Stay Informed

Working together at the individual, local, district and state level is an important part of Indiana Farm Bureau’s strategic plan.

One of the tactics INFB has been using to ensure this goal is met is “think tanks” – groups of representative county Farm Bureau leaders who have been meeting periodically ever since the plan was adopted. These member-led groups are able to identify opportunities to enhance INFB at all levels.

Early on, the think tanks were focused on brainstorming, but they are now concentrating on actionable items, according to Leslie Hickman, INFB regional manager, and Colette Childress, INFB local government relations policy advisor, the INFB staff who have been working most closely with the think tanks.

One think tank focuses on engagement and the second on advocacy. Each group is made up of a diverse set of members from across the state with various backgrounds and areas of knowledge.

So far, the groups are considering:

• Increasing opportunities for INFB to partner within the agricultural community.
• Learning more about the needs of our members and how best to address them.
• Addressing barriers that may prevent members from participating in Farm Bureau’s events.

Still to come are:

• Figuring out what these concepts look like at the community level and developing pilot projects.

• Continuing to identify the actionable items from ideas surfaced during the 2023 think tanks.
• Identifying and addressing challenges that INFB members are facing.
• Creating opportunities for INFB members to be thought leaders.

Anyone interested in participating in opportunities like these should reach out to their regional manager. Contact information for regional managers can be found at www.infb.org/fieldoperations.