During a special reception held for award winners at the Indiana Farm Bureau State Convention in French Lick, the organization recognized the achievements of county Farm Bureaus in 2021.
This year, five counties earned a County Activities of Excellence (CAE) award, which is designed to celebrate innovative, action-oriented programs developed by county Farm Bureaus. The CAE awards may be granted in one of five categories: create and promote a positive image of agriculture – “tell our story”; create a positive member experience; grow membership in a consistent and sustainable way; continue successful advocacy efforts at all levels; and improve awareness of INFB as a valuable resource. The top county in each category received a cash award of $2,000 to be applied toward improving a program in that county.
“To see so many county Farm Bureau leaders devoting their time to community programs tells me we’re on the right track as an organization,” said Randy Kron, INFB president. “Indiana Farm Bureau has a rich history of giving back, and we see that in the work our county Farm Bureaus are doing today to drive positive change for their neighbors.”
The winners are below:
- Miami County Farm Bureau – Tell Our Story
Miami County Farm Bureau increased the number of Facebook posts to keep members and non-members up to date throughout the week on local, state and national happenings after the local newspaper went from publishing six days a week to only two. - Dearborn County Farm Bureau – Positive Member Experience
Dearborn County Farm Bureau partnered with Purdue Extension-Dearborn County and Dillsboro Family Market to promote and provide milk and other dairy products to the community. An estimated 500 families were served on the day of the event. - Elkhart County Farm Bureau – Grow Membership
Elkhart County Farm Bureau created a vertical garden out of 5-gallon buckets and provided the template to local schools to implement the same program in the classroom. This program taught approximately 650 students how to grow their own food at home. - Rush County Farm Bureau – Successful Advocacy
In the past year, Rush County Farm Bureau got involved in local zoning issues, placed more ag-friendly individuals on the zoning boards, developed deeper relationships with local representatives, and ultimately obtained a seat on the Rush County Economic and Community Development Corporation board where they are driving the direction of economic and community development strategy. - Decatur County Farm Bureau – Improve Awareness
Decatur County Farm Bureau partnered with the Greensburg/Decatur County Chamber of Commerce to kick off summer 2021 with an ag breakfast. There was a meet and greet featuring Ted McKinney, under secretary of agriculture for trade and foreign agricultural affairs and past director of the Indiana Department of Agriculture. These paired events were a fundraiser for the Indiana Agricultural Law Foundation.
These awards and honors are based on the Indiana Farm Bureau membership year, which runs from October through September each year.