County Farm Bureaus rarely regret tinkering around with their annual meetings. From partnering with neighboring counties on joint assemblies to mixing in fun, family-friendly activities, county annuals are blank canvases that welcome leaders’ willingness to experiment with new ideas.
But why? Why try fixin’ what ain’t broke?
Here are two likely answers:
Escape the Rut — Predictable routines work great, until they don’t. Doing things like they’ve always been done is a tempting path of least resistance, but the downside is just as predictable: Subtly and steadily, the status quo leads to stagnation and decline. Your turnout drops because the usual crowd starts thinking — then saying — “It’s the same thing year after year.”
Boost Turnout — Whether they’re bored of the same-old same-old or staying home for some other reason, your members aren’t coming to an annual meeting they find little value in. If all you’re offering is another bland spread in the same tired venue, raffling off last year’s reheated door prizes, you won’t entice many folks to drive around the section, much less lure them across the county.
One angle offers this lazy, low-hanging explanation: Farmers are conservative, cautious and conditioned by experience to be wary of change. Your very livelihood hinges on successfully navigating an endless sequence of unpredictable, uncontrollable variables that threaten every dollar you invest in a new crop, a new herd.
But if my 20+ years working for you has taught me anything, it’s this: Farmers are also wildly creative, innovative and often boldly willing to experiment with testing unknowns that offer potentially higher yields, lucrative new markets, or increased efficiencies.
Farmers are far more familiar with risk-taking than the rest of us workaday chumps. That experience counts for something — a lot, actually — but it can also pay dividends outside the tractor cab and livestock barn.
It’s something to keep in mind as you finalize the details of your county Farm Bureau’s 2025 annual meeting. Technically that responsibility falls on a designated county-annual planning team that’s probably already appointed, but… <looks left, looks right, leans in>
Guess what: Even if the planning team’s already set sail, nobody’s going to ignore a good suggestion. Good ideas are hard to resist, no matter where they come from.
All of our organization’s best ideas come from rank-n-file county Farm Bureau members like you. But if you don’t speak up, it’ll fade and wilt before it gets a chance to blossom.
One last tip for you lurkers and uninvolved benchwarmers: County Farm Bureau annual meetings are perfect venues for learning more about the organization you pay dues to — and the opportunities for maximizing your value from it.
So whether you’re a new member or have been biding your time in the shadows, there’s no better opportunity to explore where you — your interests, your priorities, your skills — best slot into the organization.
Getting involved is what maximizes the return on your investment in Farm Bureau. So raise your hand, ask some questions, and put your ideas out there!
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