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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.
Shelly Brown
July, 2007 Volunteer of the Month
Farm Bureau honors Sanilac County member for service, dedication
In recognition of her outstanding work helping promote Sanilac County's vital agriculture industry, Snover-area farmer Shelly Brown has been honored by the Michigan Farm Bureau (MFB) as the statewide organization's Volunteer of the Month for July 2007.
Brown and her family own and operate a 1,000-acre operation, raising hay, corn, soybeans and wheat. She assists on the farm in many different ways, from planting and harvesting to scouting and field testing. The family also owns and operates Thornapple Feeds, distributing High Standard and Pride-brand feeds to producers statewide. For the feed business she handles ordering, distribution and billing - all in addition to helping her in-laws out on their dairy operation.
Brown's accomplishments this year on behalf of the Sanilac County Farm Bureau are truly outstanding. As the relatively new chair of its Promotion & Education committee, she planned the local Project RED (Rural Education Day) event, adding new educational opportunities for the county's fourth-graders and made improvements to the opening session. To make that possible, she first strengthened the committee itself, enlisting new member volunteers and involving them and their ideas from the very beginning to breathe fresh life into their activities.
"Shelly is a go-getter - enthusiastic, positive and highly organized - juggling volunteer work, full-time employment and work on the farm," wrote her nominator for Volunteer of the Month honors. "She's always willing to try new things and get involved.
"Shelly has put a different spin on some programs the county Farm Bureau has had for many years, and made them more successful thanks to her fresh, new perspective on the local farming industry - and the volunteers she works with."
Beyond Promotion & Education, Brown has also excelled as the local coordinator for MFB's Young People's Citizenship Seminar, visiting local high schools to recruit participants to attend the annual weeklong event that exposes young people to the American political system. She also lent a hand with her county Farm Bureau's 2007 membership drive, and continues to participate in the organization's Young Farmer program with her husband.
