American Farm Bureau membership nears 6-million mark

The American Farm Bureau Federation recently said its membership for 2016 has reached 5,999,327 families, a growth of 14,835 families, putting the organization over its membership quota goal.

"Membership is vital to the health of farm bureau, ensuring we have the resources to serve our mission," AFBF Membership & Program Development Director Robin Kinney said. "People join the farm bureau for different reasons, and every member helps us make a difference at the local, state and national levels."

The AFBF sets quota goals for state farm bureaus based on their membership for the previous year. The quota for each state is that state's previous membership figure plus one additional member, and 34 states hit their targets this year.

The AFBF confers Navigator status on state farm bureaus that go above and beyond in bringing in new members. Navigator status is conferred on states that hit a certain percentage of growth based on their state size and their membership from the year before. This year, 11 states earned that distinction.

The federation will celebrate the efforts of state farm bureaus at the 2017 convention and IDEAg Trade Show, which begins Jan. 9 in Phoenix.