®Minnesota Farm Bureau

2015 ANNUAL REVIEW

P.O. Box 64370St. Paul, MN 55164 651-768-2100 Fax: 651-768-2159info@�mn.org • �mn.org

“I believe in grassroots organizations that are all about bringing farmers and ranchers together, no matter what you

farm. We all can work together to create policy and create a community where we’re all looking out for each other.”

–LeahJohnson,DouglasCounty

12

w America’s unparalleled progress is based on freedom and dignity of the individual, sustained by basic moral and religious concepts.

w Economic progress, cultural advancement, ethical and religious principles flourish best where people are free, responsible individuals.

w Individual freedom and opportunity must not be sacrificed in a quest for guaranteed “security.”

w We believe in government by legislative and constitutional law, impartially administered, without special privilege.

w We believe in the representative form of government...a republic...as provided in our Constitution, in limitations on government power, in maintenance of equal opportunity in the right of each individual to freedom of worship and in freedom of speech, press and peaceful assembly.

w Individuals have a moral responsibility to help preserve freedom for future generations by participating in public affairs and by helping to elect candidates who share their fundamental beliefs and principles.

w People have the right and the responsibility to speak for themselves individually or through organizations of their choice without coercion or government intervention.

w Property rights are among the human rights essential to the preservation of individual freedom.

w We believe in the right of every person to choose an occupation; to be rewarded according to his/her contributions to society; to save, invest or spend; and to convey his/her property to heirs. Each person has the responsibility to meet financial obligations incurred.

w We believe that legislation and regulations favorable to all sectors of agriculture should be aggressively developed in cooperation with allied groups possessing common goals. We support the right of private organizations to require membership as a prerequisite for member services.

FARM BUREAU BELIEFS

Anadvocateforagriculturedrivenbythebeliefsandpoliciesofourmembers.

®Minnesota Farm Bureau

1. PolicyMFBFwilladvocatethepoliciesdevelopedbyourmembers. •Policydevelopment •Policyimplementation •Politicalaction

2. LeadershipMFBFwillrecognize,empowerandengageourmembers. •Createaculturethat providesopportunitiesfor leadershipdevelopment andgrowth•Identifyandutilize memberstrengths•Reliableintegrated membership databasesystem

3. ImageMFBFwillenhanceandstrengthenitspro�ile. •Strengthened FarmBureaubrand•Earnkeyin�luencertrust

4. Resources•Membershipgrowth•Revenuegrowth•Fiscalresponsibility

Minnesota Farm Bureau

“I became a Farm Bureau member because of the

history and the tradition that Farm Bureau has

representing farmers and agriculture.”

–MattJohnson,MeekerCounty

4President’s Message

10Image

5Dues invested

8Leadership

FARM BUREAU MEMBERSHIP4 What’sinitforyou?w�FoodSafetyFarmBureauiscommittedtoprovidingsafe,affordablefoodforfamilies.Weworkwith

farmersandgovernmentof�icialstoensurethatfoodsafetyisatoppriority.w�ProtectingourEnvironmentFarmfamiliesdrinkthewater,breathetheairandliveontheland.Minnesota’sfarmers

demonstrateastrongcommitmenttoprotectingandimprovingourenvironmentbyparticipatinginvoluntaryconservationprogramsandadoptingrecommendedmanagementspracticesforenhancingsoil,airandwaterquality.w�EnergyFarmBureausupportsacomprehensiveenergyapproachtoreducingourdependence

onforeignoilandalleviatingtheeconomichardshipforallAmericanscausedbyrisingenergycosts.Thisincludesrenewableenergysourcessuchasethanol,biodiesel,windandbiomass,nuclearanddomesticfossilfuelproduction.w�AnimalCareEthicalanimalcareisatoppriorityforMinnesotafarmers.It’stherightthingtodo,and

itkeepsouranimalssafe,healthyanddisease-free.FarmBureaubelievesthatanimalcaredecisionsshouldcontinuetobemadebyfarmersinconsultationwiththeirveterinarian.w�StrongRuralCommunitiesStrong,thrivingruralcommunitiesandasuccessfulagricultureeconomygohandin

hand.FarmBureauisdedicatedtoensuringthatruralMinnesotaisabletoprosper.Locally,FarmBureaumembersarededicatedtolocalcivicinvolvementandactivelyworktoensurethattheirruralcommunitieshaveaccesstohighqualityeducationandhealthcare,provideabusinessfriendlyclimateandcancompeteinaglobalmarketplace.

