Sanilac County Farm Bureau hasn’t always been a big player at their county fair, but five years ago, they dipped their toes in. They had traditionally supported the live-animal auction, but post-Covid prices started limiting the number of kids they could support.
“We wanted to spread our outreach beyond just a few kids at the auction,” said Darcy Lipskey, Sanilac County Farm Bureau president and District 6 representative on Michigan Farm Bureau’s State Promotion & Education Committee. “We started by handing out pails, wandering around at chore time and having one-on-one conversations about the county Farm Bureau and membership.
“We were surprised to learn that most of our exhibitor families thought we were just an insurance company. So our county Farm Bureau really went back to the drawing board about how we could have more of a presence.”
The next year they used smaller pails that worked for more exhibitors — and created exhibitor t-shirts, distributing them at an all-exhibitor meeting, prior to the fair, which everyone was required to attend. This gave them the opportunity to interact with more people in an orderly and efficient way.
The following year, the fair board came to the county Farm Bureau asking for help with the kids' pedal pull.
“They literally needed bodies — to sign kids in and move the pedal tractors,” Lipskey said.
Not only did the county produce those volunteers, they also worked with the 4-H ice cream booth to purchase coupons for all the kids competing and sponsored awards.
Each year they’ve added a new layer to their involvement, and today are seeing the fruits of their efforts paying off.
“Now we have such a different presence, it’s hard to think back to what people used to think," Lipskey said. "Our efforts have really helped with our brand recognition and broadened what people think of our organization.
“As a first-generation Farm Bureau member, I didn’t have any idea what Farm Bureau was until I became a state officer. Without that experience, I may have never known — I fell into the same gap our exhibitors were in. Creating these touchstones for youth brings down the intimidation factor, making it sound less scary and adult.”
Sanilac County Farm Bureau works hard to intertwine with youth's core memories — an effort leaders hope will translate into participation as their local young people mature, join Collegiate clubs or return to the community working in agriculture.
While these efforts are helping the community better understand what the county Farm Bureau does — and delineate it from the insurance company — Lipskey gave an emphatic shoutout to the local Farm Bureau Insurance agents who partner alongside them. Together, their involvement at the fair can increase awareness for both the “farm side” and the insurance company; you never know who may be shopping for a new policy.
Will what works for Sanilac work in your county? Lipskey had these words of encouragement for county Farm Bureaus looking to up their fair involvement:
“Find something small to start with. We just started by handing out some pails, which helped us find the route we wanted to take. You have to start somewhere. Just finding out where the void is in the fair is a really good place to begin.
“If you look around your county Farm Bureau board, there’s probably someone involved in the fair. Maybe they say the wash rack could use new hoses, or maybe they need volunteers — it can be that simple.
“There are a lot of places to plug in, and it’s just looking for that connection to find that small piece where your county can make an impact.”
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