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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.
Nancy Birchmeier
September, 2007 Volunteer of the Month
Farm Bureau honors Genesee County member for service, dedication
In recognition of her outstanding work organizing a first-of-its-kind educational event for Genesee County schoolchildren, Nancy Birchmeier of New Lothrop has been honored by the Michigan Farm Bureau (MFB) as the organization's Volunteer of the Month for September 2007.
As the new chair of the Genesee County Farm Bureau's Promotion & Education Committee, Birchmeier embraced the daunting task of organizing a local Project RED (Rural Education Day) event to help acquaint area schoolchildren with modern agriculture. While some doubted how receptive the county's urban students would be to an event based on farming, the results spoke for themselves.
Under Birchmeier's leadership, a team of 60 volunteers - including representatives from MSU Extension and the Genesee County Conservation District - introduced some 600 Genesee County youngsters to the industry that puts food in their stomachs and clothes on their backs. Small groups of students circulated through a series of learning stations, each touching on a different aspect of agriculture, including horticulture, sheep shearing, swine, dairy, equine, crop seeds, beekeeping and 4-H.
"The kids had a wonderful time and the teachers all agreed that they learned things they could use in their classroom lessons," said Birchmeier's nominator for Volunteer of the Month honors. "It was professional, fun, informative and made us all very proud of our organization.
"Nancy's enthusiasm and willingness to achieve this event was inspiring. She not only tried, but pulled it off with flying colors. For a first-time chair to take on a project of this magnitude and be so successful with it was really a positive experience."
In addition to her local efforts, Birchmeier has also participated in the state-level Project RED event at MFB's State Annual Meeting, and served there as a voting delegate, representing the interests of her county Farm Bureau.
Outside the organization, Birchmeier works as a full-time elementary school teacher, and helps out on her family's dairy farm, assisting with everything from milking cows to hauling equipment.