Tools and Resources at fbmn.org

Haveyouseenallofthetoolsandresourcesavailableat�bmn.org?Checkitouttodayforinformationontheorganization,membership,programs,publicpolicy,educationalresources,news,eventsandtheMinnesotaFarmBureauFoundation.NEWthisyearisaone-stop-shoppageforpublicpolicyinformation,includingcurrentandpriorityissues,policydevelopmentinformationandlegislativeinformation.

2 3

Minnesota Farm Bureau is an advocate for

agriculture driven by the beliefs

and policies of our members.

STRATEGIC PLAN

6Policy

1. PolicyMFBFwilladvocatethepoliciesdevelopedbyourmembers. •Policydevelopment •Policyimplementation •Politicalaction

2. LeadershipMFBFwillrecognize,empowerandengageourmembers. •Createaculturethat providesopportunitiesfor leadershipdevelopment andgrowth•Identifyandutilize memberstrengths•Reliableintegrated membership databasesystem

3. ImageMFBFwillenhanceandstrengthenitspro�ile. •Strengthened FarmBureaubrand•Earnkeyin�luencertrust

4. Resources•Membershipgrowth•Revenuegrowth•Fiscalresponsibility

Minnesota Farm Bureau

“I became a Farm Bureau member because of the

history and the tradition that Farm Bureau has

representing farmers and agriculture.”

–MattJohnson,MeekerCounty

4President’s Message

10Image

5Dues invested

8Leadership

FARM BUREAU MEMBERSHIP4 What’sinitforyou?w�FoodSafetyFarmBureauiscommittedtoprovidingsafe,affordablefoodforfamilies.Weworkwith

farmersandgovernmentof�icialstoensurethatfoodsafetyisatoppriority.w�ProtectingourEnvironmentFarmfamiliesdrinkthewater,breathetheairandliveontheland.Minnesota’sfarmers

demonstrateastrongcommitmenttoprotectingandimprovingourenvironmentbyparticipatinginvoluntaryconservationprogramsandadoptingrecommendedmanagementspracticesforenhancingsoil,airandwaterquality.w�EnergyFarmBureausupportsacomprehensiveenergyapproachtoreducingourdependence

onforeignoilandalleviatingtheeconomichardshipforallAmericanscausedbyrisingenergycosts.Thisincludesrenewableenergysourcessuchasethanol,biodiesel,windandbiomass,nuclearanddomesticfossilfuelproduction.w�AnimalCareEthicalanimalcareisatoppriorityforMinnesotafarmers.It’stherightthingtodo,and

itkeepsouranimalssafe,healthyanddisease-free.FarmBureaubelievesthatanimalcaredecisionsshouldcontinuetobemadebyfarmersinconsultationwiththeirveterinarian.w�StrongRuralCommunitiesStrong,thrivingruralcommunitiesandasuccessfulagricultureeconomygohandin

hand.FarmBureauisdedicatedtoensuringthatruralMinnesotaisabletoprosper.Locally,FarmBureaumembersarededicatedtolocalcivicinvolvementandactivelyworktoensurethattheirruralcommunitieshaveaccesstohighqualityeducationandhealthcare,provideabusinessfriendlyclimateandcancompeteinaglobalmarketplace.

Tools and Resources at fbmn.org

Haveyouseenallofthetoolsandresourcesavailableat�bmn.org?Checkitouttodayforinformationontheorganization,membership,programs,publicpolicy,educationalresources,news,eventsandtheMinnesotaFarmBureauFoundation.NEWthisyearisaone-stop-shoppageforpublicpolicyinformation,includingcurrentandpriorityissues,policydevelopmentinformationandlegislativeinformation.

