Stay Informed

The new education and outreach coordinator for Indiana Farm Bureau District 2 is Joy Tracey of LaGrange County.

Tracey represents Allen, Elkhart, DeKalb, Kosciusko, LaGrange, Noble, Steuben and Whitley counties on the INFB Women’s Leadership Committee, which is dedicated to educating the public through programs and events that promote a positive image of agriculture. The committee oversees several programs including Agriculture in the Classroom, the Book of the Year and Taste from Indiana Farms. She replaces Colleen Johnson, who decided not to run for reelection.

Tracey and her husband, Kent, farm near Wolcottville, where they have a dairy, raise a few beef cattle for the freezer and grow corn, soybeans and hay.

“Our oldest son lives at the dairy farm and, depending on the grandchildren’s current interests, you might also find chickens, goats, sheep, a pony and numerous kittens,” Tracey said.

Tracey has a long history with Farm Bureau, starting with her parents, John and Mary Powell, who are members from Steuben County.

“It seems I've always been around the Farm Bureau,” she said. Her parents have been members for more than 60 years, and her mother, in particular, has served in many different roles.

“I have terrific memories of different people and events,” she explained. “I enjoyed just tagging along with her.”

She and Kent served on the State Young Farmer Committee from 1994 to 1996. In 2001, she was the first-ever winner of the INFB Excellence in Agriculture award.

Tracey works for Edd’s Supplies Inc., a chemical and fertilizer company in Shipshewana. She was a 4-H leader for 20 years, is a past member of the Helping Others Before Ourselves Sorority, and has served as a volunteer for Elijah Haven (a domestic violence shelter), Feed My Starving Children and the Stroh Lions Club.

She and Kent are active members of the Stroh Church of Christ. They have been married for 33 years and have two sons and five grandchildren.