Michigan Farm Bureau reports record attendance at annual conference

The Michigan Farm Bureau reported record attendance at its annual Voice of Agriculture Conference held in Traverse City, Michigan, in January.

The weekend featured workshops, tours and speakers that urged attendees to make gains in both promotion and education, the bureau said on its website. The need to help the average consumer understand both the challenges and victories involved in modern American food production was a major focus of many of the workshops at the annual event, which also featured training sessions focused on farm safety, grant writing and the most effective use of social and mass media.

During the first day of the annual meeting, tour buses took attendees to various Traverse City area operations where they learned first-hand about new advances in the farm industry, the posting said. Visitors learned about the Farm-to-Freezer operation of the Benzie-Manistee County Farm Bureau, the Triple D Orchards processing facility where cherry concentrate is produced and the Black Star Farms winery. Northwest Michigan College, the host site for Michigan State University’s agriculture technology program hosted an educational session concerning the use of drones or unmanned aerial vehicles.

Randy Krotz, CEO of the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance, delivered the keynote address, summarizing consumer interest in the processes of food production and challenging attendees at the conference to speak up and share their expertise and authority with everyday consumers, the bureau posting said. Scott Westerman, associate vice president for alumni relations at Michigan State University also addressed the group, calling on members of the Michigan Farm Bureau to embrace change by asking simple questions of themselves, the posting said.