2 3

Minnesota Farm Bureau is an advocate for

agriculture driven by the beliefs

and policies of our members.

STRATEGIC PLAN

6Policy

FarmBureauisanorganizationguidedanddirectedbyournearly30,000memberfamilies–teachers,farmers,communityleaders,husbands,wives,parentsandbusiness

owners.Eachoneisconcernedabouttheirchildren,families,communitiesandmakingMinnesotaagreatplacetoliveandwork.

Weexisttoservemembersbecausewesharethevaluestheyholddear–hardwork,loveofcommunity,passionforthelandandbeliefrootedinfaithandfamily.Ourservices,programsandbene�itsarerootedinthecauses,concernsandneedsthatareimportanttoourmembersbasedontheirbeliefsandvalues.

Farm Bureau membership dues are invested in:

w�PolicyFarmBureauwilladvocatethepoliciesdevelopedbyourmembers.

w�ImageFarmBureauwillenhanceandstrengthenitspro�ile.

w�LeadershipFarmBureauwillrecognize,empowerandengageourmembers.

4 5

Thisyear,theMinnesotaFarmBureauFederation(MFBF)updatedourstrategicplanin

ordertocontinuetomoveforwardinapositivedirection.ThemajorareasoffocusforMFBFarePolicy,Leadership,ImageandResources.TheareaofResourceswasaddedsothatwedonotlosesightoftheimportanceofthetoolsnecessaryforustobeeffectiveintheotherthreeareasofPolicy,ImageandLeadership.

PolicyOneofthestrengthsofourorganization

isourgrassrootspolicydevelopment,policyimplementationandpoliticalaction.Ourpolicyisstrongandrespectedbecauseofourthoroughnessoftheprocess.Wewillstriveforcontinualimprovementwithastrongemphasisonmemberengagementinthedevelopment,implementationandactionofourpolicy.

ProgramssuchasCouncilofCountyPresidents,DaysontheHill,Adopt-a-LegislatorandFarmerstoWashington,D.C.matter.YourparticipationputsafacetofarmingwithyourmembersoftheMinnesotaLegislatureandMembersofCongress.CountyFarmBureauinvitationstolegislatorstotourfarmsacrossthestateandrideinacombinedomakeadifference.Sharingpersonalstoriesonhowlegislationaffectsourfamiliesandourfarmsareimpactful.

FarmBureaumembersattendedandsharedpersonalstoriesduringbuffermeetingsandpropertytaxmeetings.Providingpersonalexamplesofhowlegislativeactionsaffectfarmandranchfamiliesisnoticed.PersonaltestimonybyFarmBureaumembersofhowtheycare

fortheenvironmentcanbeviewedon

youtube.com/minnesotafarmbureau.Throughouttheyear,

FarmBureaumemberswereaskedtospeakupandshare

commentswithourMembersofCongressthroughourwebsiteusing

ourActionAlerts.Thisisaneasytousetooltohelpyoucommentonanissue.Youtookthetime,sharedpersonalstoriesofhowthatproposedlegislationwouldaffectyourfarmsandaskedourMembersofCongresstosupportFarmBureaupolicy.

ImageWecontinuetoevaluatewaystoshare

ourstoryandinvestresourcestostrengthentheFarmBureaubrand–Farmers•Families•FoodandenhanceconsumertrustthroughMinnesotaFarmersCARE–Animals•Environment •Food•Family.

Our�bmn.orgwebsitewasupdatedandnowhasimprovedmobilecompatibilityandanewPublicPolicyresourcecenter.

MFBFhasastrongfocusonsocialmediainordertocommunicatewithFarmBureaumembers,aswellasconsumersseekinginformationaboutagricultureandMinnesotaFarmBureau.

MFBFisamemberofU.S.FarmersandRanchersAlliance(USFRA)whichstrivestoprovideresourcesforfarmerstoengagewithconsumersandkeyin�luencers.Checkoutfooddialouges.com.USFRAisastrongsupporterofthedocumentaryFarmland.MFBFhasbeenassistingcountyFarmBureauswhoarehostingpublicviewingsintheircommunitiesandschoolstoopentheconversationabouthowfarmersgrowandraisefood.

