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Farmer Idea Exchange
In an effort to continuously improve our programs, AFBF (American Farm Bureau Federation) conducted a review of both the County Activities of Excellence (CAE) and Farmer Idea Exchange (FIE) programs. A committee of AFBF staff and state coordinators met to accomplish this task by reviewing program participation statistics and feedback from several states.
The review process resulted in several changes for the two programs. In regards to FIE, the committee recommended (and it was approved) to discontinue the FIE program due to the lack of participation and repetition of entries and award winners.
There are alternatives to those individuals who continue to provide valuable innovations to our industry. AFBF has identified several non-Farm Bureau programs which honor those contributions and ideas. Please see the attachment below for information regarding those programs.
County Activities of Excellence
Farm Bureau is a grassroots organization that has been effective for over 90 years, thanks to the innovative, action-oriented programs developed by county Farm Bureaus. The Farm Bureau County Activities of Excellence (CAE) Program is designed to celebrate and recognize such programs. The purpose of the program is to recognize and share successful county Farm Bureau programs and activities.
In an effort to continuously improve our programs, AFBF (American Farm Bureau Federation) conducted a review of both the County Activities of Excellence (CAE) and Farmer Idea Exchange (FIE) programs. A few notable changes to the CAE process include:
- Up to 25 CAE winners will be named for the 2012 program year (up to 15 was named in previous years).
- In addition to increasing the number of CAE awards, there have been changes to the application and selection process. In an effort to create an equitable process for all size counties, the applications will be judged in five membership categories, rather than on program categories, as has been done in the past. These categories were determined based upon county membership data from past applications and are as follows:
- Up to 1,000 members
- 1,001 – 3,000 members
- 3,001 – 5,000 members
- 5,001 – 12,000 members
- 12,001 + members
Winners will be selected to present a display of their winning activity during the AFBF Annual Meeting Tradeshow January 8-9, 2012, in Honolulu, Hawaii. Those counties selected will receive $2,250 toward expenses incurred to participate in the CAE program. Applicants will also have the opportunity to share their idea with a poster display at the Michigan Farm Bureau Annual Meeting.
Application deadline is September 2, 2011.
Please download the instructions and application below and either mail or email to:
Michigan Farm Bureau
Attn: Lori Chamberlain
7373 W. Saginaw Hwy
Lansing, MI 48917
