Contact:
Heidi Gant
(O) 317-692-7828
(C) 317-966-3719
HGant@infb.org

(Fort Wayne) – Dec. 14, 2023 – During a special reception for county leaders at the Indiana Farm Bureau 2023 State Convention in Fort Wayne, the organization recognized the achievements of county Farm Bureaus in 2023.

This year, five counties earned a County Activities of Excellence (CAE) award, which is designed to celebrate innovative, action-oriented programs developed by county Farm Bureaus. The CAE awards may be granted in one of four categories focused on the priority issues of the organization’s strategic plan: growing engagement, innovating and growing, advocating, and adding value by sharing knowledge. The top county in each category received a cash award of $2,000 to be applied toward improving a program in that county, and they were eligible to send two members each to INFB’s annual state convention with expenses paid.

“Indiana Farm Bureau thrives at the state level when our county Farm Bureaus are engaged,” said Randy Kron, INFB president. “We’re so grateful for the work our county leaders are doing in their communities to promote agriculture and drive positive change for their neighbors.”

The winners are below:

• Tippecanoe County Farm Bureau – Advocating
  Tippecanoe County Farm Bureau invited local officials to dinner for networking, building relationships and sharing information. The goal of this meeting was to allow open dialogue with officials on a local level, help plan policies for the following year and show support for each other. Through this event, they were able to forge personal connections with people they might need to work with in the future.
• Jay County Farm Bureau – Innovating and Growing
  Jay County Farm Bureau hosted a family fun night inviting both members and non-members to share information about Farm Bureau and community involvement. The event resulted in multiple new memberships and was a launching point for a new Young Farmer and Ag Professionals program in the county.
• Allen/Whitley County Farm Bureaus – Adding Value by Sharing Knowledge
  Allen and Whitley County Farm Bureaus hosted a joint member appreciation event at a local agritourism farm to share information about current farming practices. Additionally, local officials and congressional candidates were invited and given an opportunity to speak. Not only did they help inform voters on the candidates that will be representing them in Congress, but also exposed the candidates, their families and INFB associate and voting members to a modern dairy farm and how it functions.
• Hancock County Farm Bureau – Growing Engagement
  Hancock County Farm Bureau hosted a winter farmer luncheon to discuss issues impacting the local ag community. This year’s program focused on the global supply chain and its local affects. They brought in industry experts to speak and help farmers have more information when making input decisions for 2023. They also worked with the local Extension office to combine the meeting with a private applicator (PARP) credit program so farmers who do their own spraying were able to complete their yearly credits.

These awards and honors are based on the Indiana Farm Bureau membership year, which runs from October through September each year.

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About Indiana Farm Bureau: For more than 100 years, Indiana Farm Bureau (INFB) has protected and enhanced the future of agriculture and our communities. As the state’s largest general farm organization, INFB works diligently to cultivate a thriving agricultural ecosystem to strengthen the viability of Indiana agriculture.  Learn more at INFB.org