ThroughtheSpeakforYourselfprogram,farmersacrossMinnesotapresentedtoover101serviceorganizations,communitykeyin�luencersandhighschoolclassroomsabouttheirfarms.OurMinnesotaStateFaireffortsprovidedanopportunityforconsumerstoaskfarmersaquestion–openingupgoodconversationsaroundfood.

WecontinuetostrengthenFarmBureau’sidentityofFarmers•Families•FoodwithmembersandpotentialmemberswhileimprovingconsumertrustthroughtheMinnesotaFarmersCAREinitiative.

LeadershipFarmBureaupridesitselfindeveloping

strongleadersforruralcommunitiesandlocalFarmBureaus.TheseeffortsbeginwithouryouththroughourpartnershipswiththeFFAandourstate’sagriculturaleducationteachers/FFAadvisorsandwithour4-Hclubsatthelocallevelaswellasourworkingrelationshipwiththestate4-Hambassadors.Weholdyearlymeetingswithboththestate4-HambassadorsandthestateFFAof�icerteamemphasizingourengagementwithtomorrow’sleaders.

OurYoungFarmersandRanchers(YF&R)haveastrongemphasisoncollegiateoutreachhostingfourqualifyingcollegiateDiscussionMeetswiththetoptwofromeachcollegeadvancingtothestatecontestheldduringourAnnualMeeting.OurFFAandCollegiateDiscussionMeetalongwithourYF&RLeadershipContestsdevelopstrongleaders.Skillsattainedduringtheseleadershipopportunitiesareapplicableineverydaylifeandstrengthenagriculture’svoice.

ThePromotion&Education(P&E)CommitteereachedouttotheMinnesotaStateAcademyoftheDeafandtheMinnesotaStateAcademyoftheBlindaswellasurbanschoolsrequestingtomeetafarmer.ImaginationStationsare“MyAmericanFarms”interactivekiosksbeingdevelopedandwillbeusedinmuseums,classroomsandcountyFarmBureaueventsacrossthestate.Thecommitteealsohasastrongemphasisonadultandyouthfarmsafetyoutreach.56percentofMinnesotanshavenevermetafarmer,and60,000U.S.agriculturaljobopportunitiesareexpectedannually.Withthesetypesofstatistics,wehavealotofoutreachtogainanunderstandingofwhatwedoandtoopenthedoorsofjobopportunitiestohelpusmeettheneedsofagrowingworldpopulation.

OurLeadershipConferenceheldjointlybytheP&EandtheYF&RCommitteesgrewtonearly300attendees.Eachareahasalearningtrackwithafocusonleadershipdevelopmentskills.

Theseopportunitieswillimproveoureffectivenessandhelptoidentifynewleaders,expandthemembershipbaseandbuildstrongercountyFarmBureaus.

ResourcesInorderforourFarmBureautofocuson

theseareasweneedthemembershipandrevenuestreamstoenableustodoso.Thankyoutoeveryonewhoaskedyourfriends,neighborsandfamiliestojointhelargestgeneralfarmorganizationinMinnesotaandtheUnitedStates.Membershipmatters,andyoureffortshelpedMinnesotaFarmBureaugrowforthe�ifthyearinarowto29,322members.Thisisalsothelargestmembershipgrowthin21years.Thankyouforyourmembership,yourengagementandyourdesiretobepartofthesolution.

WehaveanotherpartnerinthissuccessthatwecannotdowithoutandthatisFarmBureauFinancialServices(FBFS).Therearetwothingsweneedtorecognize.First,successofouraf�iliatedinsurancecompaniesisadirectresultofbeingabletoutilizethename,membershipanddistributioninfrastructureofthecountyandstateFarmBureauorganizations.Second,wemustalsorecognizethatourcountyandstateFarmBureauFederationswouldbesmallerandlesseffectiveorganizationswithoutthebene�itsreceivedfromouraf�iliatedcompanies.ThankyouFBFSforyourpartnershipanddesiretomakeapositivedifferenceforfarmersandranchers,familiesandruralcommunitiesinMinnesota.

