Fall harvest is arguably the busiest time of year for row crop farmers in the Midwest. Farmers work long hours harvesting their crops, starting early in the morning and running late into the evening. Many farmers rarely take the time to rest, relax or eat.

In hopes of relieving some stress for farmers in the area, Western Illinois University Collegiate Farm Bureau put together over 400 harvest snack bags. These bags contained water, snacks and a note from Collegiate Farm Bureau members expressing their appreciation for the long hours and hard work farmers put in during harvest.

Collegiate Farm Bureau members worked together to assemble the bags before returning home for fall break with the bags in hand. Students then delivered the bags at their local grain elevators while interacting with farmers and increasing the project's geographical reach.

To help fund the project, the Collegiate Farm Bureau applied for a mini-grant coordinated by the American Farm Bureau Federation’s Young Farmers & Ranchers program. The grant awards $500 to Collegiate Farm Bureau chapters to aid in chapter recruitment, leadership development, community service outreach, officer development, purchase of educational materials and/or registration costs for conferences.

“The AFBF mini-grant was a huge help in making our chapter’s annual Farmer Snack Bag donation happen,” said Western Illinois Collegiate Farm Bureau Adviser Lori Jackson. “Giving back to our community is something our chapter loves to do, and it wouldn’t have been possible without the help of the AFBF mini-grant.”

Collegiate Farm Bureau Mini-Grant Program

The 2023-2024 AFBF Collegiate Farm Bureau Mini-Grant program is open for applications through Sept. 21. For more information about the program, including how to apply, visit fb.org/cfbgrants or email yfr@fb.org.

Since the program’s launch in fall 2017, AFBF has awarded over 60 mini-grants.

Collegiate Farm Bureau

There are over 120 Collegiate Farm Bureau chapters across the U.S., focused on empowering students to be united voices for agriculture, while building skills in leadership and communications, facilitating networking opportunities and offering scholarships.

Sydney Garrett is the communications assistant for the American Farm Bureau Federation.

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When the Murray State University Collegiate Farm Bureau planned an overnight trip to visit Kentucky’s capital in spring 2023, they set three goals for the event:

1. Foster relationships amongst all four Kentucky Collegiate Farm Bureau chapters.
2. Educate Collegiate Farm Bureau members and elected officials about current agriculture topics and issues.
3. Build relationships between Collegiate Farm Bureau members and elected officials.

The trip allowed students to visit Kentucky’s Department of Agriculture and hear from both the state House of Representatives and Senate Agriculture Committee chairs. Students met with Lieutenant Governor Jacqueline Coleman and Senior Advisor to the Governor Rocky Adkins, and watched the House of Representatives gavel into session.

“Not only was the legislative day impactful for our collegiate chapter, but we were able to share this experience with other Collegiate Farm Bureau chapters from across the state,” said Murray State University Collegiate Farm Bureau President Jessie Lewis. “As collegiate members, we have a strong united voice and must be present in front of our legislators so that when they have agriculture-related issues come across the table, they are comfortable reaching out to us.”

Having reached their goals, Murray State University Collegiate Farm Bureau looks forward to making this an annual event as they continue to strength relationships among Kentucky’s Collegiate Farm Bureau organizations and the state’s legislative officials.

To help fund the project, the Collegiate Farm Bureau applied for a mini-grant coordinated by the American Farm Bureau Federation’s Young Farmers & Ranchers program. The grant awards $500 to Collegiate Farm Bureau chapters to aid in chapter recruitment, leadership development, community service outreach, officer development, purchase of educational materials and/or registration costs for conferences.

Collegiate Farm Bureau Mini-Grant Program

The 2023-2024 AFBF Collegiate Farm Bureau Mini-Grant program is open for applications through Sept. 21. For more information about the program, including how to apply, visit fb.org/cfbgrants or email yfr@fb.org.

Since the program’s launch in fall 2017, AFBF has awarded over 60 mini-grants.

Collegiate Farm Bureau

There are over 120 Collegiate Farm Bureau chapters across the U.S., focused on empowering students to be united voices for agriculture, while building skills in leadership and communications, facilitating networking opportunities and offering scholarships.

Sydney Garrett is the communications assistant for the American Farm Bureau Federation.

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By Sydney Garrett

In east central Alabama, halfway between Birmingham and Atlanta, you will find Trantham Farms Inc. The farm is a 1,600-acre row crop and beef cow-calf pair operation owned and managed by Daniel and Carla Trantham, alongside their family. The farm was founded in 1956 and has grown to include a trucking company specializing in transporting poultry feed. The Tranthams also produce and sell over 25,000 square hay bales each year and run a farm store.

