How to P&E: Family Fun on the Farm

Large events like Family Fun on the Farm, Project RED and Breakfast on the Farm can be overwhelming for volunteers unless they’re split up into manageable pieces.

Date Posted: June 25, 2025

Megan Sprague, Michigan Farm Bureau

Every year Promotion & Education (P&E) volunteers across the state coordinate fantastic community-focused events. It can seem intimidating and overwhelming to newcomers, so our How To P&E series is here to share tried and true procedures, broken down to their simplest parts.

Much like other types of farm open houses, a Family Fun on the Farm event brings the public onto farms and gives them a chance to engage with agriculture in an immersive, hands-on setting. This experience allows them to see how things work and ask questions of the experts: farmers themselves.

This event…

brings consumers and farmers together;
helps the community learn about local agriculture, putting a face to farming;
offers a fun, festival-like environment for families.

Who gets involved?

Your county Farm Bureau’s P&E chair and committee
Your County Administrative Manager and MFB Regional Manager
Day-of volunteers to host stations and help with logistics
Community businesses as sponsors
County Farm Bureau board of directors

Key Considerations

Sponsorship: Think about partners who can sponsor bottled water, t-shirts and other supplies. Don’t forget to ask your local Farm Bureau Insurance agents!
Volunteers: Recruit members based on their interests and skills.
Emergencies: Be prepared with first aid on hand. Maybe partner with a local emergency-services department.

Ready to get started? Here’s a handy timeline for your planning:

6 MONTHS PRIOR:

Confirm your host farm and meet there to discuss their goals for the event, ensuring alignment with the county Farm Bureau’s goals.
Book vendors for tables, chairs, tents, interactive stations and other key necessities.

3 MONTHS PRIOR:

Begin recruiting volunteers!
Order t-shirts.
Design promotional material (brochures, signs, social media graphics) for the event with the MFB graphic designers and print shop.
Solicit sponsorships.

1 MONTH PRIOR:

Follow up with volunteers and host an orientation night (with dinner if possible)
T-shirts arrive
Tally all sponsorships received and design a thank-you poster for prominent display.

NIGHT BEFORE EVENT (ORIENTATION):

Set up tables and learning stations.
Review roles with volunteers.
Brief Consumer Conversations training.
Have the host farm share, and provide in printed form, details and stats with volunteers about the farm to answer general questions.

1 WEEK AFTER:

Send thank-you notes to all volunteers, sponsors and the host farm.
Debrief with the planning committee for the next event.

For more detail, contact MFB P&E Specialist Katie Cooper, or the Kalamazoo County Farm Bureau, upon whose P&E Showcase submission this article was based.