Evading recognition is a common skill among Farm Bureau’s best and brightest, so giving credit where it’s due starts with admiring those superstars from afar — and sometimes nominating them for awards behind their back!
Seriously, though, the three state-level awards described below are outstanding opportunities to spotlight the contributions of your fellow members and other farm-friendly supporters whose efforts help preserve and uplift the entirety of Michigan agriculture.
Champions of Excellence
County Farm Bureaus are eligible for Champions of Excellence Awards in two categories:
Awards in the Involvement category will be determined by reviewing existing data pulled from county dashboards as of July 1 — so be sure your county’s project involvement is properly entered in iMIS by then!
Awards in the Leadership Development, Advocacy and Innovation category will be based on an application available online. Each county Farm Bureau can submit two different project applications, due to Michigan Farm Bureau by July 1.
One winner in each of MFB’s 12 districts will be announced no later than Aug. 16 and receive a $350 county grant. District winner will then advance to compete at the state level. Two state winners — one in each category — will be announced at the 2023 MFB President’s Capital Summit and each receive a $1,000 county grant.
Distinguished Service to Agriculture
The Distinguished Service to Agriculture award is Michigan Farm Bureau’s highest honor, awarded since 1956 to individuals who have made exceptional contributions to the state’s agricultural industry.
All previous recipients have indeed provided distinguished service to Michigan agriculture; view them here.
Nominations can be made online and are due to MFB by July 1.
Volunteer of the Year
MFB President Carl Bednarski knows the value of volunteers in the organization’s success and invites you to nominate an outstanding member for his Presidential Volunteer of the Year Award.
Deserving nominees are regular members who demonstrate exceptional commitment to a specific Farm Bureau program or event, and who are instrumental in its success locally. They must have served throughout the entire year (Aug. 1, 2021 through July 31, 2022), leading one or more projects for your county Farm Bureau and recruiting others to help complete those projects.
If you know a Farm Bureau member who embodies these traits, nominate them online by Aug. 1.
For more information, contact Jacob Weston, 517-679-4781.