A Message from WFBF President Jim Holte
For me, the answer is a simple, “Yes!”
Whether you are a farmer, agri-business professional, Rural Mutual Insurance Company policy holder or agriculture supporter, I am grateful for your support of this organization.
I sincerely appreciate your membership because it is supporting local farmers right here in Wisconsin. You see, even if you are not actively farming, you are still impacted by agriculture every day. The milk you drink, vegetables you eat, burgers you grill and even things like makeup, car tires and lotion are made possible by farmers.
Farmers represent less than two percent of the American population and they truly appreciate your support through a Farm Bureau membership and by purchasing their products when you head to the grocery store.
I thought I would share some of the ways Wisconsin Farm Bureau works to serve farmers, agri-business professionals, agriculture supporters and Rural Mutual Insurance Company policy holders.
Member Benefits
From discounts on hotels and rental cars to Grainger products and John Deere equipment there is something for everyone in our extensive line up of money-saving member benefits. Most recently, we welcomed Six Flags® and Ford as the newest member benefits. We love hearing from members who utilize these discounts, so please contact the WFBF office if you have a story to share.
If you want to learn more about your member benefits, flip to page 19 or visit wfbf.com/membership/member-benefits.
Governmental Relations
Farm Bureau is probably best known for its ability to put agriculture’s voice in front of elected officials – both at the state and national level. We are a voice for farmers when farmers are busy working.
WFBF is responsible for keeping track of legislation that could impact farmers and rural landowners while helping us all understand what it means for our daily lives.
On the local level, I encourage you to contact your county Farm Bureaus on issues in your community.
Public Relations
As you’ve been turning the pages of this magazine, I hope you have been admiring another benefit of your membership: Rural Route.
In addition to Rural Route, WFBF keeps members informed through the Grassroots district newsletters for voting members and newly-created Farm Bureau Connection newsletter for associate members. You also can visit our newly redesigned website to stay up-to-date on WFBF events, activities and news.
Our work reaches beyond our membership as we work hard to share agriculture’s story with the public through social media, news releases and working with reporters on interviews.
Education and Training
Wisconsin’s Ag in the Classroom program is housed at the WFBF office and is funded in-part through the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Foundation. Through the efforts of our Ag in the Classroom program, we share information about food and farming with school aged kids and adults so they can be more engaged consumers.
If you have not already ‘liked’ Wisconsin Ag in the Classroom on Facebook, I encourage you to, so you can stay up-to-date on activities and learn a few fun facts along the way.
The Wisconsin Farm Bureau Foundation also sponsors 4-H and FFA programs around the state. Most notably, WFBF hosts FFA Farm Forum for high school juniors and 4-H Key Awards.
As you probably can see, I believe WFBF delivers a great deal of value to its members. I hope that you are already finding value in your membership, but if you are not please explore some of the areas I outlined above to see how they may benefit you.
At the end of the day, we are all impacted by agriculture and I am so grateful for your support of Wisconsin agriculture and our hardworking farmers. WFBF is a voice for farmers and we owe our success to you, our members.
This column originally appeared in the 2019 June|July issue of Rural Route.
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