With many different business ventures, Trantham Inc. has a large economic impact on the community. The trucking company, Trantham Services Inc., operates 175 trucks and employs over 300 people.

In addition, the Trantham family promotes agricultural literacy by hosting farm tours for various community groups, ranging from economic professionals to youth organizations. They also meet with school educators to discuss implementing ag in the classroom initiatives and activities.

In 2022, they were recognized as Alabama Farmers Federation’s Outstanding Young Farm Family. The spotlight was on them again when they won the Young Farmers & Ranchers Achievement Award at the 2023 American Farm Bureau Convention in Puerto Rico.

American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall hosted Daniel and Carla on an episode of the Farmside Chat podcast and asked what this award has done for Trantham Farms and their family.

The Tranthams shared they were surprised when learning they were selected for this national honor and are thankful for the platform it has given them to be voices for agriculture. They encourage other Farm Bureau members to apply for the many opportunities offered through Farm Bureau, regardless of operation size.

“We never imagined we would be selected for this award,” Carla said. “It wasn’t about the size of the operation. It was really about what you’ve done on your farm, the growth you’ve experienced and what you bring to the table.”

The Tranthams said being active Farm Bureau members, connected them with a “Farm Bureau family.” They’re grateful for a supportive community of individuals who face similar challenges within agriculture.

President Duvall and his late wife, Bonnie, won the same Achievement Award in 1982. He spoke about the impact the Farm Bureau family has had on him personally and the important role all farmer and rancher members across America play in the Farm Bureau organization.

“The Farm Bureau family is second to none,” Duvall shared. “We need people to be involved, we need all ages, all cultures, all sizes of farms. Regardless of how you do it, we need your voice to be a part of our Farm Bureau family.”

Young Farmers & Ranchers

The objective of the YF&R program is to surface, grow and develop young Farm Bureau members and provide them opportunities and experiences to strengthen their leadership and ensure effective Farm Bureaus. It is a place for farmers and ranchers between the ages of 18-35 to network with each other, develop their personal and professional skills, participate in agriculture issue advocacy and community service.

Learn more here about Young Farmers & Ranchers.

Sydney Garrett is the communications assistant for the American Farm Bureau Federation.

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By Hunter Carson

The University of Florida Collegiate Farm Bureau set out to tackle hunger in 2023 by hosting a canned food drive, but with a blue and orange Gator twist! Since 2020, the UF Collegiate Farm Bureau has partnered with the University of Florida College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS), Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity and Sigma Alpha sorority to host the annual philanthropy event, ExtravaCANza.

The event, created to help combat food insecurity on UF’s campus, takes a creative approach to the traditional canned food drive by hosting a canned food sculpture contest. University of Florida CALS organizations were encouraged to participate by “CANstructing” their own artistic sculpture. Forging sculptures out of common household objects like rubber bands, tape, paper and, of course, canned goods, participants created artistic interpretations of scenes such as a football stadium or a tractor during harvest.

The UF Collegiate Farm Bureau utilized a grant through the American Farm Bureau Federation Collegiate Farm Bureau Mini-Grant program to purchase all event supplies, including over 500 pounds of canned goods. All event contributions were donated to the Alan and Cathy Hitchcock Field & Fork Pantry, which provides nutritious food to UF students, faculty and staff in need.

The event brought together 50 people from across the University of Florida’s campus, involved 10 CALS organizations, 40 students, and university faculty, and helped feed countless individuals in the campus community.

The University of Florida Collegiate Farm Bureau hopes to double the participation next year and feed even more people.

Dr. Charlotte Emerson, UF Collegiate Farm Bureau advisor, shared advice for others considering an event like this: “Other programs that want to implement this idea should seek partnerships with their college administrators and others. Not only does it make it more fun, but it also helps raise more awareness to the issue of local food insecurity. This event helped educate participants about food insecurity on our campus and led to other clubs and organizations creating projects that donated to the food pantry.”

When asked how utilizing a Collegiate Farm Bureau Mini-Grant contributed to UF’s success, Dr. Emerson explained that the financial support boosted participation and increased the amount of food donated.

