State Sens. Roger Victory and Kevin Daley were awarded Michigan Farm Bureau’s Silver Plow Award — the organization’s top recognition — for their support of Michigan agriculture.

The award, which shows appreciation for leadership and support consistent with the organization’s member-developed policy, was presented during MFB’s recent Lansing Legislative Seminar. 

As chair of the Senate Appropriations Agriculture Subcommittee, Victory helped secure supplemental funding for the Michigan Alliance for Animal Agriculture after it was vetoed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. His continued efforts, as noted by MFB, allowed MAAA to receive funding last year on an ongoing basis for the first time in its history.

Victory also joined a group of commodity executives to secure state funds to spur innovation and development. 

Daley was noted for his pivotal role in extending the funding for the Michigan Agricultural Environmental Assurance Program — the state’s premier on-farm conservation and stewardship program — through 2025. He was primary sponsor of the legislation that created the MAEAP program in 2011.

GreenStone produces award-winning magazine

GreenStone Farm Credit Services recently garnered a first place for its Partners magazine during the Best of National Agri-Marketing Association regional awards program.  

The Partners magazine is a quarterly publication GreenStone shares with its agricultural and country living customers, prospects and others in related industries. It focuses on financial, educational and personal interest topics useful for customers in Michigan and northeast Wisconsin. As an in-house agency, the publication is written, designed and published by the GreenStone team. 

GreenStone’s Partners magazine was awarded first place in the category of Company and Association Magazines in NAMA’s Region IV, which is made up of four chapters in four states — Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin.   

GreenStone will compete at the national level, with the awards ceremony taking place in April 2022 in Kansas City. 

District 11 takes top spot in 2021 Harvest for All program

At its February Growing Together conference, Michigan Farm Bureau recognized members in District 11 for their outstanding work to help those in need through the Harvest for All program. 

Harvest for All challenges Farm Bureau members across the country to share agriculture's bounty and help neighbors in need by donating surplus agricultural commodities, nonperishable food products, money or volunteer hours to local food banks. 

HARVEST FOR ALL: Sonja Lapak (left), MFB agent charitable fund liaison, awarded District 11 representative Bill McMasters with a $1,000 prize for top participation in MFB’s Harvest for All program.

Comprised of Antrim, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Emmet, Otsego and Presque Isle counties, District 11 accounted for more than half of the total volunteer hours and surplus agricultural commodities donated by county Farm Bureaus across the state.  

District 11’s members logged 750 volunteer hours while donating 24,330 pounds of surplus agricultural commodities and nearly 120 pounds of nonperishable food. Their efforts — combined with other county Farm Bureau members in Michigan — yielded a tremendous donation to Harvest for All in 2021, including: 

District 11’s Bill McMasters accepted a $1,000 check as a prize on behalf of the district, which will be donated to the Manna Food Project, a local nonprofit organization that has been helping feed the hungry throughout northern Michigan for 35 years.