More about your Farmers Teaching Farmers speakers

UPDATE: The registration deadline for Farmers Teaching Farmers Conference has been extended to June 8.

In a previous article, we featured speakers from the finance and branding learning tracks at Michigan Farm Bureau’s upcoming Farmers Teaching Farmers event, June 20 at Farm Bureau Center. 

Well guess what: That was only two of five immersive learning tracks on tap: Row Crop, Cut Flowers, Finance, Branding, and Fruit & Vegetables. Each session in every track will be led by farmers and include tangible, practical takeaways that you can implement back home on your own farm.

One of the Fruit & Vegetable sessions will be led by a pair of value-added veterans, laser-focused on what products are worth your time and investment. 

Fifth-generation fruit grower Allan Robinette is the operations manager at Robinette's Apple Haus & Winery, just outside Grand Rapids in central Kent County — and an involved young leader with the Kent County Farm Bureau.

“From a footprint standpoint, our market is on a smaller piece of land, so we get creative with the products we sell,” he said. “We’ve also pinpointed vendors and other farms to work with on products or services when it’s not our expertise — whether that’s with grape wines or 5-K races.

“Transitioning in the 1970’s — away from the wholesale to an entirely retail model — saved our farm. Over the years there have been multiple add-ons, like the winery and our soon-to-open dedicated hard cider consumption space, that have been pivotal moments for our farm where we’ve really changed what we do.”

Sara Reisinger is a Midland County Farm Bureau member and event planner and manager at Leaman's Green Applebarn. A seventh-generation apple orchard, bakery, and pumpkin patch, Leaman’s added a barn venue in 2023. 

Reisinger is excited to talk about how value-added products have been revolutionary in her operation. 

“It really comes down to what you have on the farm now, how you can increase it, and how you can get people to come to the farm to buy it,” Reisinger said. “By turning apples into cider, then that cider into slush and slush sundaes, we’ve made the apple we’re already growing into a more valuable product.”

Reisinger is excited about what Farmers Teaching Farmers is bringing to the table. 

“I think what’s going to be most exciting is coming together as people who are in the same season, trying to grow our business, facing the same struggles and working toward similar goals,” she said. “Having a like-minded group coming together is beneficial for ourselves, our communities and our farms.”

The cut-flower session will be led by Lapeer County Farm Bureau member Joe Ankley, of Ankley Family Farms, a centennial milk, beef and crop operation with a farm stand selling a variety of vegetables, fruits and flowers. 

One of their agrotourism attractions is the u-cut flower fields boasting more than 20,000 plants, photo backdrops and Ankley’s own floral arrangements.

“There’s a lot of potential for growing cut flowers in Michigan, and I’ve definitely seen a movement toward local products — specifically local cut flowers — as people try to find more sustainable sources for events like weddings.

“At the end of the day, attendees will have a basic understanding of what are the easiest cut flowers to grow, and how to use them for events and arranging. They’ll get hands-on experience to bolster the skills they take home.”

On the row-crop side of the agenda, Ryan Rock will focus on the use of drones in applying fungicides. His Rock Ag Services embodies his passion for empowering farmers with the tools and knowledge they need to thrive in a rapidly evolving industry sector.

“In the last five years the drone market has exploded and it’s been awesome to watch,” he said. “I’ve always tried thinking outside the box for solutions for farmers and helping them utilize unconventional methods to replace traditional equipment like pull-sprayers.”

Registration is open for MFB’s inaugural Farmer Teaching Farmers event, with tickets available online: $25 for members, $75 for non-members. (Note that non-members have the option to roll $50 of their registration into a Farm Bureau membership.)

Ticket sales close June 8, and all tracks are first-come, first-served. Register today!

Full session descriptions can be found online. Look for more info in the next Farm Gate.