Indiana Farm Bureau Members help Shape Strategic Plan

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Indiana Farm Bureau had a busy summer hosting 20 meetings to get member input prior to putting together a new strategic plan that will be presented at the annual convention in December. Megan Ritter, Executive Director of Administration says the input sessions around the state were a great way to get member feedback and ideas on what they really want the organization to focus on.

“Agriculture is changing. We know that, and what our members need out of an organization may be changing as well and so we want to make sure that we are listening to that membership and asking them what they need in an advocacy organization be more successful on their farms.”

During the course of the summer Farm Bureau has heard a number of different ideas.

“One is that they want people to understand what it is that farmers do and the importance of agriculture,” Ritter said. “They feel that they do have a strong voice in Farm Bureau and they really like that we have a lot of clout, and that when they come in groups to the statehouse or go to Washington DC that legislators listen to them. So their lobbying power and working through that process has been very strong.”

Members also want the state organization to continue to be innovative at helping enhance local leadership skills and activities.

“It’s very complicated,” Ritter said. “Economic development, land use issues are very complicated at the local level, and so they’re asking us what we can do as an organization to help arm and tool our members with more information and tools for them to take advantage of those opportunities to be involved and engaged locally.”

Now the elected board of directors will dive into the input to help shape the strategic plan to be rolled out at the end of the year. Ritter says that will give Indiana Farm Bureau a great opportunity to start 2017 back in the counties to begin implementation of the strategic plan.

You can become an Indiana Farm Bureau member by joining online at www.infb.org/findyourvoice.