Interested in applying for a 2026 County Promotion & Outreach Grant? County Farm Bureaus can apply for up to $1,000 in grant support for 2026 programming in one of two categories — or split between them.
Grant funds support new or expanded consumer-engagement or county-fair visibility activities — but not added to resources already allocated for existing programs. The intent is to help counties amplify, modify or develop new outreach efforts.
Here are those two categories:
Connecting Communities: To support county Farm Bureau efforts to connect and engage with local, adult consumers through social events, outreach at existing venues consumers frequent, advertising to promote agriculture, and agricultural career outreach.
County Fairs: To increase county Farm Bureau visibility at county fairs through engaging opportunities for members, exhibitors or consumers. County fair grant awards will match county Farm Bureau investments. (For a $1,000 project, the county invests $500 and can apply for $500 in county fair grant funds.)
These funds allow county Farm Bureaus to boost consumer and member engagement in many ways. MFB encourages counties to create inspiring and innovative ideas to showcase county Farm Bureau’s and their individual agricultural identity. Consider some of the following ideas for utilizing grants to connecting communities:
- Promoting ag careers to high school students: Partner with local high schools and host an agriculture-centered career fair. Establish various stations focusing on different careers in ag, handout goodies and activities, and include games and trivia throughout the fair.
- Adult Project RED: Building on the concept of Project RED, organize a version of this event that is tailored specifically for adults. Consider having booths displaying parts of local agriculture, inviting guest speakers, or collaborating workshop activities to engage adult community members.
- On-farm events: There are numerous ways to attract members of the community's right to local farms. Tours can be given at different local farms to community members to promote local agriculture. Farms can organize a “Dinner on the Farm Date Night” for adults throughout the county. Farms can create a scavenger hunt / farm bingo to encourage participants to venture and learn while visiting the farm.
- Real Farmers, Real Answers Booth: Utilize the new Real Farmers, Real Answers Booth-in-a-Box to engage consumers in conversations about agriculture and answer questions about where their food comes from.
- Community planting day: This can be done in one or two ways. The first would be to organize a day at a local farm to have members of the community attend and spend the day planting. Another example would be to assemble a place in the community and host a planting day for anyone to attend.
- Farm-to-table workshops: Select a day to provide workshops and booths to demonstrate to participants the process and importance of local agriculture in the area. Showcase how each role is significant, and how we get from farm to fork.
- Farmers market educational events: At a local farmers market, provide a station highlighting information about local agriculture, utilizing commodity signs, handouts, trinkets, etc.
- Social media campaigns: There are many ways to promote Michigan agriculture, local produce, and your county Farm Bureaus via social media. Some examples include a “Meet the Farmer” theme campaign, shouting out the economic impact of local agriculture, creating a unique local hashtag, designing consumer tips, or posting signs or billboards.
- Cooking Class: Bring local produce, chefs and farmers together to host a cooking class for community members. Provide a follow-along lesson using locally grown ingredients.
These are just a small sample of the countless outreach possibilities to increase community connections. Applying for a 2026 County Promotion & Outreach Grant creates opportunities for county Farm Bureaus to explore engaging new ways to promote membership and advocate for Michigan agriculture. Contact [email protected] with any questions regarding reimbursement issues.
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