InClosingWeappreciateyourmembershipand

dedicationtostrengthenFarmBureau’sandagriculture’svoice.Wehopethattheresultsofourefforts,makeadifferenceinthestrengthofourcountyFarmBureaus.Iencourageyoutoremainengagedandmakeadifference.Let’sbeatthetablesowearenotonthemenu.

ThankyouforyourhardworkanddedicationtoFarmBureau!

Sincerely,

KevinPaap,President

FarmBureau’sstandingreputationasthe

largestandmostin�luentialgrassroots

farmorganizationintheworldisbasedon

thefactthatbyworkingtogether,weproduce

resultseachandeveryyear.

97 Years Strong

Policy, Image,

Leadership, Resources

President’s Message

Whatdo

I get for my

Investment?

“Farm Bureau is an advocate for this

lifestyle of farming that I love.”

–JaredLuhman,GoodhueCounty

®

FarmBureauisanorganizationguidedanddirectedbyournearly30,000memberfamilies–teachers,farmers,communityleaders,husbands,wives,parentsandbusiness

owners.Eachoneisconcernedabouttheirchildren,families,communitiesandmakingMinnesotaagreatplacetoliveandwork.

Weexisttoservemembersbecausewesharethevaluestheyholddear–hardwork,loveofcommunity,passionforthelandandbeliefrootedinfaithandfamily.Ourservices,programsandbene�itsarerootedinthecauses,concernsandneedsthatareimportanttoourmembersbasedontheirbeliefsandvalues.

Farm Bureau membership dues are invested in:

w�PolicyFarmBureauwilladvocatethepoliciesdevelopedbyourmembers.

w�ImageFarmBureauwillenhanceandstrengthenitspro�ile.

w�LeadershipFarmBureauwillrecognize,empowerandengageourmembers.

4 5

Thisyear,theMinnesotaFarmBureauFederation(MFBF)updatedourstrategicplanin

ordertocontinuetomoveforwardinapositivedirection.ThemajorareasoffocusforMFBFarePolicy,Leadership,ImageandResources.TheareaofResourceswasaddedsothatwedonotlosesightoftheimportanceofthetoolsnecessaryforustobeeffectiveintheotherthreeareasofPolicy,ImageandLeadership.

PolicyOneofthestrengthsofourorganization

isourgrassrootspolicydevelopment,policyimplementationandpoliticalaction.Ourpolicyisstrongandrespectedbecauseofourthoroughnessoftheprocess.Wewillstriveforcontinualimprovementwithastrongemphasisonmemberengagementinthedevelopment,implementationandactionofourpolicy.

ProgramssuchasCouncilofCountyPresidents,DaysontheHill,Adopt-a-LegislatorandFarmerstoWashington,D.C.matter.YourparticipationputsafacetofarmingwithyourmembersoftheMinnesotaLegislatureandMembersofCongress.CountyFarmBureauinvitationstolegislatorstotourfarmsacrossthestateandrideinacombinedomakeadifference.Sharingpersonalstoriesonhowlegislationaffectsourfamiliesandourfarmsareimpactful.

FarmBureaumembersattendedandsharedpersonalstoriesduringbuffermeetingsandpropertytaxmeetings.Providingpersonalexamplesofhowlegislativeactionsaffectfarmandranchfamiliesisnoticed.PersonaltestimonybyFarmBureaumembersofhowtheycare

fortheenvironmentcanbeviewedon

youtube.com/minnesotafarmbureau.Throughouttheyear,

FarmBureaumemberswereaskedtospeakupandshare

commentswithourMembersofCongressthroughourwebsiteusing

ourActionAlerts.Thisisaneasytousetooltohelpyoucommentonanissue.Youtookthetime,sharedpersonalstoriesofhowthatproposedlegislationwouldaffectyourfarmsandaskedourMembersofCongresstosupportFarmBureaupolicy.