“With this mini-grant, we were able to purchase over 500 pounds of cans that were used for the event, and all were donated to the Alan and Cathy Hitchcock Field & Fork Pantry. Purchasing the canned food increased participation in this event because clubs and organizations did not have to use their own funds to provide cans. In previous years, having to purchase cans deterred some clubs and organizations from participating in the event. By utilizing this mini-grant, UF Collegiate Farm Bureau was able to make a positive impact on our local community by addressing food insecurity on our campus.”

Collegiate Farm Bureau Mini-Grant Program

The 2023-2024 AFBF Collegiate Farm Bureau Mini-Grant program is now open for applications. For more information about the program, including how to apply, visit fb.org/cfbgrants or email yfr@fb.org.

Since the program’s launch in fall 2017, AFBF has awarded over 60 mini-grants.

Collegiate Farm Bureau

There are over 120 Collegiate Farm Bureau chapters across the U.S., focused on empowering students to be united voices for agriculture, while building skills in leadership and communications, facilitating networking opportunities and offering scholarships.

Hunter Carson was a summer 2023 intern in the American Farm Bureau Federation’s Leadership, Education & Engagement Department. He is a senior at Oklahoma State University.

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By Sydney Garrett

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 2021 and 2022. The programs featured here focused on education and agricultural promotion.

Farm to Table Gala – Mifflin County Farm Bureau, Pennsylvania

To promote locally produced products and connect county farmers to the public, the Mifflin County Farm Bureau hosted a Farm to Table Gala. One hundred tickets were sold for the event and the meal was planned and prepared using almost entirely local products.

The event also helped increase county Farm Bureau membership.

Taste of Volusia County – Volusia County Farm Bureau, Florida

Taste of Volusia County was a farm-to-table social that highlighted Farm Bureau members’ farms to the Volusia County public. During the event, created by the county Young Farmers and Ranchers Committee, the 300 guests were given a tasting card that detailed all the farms and ranches in attendance, encouraging them to stop by each booth to taste and learn about the provided products.

Thanks-4-Giving – Berrien County Farm Bureau, Michigan

On Saturday, Nov. 20, 2021, the Berrien County Farm Bureau partnered with county 4-H clubs and the Collegiate Farm Bureau for "Thanks-4-Giving," a program to provide bushel baskets filled with the ingredients for a traditional Thanksgiving feast to families in need.

The groups distributed roughly 4,400 pounds of food to 110 families. The donation included recipes and handouts with information about agriculture in their community. The event also strengthened relationships between Farm Bureau members and the agriculture-focused youth in their community. 

Farm Bureau Goes To Market – Scioto County Farm Bureau, Ohio

Farm Bureau Goes To Market is a four-month series of free events for children at the county farmers market. The program began in May with planting Mother's Day flowers to take home. In June, Scioto County Farm Bureau helped kids build bird feeders as a gift for Father's Day. July and August focused on snack recipes using locally grown fruit from the local Farmers' Market. These programs were provided by the Scioto County Board members and every board member participated.

The objective was to educate kids about where their food comes from and to provide support and awareness to the local farmers who participate in the farmers market. The program reached 140 kids and their families.

Storytime with a Farmer – Fayette County Farm Bureau, Ohio

Fayette County Farm Bureau wanted to help students in their community learn about where their food originates and who was growing that food, so they created Storytime with a Farmer. The project took many forms including weekly classroom readings by a farmer accompanied with related take-home items, donations of accurate ag books and a video project.

Fayette County shares that building community relationships with educational institutions such as schools and libraries is key to getting accurate agriculture information into the hands of young people.

Farmer Fred – Cherokee County Farm Bureau, Texas

Based on the popular Flat Stanley children’s activity, Cherokee County Farm Bureau created their own character named Farmer Fred with the goal to increase county children’s interest in agriculture. Farmer Fred has been included in video projects, social media campaigns and at the county wide Ag Day, helping to share the goals of Farm Bureau.

Farmer Fred was also welcomed into all kinds of homes and classrooms and fulfilled his mission of broadening Cherokee County’s Farm Bureau’s reach outside of the local community while spreading the message that agriculture is alive and well.

Reindeer Feed Store – Montgomery County Farm Bureau, Texas

Each year, Santa and his reindeer fly around the globe to deliver gifts and Christmas cheer, but what does it take to keep Santa’s reindeer healthy? By enlisting the support of the community, the Montgomery County Farm Bureau engaged more than 1,200 people at the annual community Christmas celebration to teach kids and adults what is needed for a healthy reindeer’s diet.

