Growing Together awards & honors roundup

In addition to all the programmatic content awaiting attendees at Growing Together, the conference provided a timely platform for celebrating the achievements of various other superstar agvocates. 

Members stepping down from MFB’s state-level Young Farmer and Promotion & Education committees were honored for their service, as were outstanding 4-H volunteers. 

Other honorees included scholarship recipients, outstanding charitable donors and social media influencers plying persuasions online. 

State committees

Growing Together marked the departure of four outgoing members each from the state Young Farmer and Promotion & Education committees.

Bidding farewell to their service on the State Young Farmer Committee were (above, from left) Lenawee County greenhouse grower Abby Vittore; Pioneer Sales Associate Dannie Dryer of Ionia County; Joe Ankley of Lapeer County, where his family’s farm raises beef cattle and seasonal produce; and Montcalm County’s Lane Grieser, who raises sweet corn, pumpkins, sheep and horses. 

Stepping down from the State Promotion & Education Committee were (above, from left) Osceola County horse and cattleman Jess Erler; Macomb County’s Jason Smith, an educator at Wolcott Mill Farm Center near Romeo; and Eaton County’s Katelyn Thompson, a stalwart P&E leader and Agribusiness Program Manager at Lucid Insurance. 

Also honored was Lapeer County’s agriscience and horticulture teacher Tiffany Howell, who was unable to attend. 

Karker Scholarships

Before Michigan led the way nationally in innovating the Promotion & Education programming, its stage was set by its precursor, the Women’s Program. Celebrated Women’s Program leader Marge Karker is memorialized with annual scholarships in her name for young people studying agriculture at Michigan State University.

This year’s Karker Scholarships were awarded to Dillon Goward of Gratiot County (above) and Berrien County’s Emma Totzke (below).

Other recipients unable to be present were Tyler Zelinko of Saginaw County, Kendall Stilwell of Oakland County and Calhoun County’s Kylie Crandall.

Look for the next Karker Scholarship application window to open this summer.

4-H Excellence

Established in 2007, the MFB’s 4-H Excellence in Agriculture Award honors outstanding 4-H volunteers for excellence in youth education and leadership in agricultural sciences. Funded by county Farm Bureaus and matched by MFB, it celebrates those shaping the future of agriculture. 

Charity Hackett (above) coordinates one of Berrien County’s largest 4-H Clubs, helping young people see opportunities in agriculture and sharing the joy of horseback riding with people with disabilities. 

Lenawee County 4-H alumna Mandy Rogers (below) now cultivates young leaders in Washtenaw with the Saline 4-H Farmers; 4-H Cloverbud Camp and mentor program; and superintendent of the 4-H Cloverbud and poultry divisions at the county fair. 

Four more recipients were unable to attend: Donna Budd of Wayne County, Rick Gould and Kevin Yeager of St. Joseph County, and Washtenaw County’s Angela Oakman.

Harvest for All 

The annual Harvest for All contest challenges Michigan’s county Farm Bureaus to combat hunger by donating volunteer time, commodities and food products, and monetary donations. 

Emmet County’s Cale Veurink (above) was on hand to accept on behalf of District 11, which took first place by donating more than 1,000 hours of volunteer time; 23,745 pounds of commodities and food; and cash exceeding $106,000. The $1,000 award takes the form of a donation to the hunger-relief organization of their choosing.

Collegiate Farm Bureau chapters also compete in their own Harvest for All, with Michigan State University’s Main Campus group taking the top prize this year. Chapter president Jenna Gould (below) was on hand to accept the prize, a $250 donation to the food bank of their choice. 

#SpeakAgMichigan

Last fall MFB’s #SpeakAgMichigan Challenge saw budding influencers experimenting with new ways of sharing accurate agricultural information online. This year’s challenge involved monthly themes including Sports in Ag, Animal Care, Forestry, and Made in Michigan. 

All three winners this year were members of the Collegiate Farm Bureau Chapter at Montcalm Community College.

Taking home first place was Lauryn Dailey (above right), who earned a $500 check for the Montcalm Collegiate Farm Bureau Chapter and herself. Second-place winner Victoria Caine (above center) received $300; third-place winner Madyson Hartman was unable to attend.