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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.
Marsha Harwood
June, 2008 Volunteer of the Month
Farm Bureau honors Livingston County member for service, dedication
As the leader of Livingston County Farm Bureau's Promotion and Education program, Marsha Harwood has excelled at reaching out to teach the general public about agriculture. For her efforts in offering diverse, hands-on learning opportunities for community members of all ages, Harwood has been recognized as Michigan Farm Bureau's Volunteer of the Month for June 2008.
This summer Harwood is organizing the Livingston County Project RED (Rural Education Day) event for the sixth straight year. During her tenure as its coordinator, the event has regularly attracted an audience of more than 600 third-grade students and adults for an educational day of on-farm activities.
Harwood also organized the first live-birth exhibit at her local fair, working with the Livingston County Farm Bureau and the Fowlerville Fair Board. The weeklong exhibit proved to be a very popular attraction, with large numbers of fair-goers captivated by the opportunity to witness livestock animals giving birth before their eyes.
To celebrate National Agriculture Week in late March, Harwood organizes gift baskets for the first baby born at Howell Hospital on National Ag Day. That week she also distributes educational placemats and bookmarks to local restaurants and libraries, and coordinates the annual Ag Week Poster Contest for students in local schools.
"Whether it's animals at one of her exhibits, gates for pens, volunteers to talk, or volunteers to cook, Marsha has the resources," wrote her nominator for Volunteer of the Month honors. "Marsha is someone people have a hard time saying 'no' to. If she asks for help, she gets help.
"Then she will humbly pass on the congratulatory comments she receives for all her work, often saying that she 'didn't do anything' - that it was everyone else who did the work."
Marsha and Alfred Harwood operate a sheep farm in Marion Township near Howell.
