County Farm Bureaus Strengthen Community Relationships

Through its annual County Activities of Excellence Awards, the American Farm Bureau Federation celebrates county Farm Bureaus for their unique, volunteer-driven programming. The following counties are being recognized for their programs and activities in 2022 and 2023. The programs featured here focused on education and agricultural promotion. 

Farm Bureau Day at the Fair – Adams County Farm Bureau, Ohio

Adams County Farm Bureau hosts “Farm Bureau Day at the Fair” each Friday at the annual county fair. The event provides a relaxing and fun atmosphere for Farm Bureau members to connect and give back to their community.

Attendees enjoyed a variety of activities, including no-cost health screenings, a tractor show, watermelon eating contest, pedal tractor pull, a frog jumping contest and more. At each event, board members shared the value of Farm Bureau with the public, including member benefits and ways Farm Bureau works for farmers at the local, state and national levels.

AgTalk: A Forum for Young Farmers – Loudoun County Farm Bureau, Virginia

To proactively address issues facing young farmers, Loudoun County Farm Bureau Young Farmers Committee orchestrated a panel discussion featuring local young farmers and chair of the Loudon County board of supervisors. Attended by over 60 community members, the event provided six panelists an opportunity to share their story and discuss issues facing the next generation of agriculturalists.

The forum fostered dialogue, gave audience members an opportunity to ask questions and provide input, and reflected Farm Bureau’s commitment to empowering the next generation of agricultural leaders. The event not only strengthened the relationship between community members and agriculturists, but also helped to further conversations with policymakers about the importance of agriculture within the county and state.

Community Night – Winnebago County Farm Bureau, Wisconsin

Winnebago County Farm Bureau hosted a community night to connect urban community members with local farmers to talk about the important role agriculture plays in their community and state. Over 200 attendees participated in a variety of fun activities including a meet and greet with the county Farm Bureau board of directors, indoor mini golf, horse-drawn wagon rides and more.

Additionally, the event included a 50/50 raffle, silent auction, charity bingo games and a live auction, which combined raised over $6,000, with $3,300 donated to Saint Jude Children’s Research Hospital and $3,100 donated to the community Ag in the Classroom and county Farm Bureau programs, including the Young Farmer and Agriculturist program. The community night successfully helped bridge the divide between urban and rural life within Winnebago County while showcasing Farm Bureau’s mission to be the Voice of Agriculture.

These counties displayed their winning activities at the 2024 American Farm Bureau Convention in Salt Lake City, Utah, in January. County award winners received up to four free registrations to the Convention (cost of travel and housing not included) and a $2,250 stipend to apply toward the cost of travel and exhibition. More information on the County Activities of Excellence can be found here.