Almost 30 Young Farmers from across District 10 came out of hibernation recently for a networking event at Highway Brewing in West Branch. Brushing the dust off social skills unused after a year of pandemic precautions, the group enjoyed an evening of camaraderie and idea-sharing, looking forward to a new planting season with renewed purpose.
All six of District 10’s county Farm Bureaus were represented — Arenac, Clare, Gladwin, Huron Shores, Iosco and Ogemaw —including five of its six chairs. They shared event and program ideas that have been successful in their counties and started planning for the warm-weather months ahead.
“Our district is a large one and gathering everyone together can be tricky,” said Clare County’s Erika Schunk, who represents the region on MFB’s State Young Farmer Committee. “We had an amazing turnout and everyone truly enjoyed their time.
“It was a night we all needed, all enjoyed and all deserved!”
Much of the evening’s discussion revolved around the coming calendar, particularly the district-level discussion meet.
“This year we have high hopes for our discussion meet,” Schunk said. “We’re coordinating it with our districtwide Fall Fest.
“We thought: Why not take advantage of us all being in one place and set aside some time just for Young Farmers to discuss important topics in our community?
“It’s hard signing up for something when you’re not sure of the structure, but things being virtual last year — taking place online — that brought the discussion meet inside people’s home and workplaces so everyone can see firsthand.”
Scheduled for Sept. 18 at the Ogemaw County Fairgrounds, District 10’s Farm Bureau Fall Fest will offer networking and development opportunities for members involved in all major program areas: Young Farmer, Promotion & Education, membership recruitment, policy development and legislative action. Beyond the discussion meet the event will include several educational sessions, policy and legislative components, a Harvest for All fundraisers and plenty of family fun.
And since it’s Farm Bureau, there’s sure to be plenty to eat!
For more information, contact MFB Dist. 10 Regional Manager Sonya Novotny, 248-410-2340.