ImageWecontinuetoevaluatewaystoshare

ourstoryandinvestresourcestostrengthentheFarmBureaubrand–Farmers•Families•FoodandenhanceconsumertrustthroughMinnesotaFarmersCARE–Animals•Environment •Food•Family.

Our�bmn.orgwebsitewasupdatedandnowhasimprovedmobilecompatibilityandanewPublicPolicyresourcecenter.

MFBFhasastrongfocusonsocialmediainordertocommunicatewithFarmBureaumembers,aswellasconsumersseekinginformationaboutagricultureandMinnesotaFarmBureau.

MFBFisamemberofU.S.FarmersandRanchersAlliance(USFRA)whichstrivestoprovideresourcesforfarmerstoengagewithconsumersandkeyin�luencers.Checkoutfooddialouges.com.USFRAisastrongsupporterofthedocumentaryFarmland.MFBFhasbeenassistingcountyFarmBureauswhoarehostingpublicviewingsintheircommunitiesandschoolstoopentheconversationabouthowfarmersgrowandraisefood.

ThroughtheSpeakforYourselfprogram,farmersacrossMinnesotapresentedtoover101serviceorganizations,communitykeyin�luencersandhighschoolclassroomsabouttheirfarms.OurMinnesotaStateFaireffortsprovidedanopportunityforconsumerstoaskfarmersaquestion–openingupgoodconversationsaroundfood.

WecontinuetostrengthenFarmBureau’sidentityofFarmers•Families•FoodwithmembersandpotentialmemberswhileimprovingconsumertrustthroughtheMinnesotaFarmersCAREinitiative.

LeadershipFarmBureaupridesitselfindeveloping

strongleadersforruralcommunitiesandlocalFarmBureaus.TheseeffortsbeginwithouryouththroughourpartnershipswiththeFFAandourstate’sagriculturaleducationteachers/FFAadvisorsandwithour4-Hclubsatthelocallevelaswellasourworkingrelationshipwiththestate4-Hambassadors.Weholdyearlymeetingswithboththestate4-HambassadorsandthestateFFAof�icerteamemphasizingourengagementwithtomorrow’sleaders.

OurYoungFarmersandRanchers(YF&R)haveastrongemphasisoncollegiateoutreachhostingfourqualifyingcollegiateDiscussionMeetswiththetoptwofromeachcollegeadvancingtothestatecontestheldduringourAnnualMeeting.OurFFAandCollegiateDiscussionMeetalongwithourYF&RLeadershipContestsdevelopstrongleaders.Skillsattainedduringtheseleadershipopportunitiesareapplicableineverydaylifeandstrengthenagriculture’svoice.

ThePromotion&Education(P&E)CommitteereachedouttotheMinnesotaStateAcademyoftheDeafandtheMinnesotaStateAcademyoftheBlindaswellasurbanschoolsrequestingtomeetafarmer.ImaginationStationsare“MyAmericanFarms”interactivekiosksbeingdevelopedandwillbeusedinmuseums,classroomsandcountyFarmBureaueventsacrossthestate.Thecommitteealsohasastrongemphasisonadultandyouthfarmsafetyoutreach.56percentofMinnesotanshavenevermetafarmer,and60,000U.S.agriculturaljobopportunitiesareexpectedannually.Withthesetypesofstatistics,wehavealotofoutreachtogainanunderstandingofwhatwedoandtoopenthedoorsofjobopportunitiestohelpusmeettheneedsofagrowingworldpopulation.

OurLeadershipConferenceheldjointlybytheP&EandtheYF&RCommitteesgrewtonearly300attendees.Eachareahasalearningtrackwithafocusonleadershipdevelopmentskills.

Theseopportunitieswillimproveoureffectivenessandhelptoidentifynewleaders,expandthemembershipbaseandbuildstrongercountyFarmBureaus.

