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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.
Blaine Baker
November, 2007 Volunteer of the Month
Farm Bureau honors Clayton member for service, dedication
In recognition of his outstanding and multi-faceted work as an active ambassador for Michigan's agriculture industry, Lenawee County farmer Blaine Baker has been honored by the Michigan Farm Bureau (MFB) as the organization's Volunteer of the Month for November 2007.
Baker and his wife Barbara operate a 400-head dairy farm near Clayton, and raise corn, soybeans and alfalfa on 1,500 acres of nearby crop land. A fifth-generation farmer, Baker has made progressive strides in environmental stewardship by implementing an innovative below-ground irrigation system. Instead of letting it go to waste, wash water from the milking parlor is captured, settled, filtered, treated for pathogens and used to water field crops via a system of underground irrigation pipes.
"Blaine has hosted several visits with local officials to show what he's doing to be a good steward of the land," wrote his nominator for Volunteer of the Month honors.
He has also helped organize educational farm tours with the Lenawee Ag Council, and worked with neighboring county Farm Bureaus to propose changes to the permitting process for concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs).
The Farm Bureau organization has proven to be an effective vehicle for Baker's efforts on behalf of Michigan's second-largest industry. At the county level, he served six years on the Lenawee County Farm Bureau Board of Directors, including two years as county president. He currently chairs the county's state affairs committee and is active on its action teams charged with monitoring the progress of state-level legislation regarding water use and the Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program (MAEAP ).
Baker is also active at the state level, regularly taking agricultural issues straight to lawmakers by taking part in Michigan Farm Bureau's Lansing Legislative Seminar. He also serves on MFB's Grain Advisory Committee and the Natural and Environmental Resources Advisory Committee.
