Summer is here! Crops are (mostly) in the ground and the smell of fresh cut hay fills the air. The kids are out of school and figuring out how to squeeze in as many activities as possible over the next few months. Summer is an exciting time at Farm Bureau, beginning the first week of June when we welcome our new policy development committee and begin our annual policy development process. Missouri Farm Bureau is proud of this grassroots effort that ensures every member has the opportunity to influence our organization’s policies. We strongly believe it is important for members’ voices to be at the center of our advocacy efforts.
From agritourism to zoning, our policy book covers a plethora of issues. For those of us who have been involved for several years, we often remember those members who shared that original concern with us. When we advocate on behalf of Missouri Farm Bureau or are asked questions about the organization’s stance on certain matters, our team first refers to the policy book established by our members.
The process to re-access our policies begins in June when the State Resolutions Committee, a group of Missouri Farm Bureau members from around the state, gathers to hear from government officials and field experts about emerging issues that could affect farmers, ranchers and rural communities. This year, our committee will hear from experts on a variety of topics, including animal health and rural challenges in education and transportation.
Following this meeting, members have the opportunity to make their voice heard by answering our annual policy development questionnaire found in the summer issue of our Show Me Missouri Farm Bureau magazine. If you’re a member, you can return the survey to your county Farm Bureau office, or fill it out online.
County annual meetings are underway, and county boards will review responses to the survey before formulating recommendations. Each year, we receive recommendations from every county board across the state, which ensures our resolutions committee can focus on current agricultural and rural issues of concern.
The resolutions committee meets again in October to review answers to our policy development questionnaire and craft proposed resolutions to be reviewed at our annual meeting in December. That’s when voting delegates from every county will convene to discuss and decide the direction our team will take on specific policy matters throughout the next year.
Farm Bureau is proud of our one-of-a-kind process that ensures every member has a voice in our advocacy efforts. As a member, your continued involvement in this process is what has kept our organization strong more than 100 years. We look forward to welcoming the new resolutions committee to kick off this process the first week of June!
