Kent County Farm Bureau is an agricultural organization whose mission is to proactively secure the future of agriculture through promotion, community enhancement, and public education. We are a member-driven, volunteer-led organization. Our members are farmers, landowners, agritourism entrepreneurs, veterinarians, ag educators, ag industry professionals, and more! We make up the largest general farming organization in the county.
Who Makes Up the Board?
Local programming is directed by our volunteer board of directors. Directors are elected at the County Annual meeting in September. Some directors represent geographical districts in Kent County, and others are elected to at-large positions. Each director can serve no more than 3 consecutive 2-year terms before they have to take a year off the board. The chairs of the Young Farmer and Promotion & Education Committees also serve on the board of directors.
What Do Board Members Do?
Board Members are leaders in Farm Bureau and in their communities. Their responsibilities include:
- • Regularly attending county board meetings (once a month)
- • Acting in good faith of the organization in accordance with the legal duties of an officer
- • Providing supervision and direction of the financial matters of the county Farm Bureau
- • Being mindful of agricultural issues within the county
- • Recognizing membership as fundamental to the success of the organization
- • Supporting programs and activities of the county Farm Bureau
- • Encouraging member involvement and retention
- • Delegating appropriate responsibilities to other leaders in your organization
So What Local Programming Do You Do?
These are the events the 2025-2026 board prioritized to fulfill our mission and create value for our members:
- • Empowering Minds: Rural mental health training for community leaders, high school students, and Farm Bureau members.
- • State Annual Meeting: Sent 14 members to participate in the culmination of the policy development process to decide which policies the organization will lobby for.
- • Doe Pole: Contest for heaviest does harvested—to help reduce the deer herd and thereby reduce deer damage to crops and deer-vehicle accidents.
- • Professional Development Day for FFA Advisors from 5 Kent County programs.
- • Picture Yourself in Agriculture: Developed a career fair booth to teach students about the wide array of agriculture careers. Took it to 5 career fairs, reaching over 9,700 students
- • Classroom FARM Science: sponsored monthly agriculture-accurate lessons for over a dozen elementary classrooms; sponsored FARM Science Lab visit to a school.
- • Legislative Breakfast: Get farmer-members and state and federal legislators together.
- • Kent County Youth Fair: Free parking for all farmer-members. Free admission to rodeo for young farmers. Ran a scavenger hunt to teach children about agriculture and get them to go to all parts of Fair. Bought animals at the auction and encouraged 76 exhibitors and 4 FFA chapters.
- • Tire Recycling: Received a grant from EGLE and removed 3,459 tires from the environment.
- • Young Farmers went on an outing to a West Michigan Whitecaps game.
- • Scholarships: 7 students for college; 10 educational institutions for farm field trips (reaching 298 people).
- • Grants: Sparta FFA (with our matching grant they were able to raise an additional $9,800).
- • Sponsorships: KCTC FFA to send students to the national Envirothon contest. Kent County Youth Fair, Dairy Discovery, and Grand Rapids Children’s Museum, helping these organizations reach 58,000 people.
- • Kent County Youth Fair: This is the last year of a 3-year, $750,000 matching grant for their Raising Barns, Building Youth Campaign. They leveraged our grant to raise over $5 million.
Why Do These Volunteer Leaders Give Up Their Time?
The current Board of Directors met for a goal setting meeting in July and talked about why they choose to be part of the board.
Bruce Klamer had a Farm Bureau membership for years but hadn’t gotten involved until a friend pulled him onto the board. He said, “I had no idea what the board did but once I got to know what happens and all the different things going on—this is awesome stuff. And I get to be part of it. I enjoy learning every day about what happens in ag in Kent County.”
Bryan Heffron and Allan Robinette are there to give back to an organization that poured a ton of resources into them, into their leadership development.
Carlton Blough’s reasons for serving are simple and deep: “Agriculture has been my life. With everything happening these days, you need support.”
Scott Drown is our newest board member, and he is looking towards the future: “My goal for Farm Bureau is getting young people involved. That’s why I’m here.”
Nicole Zaagman said, “As a new farmer, I needed a community and a sense of belonging and Farm Bureau has really provided it.”
Laurie Pant was invited to the County Annual by a friend. She said, “Once I was part of it and I saw all the great things they do, I wanted to be part of it.” Ryan Alt came back on the board after coming to the first tire recycling event and seeing that this board is all about doing more for our members.
Annie Link appreciates this board because it helps her make things happen: “So many other places, ideas die, but this is a group that gets things done. I don’t have time to get nothing done.”
Who Wants to Join In?
What do you want to get done for the broader Kent County agricultural community? If you’re a Farm Bureau member, consider standing for election at the county annual dinner in September. We might be able to help make your ideas a reality and you might be just what we need!
You wouldn't be alone. Not only would you have the other board members, but you'd also have the resource of a full-time County Administrative Manager, a Regional Manager, and the full weight of leadership and networking programs of Michigan Farm Bureau.
Contact the county office for more information ([email protected], 616-784-1092).