Agricultural principles were taught through a hands-on activity where children could add hay for roughage, oats for protein, and corn for energy to a “feed bag” they could take home and leave on their front lawn on Christmas Eve to help the reindeer refuel. The Reindeer Feed Store sparked conversations about the nutritional needs of humans and livestock and how agriculture fits into Christmas.

Applications are now open for the 2024 County Activities of Excellence. Up to 24 counties will display their winning activities at the 2024 American Farm Bureau Convention in Salt Lake City in January. County award winners receive up to four free registrations to the Annual Convention (cost of travel and housing not included) and a $2,250 stipend to apply toward the cost of travel and exhibition.

Sydney Garrett is the communications assistant for the American Farm Bureau Federation.

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By Sydney Garrett

Practice and repetition are needed to master any skill, and that is what Wood County (Ohio) Farm Bureau set out to teach the county youth by hosting a peewee beef showmanship event.

The Wood County Fair has hosted peewee showmanship clinics in the past, but never one for beef due to the venue size and labor needed to handle a large-species event. And with the discontinuation of the open beef show, the county Farm Bureau and community beef supporters thought peewee beef showmanship would be a great way to continue encouraging involvement in the beef industry.

Partnerships were formed early with the county beef producers, who helped with sponsorship prizes and workers at the event. Wood County Farm Bureau also enlisted the county Farm Bureau scholarship winner and beef ambassador to give participants tips and tricks at the beginning of the event.

With 52 county youth aged 5 to 8 years old enrolled, Wood County Farm Bureau exceeded their goal of 40 participants. With the participants came their families and fans, further spreading the event’s reach.

The event even shed light on policy issues and allowed the public to talk with Adam Sharp, Ohio Farm Bureau executive vice president, who judged the event. Attendees heard from county leaders how Farm Bureau supports youth and legislative priorities and why membership matters.

The event generated much interest in Farm Bureau and left many smiling kids eager to learn more about beef, showmanship and youth pathways in agriculture.

County Activities of Excellence

The peewee beef showmanship event earned Wood County Farm Bureau an American Farm Bureau Federation 2023 County Activities of Excellence Award.

Applications are now open for the 2024 County Activities of Excellence. Up to 24 counties will display their winning activities at the 2024 American Farm Bureau Annual Convention and Trade Show in Salt Lake City in January. County award winners receive up to four free registrations to the Annual Convention (cost of travel and housing not included) and a $2,250 stipend to apply toward the cost of travel and exhibition. 

Sydney Garrett is the communications assistant for the American Farm Bureau Federation.

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By Sydney Garrett

Through its annual County Activities of Excellence Awards, the American Farm Bureau Federation celebrates county Farm Bureaus for their unique, volunteer-driven programming. Gallia, Clinton and Pike County Farm Bureaus were among 24 county Farm Bureaus recognized for their programs and activities in 2021 and 2022. The programs featured here focused on member services.

Meat your Local Butcher – Gallia County Farm Bureau, Ohio

Gallia County Farm Bureau wanted to provide their members with an opportunity to connect with local butchers and meat science professionals to learn more about meat products and distribution. “Meat Your Local Butcher” accomplished that goal with 30 county members in attendance learning more about the processing sector of the livestock industry.

Each attendee went home with meat cuts breakdown sheets from the lamb, beef and pork associations and a better understanding of the butchers in their area.

A Therapy Benefit for Farmers – Clinton County Farm Bureau, Ohio

Seeking an outlet for their members who struggle with mental health challenges, Clinton County Farm Bureau partnered with BetterHelp, the world’s largest telehealth organization, to provide an easily accessible resource for farmers. BetterHelp can be accessed by smartphone in the comfort and privacy of the user’s home, barn, tractor or elsewhere, at any time.

By September, 23 Clinton County Farm Bureau members had used BetterHelp as a resource. The board felt that even if it only helped one person, the program was worth it.

Farm State of Mind – Pike County Farm Bureau, Ohio

In an effort to draw attention to the topic of mental health, Pike County Farm Bureau partnered with local Extension educators, mental health agencies, and Nationwide insurance agencies to host a Farm State of Mind Members Only event, free to members. The Nationwide Agency had a table set up showing the history of Nationwide and Farm Bureau.

The 75 members in attendance were served a sit-down steak dinner served by the board trustees, supplied literature with mental health hotline numbers, shown a short video about farmers who have struggled with mental health, and listened to two local farmers share their personal experiences and struggles. Many people have shared how impactful the event has been to their mental health.

