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Volunteer of the Month
MFB's Volunteers of the Month are selected by a panel of discerning staff judges who work with Farm Bureau members statewide in a variety of program areas. Nomination forms are available at all county offices, or by contacting Lori Chamberlain at the MFB Young Farmer Department at (800) 292-2680, ext. 3234.
Rosemary Benjamin
July, 2006 Volunteer of the Month
Farm Bureau honors Shiawassee member for service, dedication
Perry-area farmer Rosemary Benjamin has been recognized by Michigan Farm Bureau (MFB) as the organization's Volunteer of the Month for July 2006. With her husband Michael and their children, Benjamin helps operate the family's 500-acre cash crop farm, raising alfalfa, wheat, corn and soybeans.
With a bachelor's degree in agriculture education from Michigan State University, Benjamin taught FFA before focusing all her attentions on her family, and her family farm. But she has since found plenty of other outlets for her skills as an educator.
Currently serving the Shiawassee County Farm Bureau as its promotion and education chair, Benjamin has coordinated the local Project RED (Rural Education Day) event for the past two years, doing her homework first in a neighboring county to better understand how the program works. The event has attracted more than 500 area third-graders each year, giving them a unique opportunity to learn about agriculture in a hands-on environment, interacting firsthand with producers and livestock.
Benjamin also takes advantage of almost any other opportunity to enhance young people's exposure to agriculture, judging FFA contests for Perry/Morrice schools, supplying animals for Perry's small animal day, hosting hay rides and being an involved 4-H parent.
"Rosemary is instrumental in teaching children about agriculture and how important it is to understand where their food comes from," wrote her nominator for the Volunteer of the Month honor. "She has a wonderful attitude - one that's easy to work with - and she is very respected on our board of directors."
Benjamin's Farm Bureau involvement isn't limited to the county promotion and education efforts. She and her husband are also involved with the Hi Neighbors community action group in Perry, and in 2005 she served as a voting delegate representing the Shiawassee County Farm Bureau at Michigan Farm Bureau's State Annual Meeting.
