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Michigan Farm Bureau reflects on 2020 challenges
Michigan Farm Bureau kicked off its virtual annual meeting series Wednesday night remembering a year like no other.
President Carl Bednarski made his address to members online saying at the close of their Washington Leadership Seminar in March, the world literally shut down.
“Our lives changed, the world changed, the building for the future stopped. There was panic and people were scared. But agriculture knew what we needed to continue to do— produce food.”
Bednarski cited how the organization lobbied on behalf of members throughout the governor’s numerous Executive Orders, including the largest call to action seen in the group’s history asking the governor to reopen greenhouses, nurseries, and landscaping businesses.
“We had 56,000 responses over the course of a couple of weeks. That response was 33 percent bigger than any previous action request.”
Throughout the pandemic, Farm Bureau also supported efforts to challenge the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services mandated COVID testing of farmworkers and the new National Pollution Discharge Elimination System permit issued by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy.
“Our business has changed forever, but our productivity and mission have not.”
Bednarski also recognized Troy Bancroft, co-founder and CEO of AgroLiquid, as the organization’s Distinguished Service to Agriculture award winner and Diane Hanson of Delta County as the Volunteer of the Year.
Farm Bureau’s Annual Meeting will continue with district meetings taking place virtually and in-place later this month along with business and policy development sessions on December 2nd.