Applications are now open for the 2024 County Activities of Excellence. Up to 24 counties will display their winning activities at the 2024 American Farm Bureau Convention in Salt Lake City in January. County award winners receive up to four free registrations to the Annual Convention (cost of travel and housing not included) and a $2,250 stipend to apply toward the cost of travel and exhibition.

Sydney Garrett is the communications assistant for the American Farm Bureau Federation.

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By Sydney Garrett

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 county Farm Bureaus were among 24 county Farm Bureaus recognized for their programs and activities in 2021 and 2022. The programs featured here focused on safety.

Amish Safety Day – Geauga County Farm Bureau, Ohio

In July 2022, the Geauga County Farm Bureau joined forces with the county sheriff’s office, the state highway patrol, a local fire department, the local hospital, the state Division of Natural Resources, the county Soil and Water Conservation District and the county engineer’s office to provide an Amish Safety Day for the community.

Geauga County has the fourth-largest Amish community in Ohio. Amish community members play a large role in agriculture and this event strived to provide all community members with a better understanding of safety practices.

The 2022 event provided over 400 residents of the Amish community with information on road and traffic safety, internet and phone safety, fraud prevention, farm safety, water quality, fire safety and first aid and offered health prevention screenings.

Rural Route Safety Days – McLean County Farm Bureau, Illinois

McLean County Farm Bureau created Rural Route Safety Days to provide new and soon-to-be licensed drivers the chance to see farm equipment up close while learning about the safety of sharing the road.

The program’s goal is to coordinate safety days with at least four rural school districts per year. At each event, four stations are set up covering topics like visibility, following safety signs and signals and passing safety.

A volunteer was assigned to each station to lead the activities and share talking points. Volunteers were encouraged to share personal experiences to emphasize the need for precautions to help everyone arrive at their destination safely.

FarmDocs – Champaign County Farm Bureau, Illinois

After a member of the Champaign County Farm Bureau was injured in a farm-related accident in 2019, it was clear that there was not a strong understanding of farm practices in the medical industry. To bridge this gap, the county Farm Bureau partnered with the state university medical school to create FarmDocs.

FarmDocs is an opportunity for medical students to learn about a variety of different agricultural practices by meeting with real farmers and touring their operations. That face-to-face interaction allows the students to learn about the health and safety challenges facing the agricultural industry and allows them to ask questions and build trust with local farmers.

The events have increased medical students’ interest in farm safety, so much so that a rural health focus group has been created at the university.

Farm Safety Awareness – Crawford County Farm Bureau, Ohio

Crawford County Farm Bureau partnered with a local insurance agency to create promotional yard signage for the community. The signs read “Share the road with farmers and farm equipment” and displayed the county Farm Bureau and the partner insurance agency logos.

Volunteers distributed yard signs in the spring and fall to help create awareness of farm equipment on the road during busy seasons. A social media campaign with the same graphics and safety messaging accompanied the project. Reflective safety stickers that adhere to grain bins were also developed and distributed to local farmers to raise awareness to the hazards associated with entering a grain bin.

The original project goal was to distribute 50 yard signs, but the goal was quickly exceeded when an order for another 50 was placed due to high demand.

Applications are now open for the 2024 County Activities of Excellence. Up to 24 counties will display their winning activities at the 2024 American Farm Bureau Convention in Salt Lake City in January. County award winners receive up to four free registrations to the Annual Convention (cost of travel and housing not included) and a $2,250 stipend to apply toward the cost of travel and exhibition.

Sydney Garrett is the communications assistant for the American Farm Bureau Federation.

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By Sydney Garrett

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 county Farm Bureaus were among 24 county Farm Bureaus recognized for their programs and activities in 2021 and 2022. The programs featured here focused on policy implementation.

Shared Stewardship – Modoc County Farm Bureau, California

The Shared Stewardship Agreement is a collaborative agreement between Modoc County Farm Bureau and Modoc National Forest to address continual labor shortages that impact the timely completion of forest projects critical to members of the local community.

Modoc County Farm Bureau recruits, hires and oversees short-term employees who work in the forest to keep projects on time while the forest brings permanent employees on staff. At its peak the agreement had a payroll of over $600,000 and 45 employees, critical to county membership and the local community.

Soil Smart Farm Day – Fredrick County Farm Bureau, Maryland

Fredrick County Farm Bureau partnered with Horizon Farm Credit and two local Soil Conservation Districts to host a Soil Smart Farm Day Tour of four agricultural operations in the county. The tour was designed specifically for the county executive and county council members along with elected state government representatives.

