Fall is one of my favorite times on the farm. It’s an opportunity to see the fruits of your planning and labor. Not every harvest is record-breaking, but I hope you have had a good, safe harvest. While home for harvest, I’ve had the chance to reflect and think more about the upcoming election.

Fall is one of my favorite times on the farm. It’s an opportunity to see the fruits of your planning and labor. Not every harvest is record-breaking, but I hope you have had a good, safe harvest. While home for harvest, I’ve had the chance to reflect and think more about the upcoming election.

The outcomes of every election can significantly impact Hoosier farmers and rural residents. It is crucial that INFB members find their voice in the political process by engaging with candidates at all levels and showing up to vote. For over 30 years, Indiana Farm Bureau ELECT PAC has been the best vehicle for Hoosier farmers and rural residents to elect ag-friendly candidates to Congress and the General Assembly.

ELECT PAC is the nonpartisan political action committee associated with INFB. Through endorsements, donations and political engagement by members, ELECT promotes the victory of federal and state legislative candidates who support agriculture.

True to the nature of Farm Bureau, ELECT PAC is entirely grassroots-driven, starting at the county level. A top priority for me is to ensure that we have strong county Farm Bureaus with growing and engaged memberships. This summer, many members volunteered their time to interview general election candidates to evaluate how they would support farm families and rural communities.

These farmers found their voice through this process by engaging with their county Farm Bureau – the lifeblood of this organization. Thank you for your dedication to INFB and agriculture.

 Endorsements are only made when two of the three committees of trustees support the endorsement. The committees of trustees are the District Committee of Trustees, Oversight Committee and ELECT PAC Board of Directors.

Becoming part of ELECT PAC is very simple. Any Farm Bureau member who donates to ELECT PAC automatically becomes a PAC member. All ELECT PAC donations come from individuals, never from corporations, including Indiana Farm Bureau and Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance. Your $32.50 membership dues are not transferred to ELECT PAC.  In order for us to maintain our impact with ELECT PAC, the board of directors decided to increase the minimum contribution to five dollars.

This format ensures that any contribution by ELECT PAC  to political campaigns truly represents the grassroots – and that’s you, Indiana’s farm and rural families who have the greatest and most sincere investment in the future of agriculture.

Inside this issue of The Hoosier Farmer, you will find a list of ag-friendly candidates who have been endorsed by ELECT PAC, as well as information about our #INFBiFarmiVote campaign to get out the vote.

As an organization, Farm Bureau promotes civic engagement, but I would also make a personal ask that you actively participate in the political process. The vitality of our industry and our way of life depends on the decisions that come out of Washington D.C., Indianapolis and our local communities.

In the past few cycles, I’ve seen elections in Indiana decided by four votes or less. We have the opportunity to make a positive difference for agriculture by making our voices heard in the ballot box.

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