ResourcesInorderforourFarmBureautofocuson

theseareasweneedthemembershipandrevenuestreamstoenableustodoso.Thankyoutoeveryonewhoaskedyourfriends,neighborsandfamiliestojointhelargestgeneralfarmorganizationinMinnesotaandtheUnitedStates.Membershipmatters,andyoureffortshelpedMinnesotaFarmBureaugrowforthe�ifthyearinarowto29,322members.Thisisalsothelargestmembershipgrowthin21years.Thankyouforyourmembership,yourengagementandyourdesiretobepartofthesolution.

WehaveanotherpartnerinthissuccessthatwecannotdowithoutandthatisFarmBureauFinancialServices(FBFS).Therearetwothingsweneedtorecognize.First,successofouraf�iliatedinsurancecompaniesisadirectresultofbeingabletoutilizethename,membershipanddistributioninfrastructureofthecountyandstateFarmBureauorganizations.Second,wemustalsorecognizethatourcountyandstateFarmBureauFederationswouldbesmallerandlesseffectiveorganizationswithoutthebene�itsreceivedfromouraf�iliatedcompanies.ThankyouFBFSforyourpartnershipanddesiretomakeapositivedifferenceforfarmersandranchers,familiesandruralcommunitiesinMinnesota.

InClosingWeappreciateyourmembershipand

dedicationtostrengthenFarmBureau’sandagriculture’svoice.Wehopethattheresultsofourefforts,makeadifferenceinthestrengthofourcountyFarmBureaus.Iencourageyoutoremainengagedandmakeadifference.Let’sbeatthetablesowearenotonthemenu.

ThankyouforyourhardworkanddedicationtoFarmBureau!

Sincerely,

KevinPaap,President

FarmBureau’sstandingreputationasthe

largestandmostin�luentialgrassroots

farmorganizationintheworldisbasedon

thefactthatbyworkingtogether,weproduce

resultseachandeveryyear.

97 Years Strong

Policy, Image,

Leadership, Resources

President’s Message

Whatdo

I get for my

Investment?

“Farm Bureau is an advocate for this

lifestyle of farming that I love.”

–JaredLuhman,GoodhueCounty

®

Your Voice—Our Future

POLICY

w�BuffersIssue:MinnesotaGovernorMarkDaytonand

aworkinggroupofstateagencies(DepartmentofNaturalResources(DNR),MinnesotaDepartmentofAgriculture(MDA),MinnesotaPollutionControlAgency(MPCA)andBoardofWaterandSoilResources(BWSR))developedandsoughtpassageoflegislationinthe2015MinnesotaLegislaturetorequirelandownerstoprovidea50footperenniallyvegetatedbufferforallwaterwaysinthestate.TheoriginallegislativeproposalplacedDNRinchargeofenforcementwiththeagencyauthorizedtoissuepenaltyprovisionsupto$20,000fornon-complianceofthebuffermandate.Action:MinnesotaFarmBureauopposedthe

legislationproposedonbehalfoftheGovernorforbuffersandpreventedthebillsfrombeingpassedineithertheSenateortheHouse.Unfortunately,anamendmentdealingwithbufferswasattachedintheHouse/SenateConferenceCommitteereportconsolidatingdifferencesoftheomnibusAgricultureFinance/NaturalResourcesbill.FarmBureauandotheragriculturalorganizationsreluctantlyacceptedthelanguagenegotiatedbetweenlegislatorsandtheadministration.

Anearlierconsideredamendment,whichFarmBureauandotheragriculturalorganizationshadsupported,wasdiscardedunderthethreatofhavingtheomnibusbill,containingmanycriticalandbene�icialelements,vetoed.Inspiteoftheacceptanceofthe�inalversionofthebufferlanguage,GovernorDaytonvetoedtheomnibuslegislationandthe�inalactionsforapprovaldidn’tcomeuntiltheSpecialSessionoftheLegislaturehadconcludedwithseveralotherdifferencesnegotiatedtoaresolution.Results:The�inalbufferlanguagerequires

landowners,byNovember1,2017,toprovidea50footaverageperennialbuffer(30footminimum)widthonpropertyadjacenttopublicwaters.Thecriteriaforwhatde�ineswaterbodiesaspublicwatersareoutlinedbystatelaw,103G.005.Propertyownerswithditches,withinabene�itedareaofapublicdrainagesystem,arerequiredtohaveperennially-vegetatedbuffersof16.5footwidthbyNovember1,2018.Localauthorities,countiesorwatersheddistrictshavetheresponsibilityforissuingpenaltiesonlandownersfornon-complianceofthelaw,withBWSRwaitinginthewingstoassumethetaskofpunishmentiflocalauthoritiesdeferbynothavingapenaltyplanapprovedofbyBWSR.

