meet their local needs and capture local opportunities,” said Tonia Ritter, manager of the Promotion & Education Department at Michigan Farm Bureau.

Through events like Copper County Farm Bureau’s farm “date night” dinner, Livingston County’s partnership with special needs programs to prepare young adults for ag careers and Wayne County’s urban farming educational event, participating county Farm Bureaus reached 45,949 adults and 61,451 youth in a single year. In addition, county Farm Bureau streaming ad impressions totaled 25,273.

The grants provided a big boost to member volunteer engagement with more than 489 members gaining practical experience as community ambassadors. In addition, county Farm Bureaus partnered with 286 organizations including schools, radio stations, chambers of commerce, Rotary Clubs, agribusinesses and local governments, expanding Farm Bureau’s influence well beyond traditional circles.

A Long-Term Payoff

While the grant was a one-time offering in 2024, the many high-quality resources developed in tandem with the grant program remain available to county Farm Bureaus. And some of the county Farm Bureaus even budgeted to continue the activity or event in 2025.

For Michigan Farm Bureau, the return on investment was high. The $1,000 grants catalyzed more than $66,000 in outreach investment, multiplying impact through local contributions and in-kind support by an additional 35%.

“Equally important is the confidence the participating county Farm Bureaus gained with their successful engagement, which provided proof that consumer outreach is possible, impactful and rewarding,” Ritter said.

New Horizon Award

Michigan Farm Bureau’s Connecting Communities earned the organization a 2026 New Horizon Award from the American Farm Bureau Federation. The award, which honors state Farm Bureaus with the most innovative new programs, is presented annually at the AFBF Convention.