Stay Informed
Stepping Up for Agriculture: A Note from the President
If I had to pick one word to describe Indiana Farm Bureau members and their response to 2021, that word would be “resiliency.”
In yet another year of unprecedented changes, challenges and complications, I’d like to thank you for rising to the moment and helping INFB do great things. And you did it without missing a beat!
An example of this is the $250 million allocation by the Indiana General Assembly for the Next Level Connection Broadband Grants Program, which provides funds for the deployment of broadband infrastructure around the state. That would not have happened without members staying involved at the Statehouse despite the restrictions caused by COVID-19.
I’m always saying that it’s the grassroots that gives INFB its clout, and 2021 helped prove that. Thank you for all you did – and continue to do.
At our December convention, I was elected to my third term as your president, and I am so grateful for this opportunity. It was a privilege to be your president during INFB’s 100th anniversary year in 2019, but it’s even more important to help position this organization to remain viable for years to come, and that’s what I hope to do. So much has been accomplished, but there’s more to do.
As I said in my acceptance speech, I promise that we’re going to work hard and work together. We’re going to make sure Indiana farmers and INFB are thought leaders in the issues impacting Indiana agriculture. Together we will position INFB to be relevant for the next 100 years, and the cornerstone of that effort will be our new strategic plan.
We are still in the research phase of the strategic planning process, but we already know that Farm Bureau is going to have to look different – not only in the next 20 years but even in the next five years. The world isn’t the same as it was when I started farming. In fact, it’s changed a lot in just the years since I became president, and that trend will continue. Change is the one constant.
Actually, there is another constant, and that is the willingness of Farm Bureau members to step up and be effective advocates for agriculture. This is your organization – the officers and the board of directors are just its stewards. I am truly honored to be the president of this great organization and to represent Farm Bureau and agriculture. We can and will do great things together.