The group visited a winery, a grain and hay operation, a dairy operation and an orchard, each recognized for their conservation practices. This event gave county and state decision-makers a firsthand look at conservation practices and provided them with knowledge they can use when working on future policies.

Check Your Engine – Tuscarawas, Carroll, Harrison, & Jefferson County Farm Bureaus, Ohio

The Check Your Engine mental health awareness project is a four-county initiative for farmers. The project is in partnership with the county’s Alcohol Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services Board and The Ohio State University Extension agents to provide mental health training to people who interact with farmers regularly.

The project tagline “Have you checked your Check Engine Light?” encourages farmers to take care of themselves, similar to how they care for their crops, livestock and equipment. The counties have shared their message in a variety of ways including large group presentations, social media, video projects and policy development to call for increased local and state funding of mental health resources.

Applications are now open for the 2024 County Activities of Excellence. Up to 24 counties will display their winning activities at the 2024 American Farm Bureau Convention in Salt Lake City in January. County award winners receive up to four free registrations to the Annual Convention (cost of travel and housing not included) and a $2,250 stipend to apply toward the cost of travel and exhibition. 

Sydney Garrett is the communications assistant for the American Farm Bureau Federation.

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By Sydney Garrett

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 county Farm Bureaus were among 24 county Farm Bureaus recognized for their programs and activities in 2021 and 2022. The programs featured here focused on public relations and information.

Historic 1920s Farm Bureau Office Project – Fulton County Farm Bureau, Ohio

Fulton County Farm Bureau was given the opportunity to take part in a local Living Historical Village and Museum’s creation of a 1920s Main Street by sponsoring a 1920s Farm Bureau office. Since the county and state Farm Bureaus had just celebrated their 100th anniversary, they saw it as a great opportunity to preserve the organization’s history.

The 1920s office visitors learn how Farm Bureau was created, what Farm Bureau was like in the 1920s and how Farm Bureau is still relevant today. The museum hosts 80,000-plus visitors from across the United States, so the Farm Bureau story will spread nationwide.

Farmer’s Mental Health: Cultivating Healthy Minds — Bureau, Marshall-Putnam, & Stark County Farm Bureaus, Illinois

Due to an alarming increase in the mental health crisis facing the agricultural industry, Bureau, Marshall-Putnam, and Stark County Farm Bureaus worked together to bring more awareness to mental health and encourage open discussion regarding this topic.

Over a short period of time, along with a local mental health provider, the coalition hosted farmer breakfasts, launched podcast interviews through the local hospital, released an informational video, and rolled out a portal where farmers can speak to professionals in the comfort of their own community.

Party for Pollinators – Cook County Farm Bureau, Illinois

Thirteen Cook County Farm Bureau leaders designed this project to communicate farmers’ efforts to preserve and increase pollinator habitat as well as to illustrate the connection between pollinators and the food system to urban consumers.

This project included four sub-projects: the creation of a community pollinator garden; community presentations; a pollinator garden community event; and a large-scale community education event. This project impacted over 5,500 individuals while engaging 13 Farm Bureau leaders, 34 community volunteers and 17 community partners. Community partners included for-profit businesses, state and local associations, local greenhouses, a suburban municipality and a major zoological society.

Farm to Table Experience and Policy Development – Lucas County Farm Bureau, Ohio

The county annual meeting is one of the premier Lucas County Farm Bureau events. To promote the meeting differently and potentially generate more interest around it, the board suggested the meal be crafted with local foods. The event not only promoted consuming locally grown foods, it also supported the local economy.

county and state Farm Bureaus had just celebrated their 100th anniversary, they saw it as a great opportunity to preserve the organization’s history.

Meet and Greet at the County Fair – Angelina County Farm Bureau, Texas

To strengthen current connections and build new ones, the Angelina County Farm Bureau hosted a meet and greet at the county fair. The event highlighted various aspects of Farm Bureau and provided a free meal to all county fair attendees.

Applications are now open for the 2024 County Activities of Excellence. Up to 24 counties will display their winning activities at the 2024 American Farm Bureau Convention in Salt Lake City in January. County award winners receive up to four free registrations to the Annual Convention (cost of travel and housing not included) and a $2,250 stipend to apply toward the cost of travel and exhibition.

Sydney Garrett is the communications assistant for the American Farm Bureau Federation.

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