Since�inalpassageofthebufferlaw,

MinnesotaFarmBureauhasactivelyengagedinparticipatinginmorethan40informationmeetingsthroughOctober,reachingover1,000peopletoexplaintherequirementslandownerswillneedtomeet.

FarmBureauhasproducedandwidelydistributedaneasytounderstandbrochureentitled“UnderstandingMinnesota’sNewBufferRequirement.”Thistoolalsooutlinesoptionsandopportunitiesforlandownerstoconsiderinmakingdecisionsabouttheirproperty,impactedbythestate’sbufferlaw.

w�Agricultural Property TaxesIssue:Minnesotaagriculturalproperty

ownersarebeingsigni�icantlychallengedbyincreasingpropertytaxburdens,especiallyresultingfromlocalschooldebtbonds,approvedbyvotersforneworremodeledfacilities.

Withagriculturalpropertymakingupthebulkofmostruralschooldistricts,adisproportionalburdenofthetaxfallsonagriculturalpropertytaxpayers.Theissueisdemonstratedbystatisticswhereinroughly20percentofthestate’sschooldistricts,75percentormoreofthetaxbaseisagriculturalproperty.Inone-thirdofthestate’sschooldistricts,50percentormoreofthetaxbaseisagriculturalproperty.Innearlyallanalysisofimpacts,agriculturalpropertytaxpayerspay10timestheamountoftaxespaidbyhomeownersintown.

Inadditiontohighagriculturalpropertytaxescausedbyschoolconstructionbonding,ever-increasingcountygovernmentcostsarealsotranslatingtoevenmoreagriculturalpropertytax�inancialburdens.Action:Enteringthe2015Minnesota

LegislativeSession,respondingtotheexcessivelevelsofagriculturalpropertytaxeswasatoppriority.Paymentofdebtbondsisachievedbytaxingallpropertywithinthetaxdistricttobeartheburdenofthecosts-calledNetTaxCapacity.

Bringingaboutamoreequitableweightofthisleveloftaxresponsibilitywasoneoftheobjectivespursued.Earlyinthe2015session,legislationwasintroducedandstronglysupportedbyFarmBureauwhichproposedtobaseschoolandlocalgovernmentdebtbondsonthebasisofahouse/garageandoneacre-calledMarketValue.

Severalvariationsofthehouse/garageandoneacreapproachwereattempted,includingahybridversionwherehalfthetaxwouldbeplacedonNetTaxCapacityandhalfplacedonMarketValue.Thesewereofferedandprovidedatlegislativehearingswithoutfavorableaction.

“Farm Bureau truly is the best voice for agriculture at the state and federal level.”

–BarryNelson,StevensCounty

Themostprogressforagriculturalpropertytaxreliefcameintheformofaproposaltousestategeneralfundstopayforone-halftheagriculturalshareoftheannualpaymentsforschooldebtbonds.Thisamountwasestimatedtobe$50millionper�iscalyear,basedonthepresentlevelofoutstandingschooldebtbondsandtheannualpaymentsrequiredfromagriculturalpropertytaxpayerstomeettheobligationsofthebonds.Results:Becauselegislativeleadership

madethedecisiontonothaveataxbill,theproposal,forreliefforagriculturalpropertyowners,fellapartwithoutadvancingfor�inalconsideration/approval.

MinnesotaFarmBureaucontinuestomakeprogressinbuildingworkingandcooperativesupportwithotherorganizations.KeypartnershipswithFarmBureauworkingtogetherwithotheragriculturalgroupsandtheMinnesotaRuralEducationAssociationhelpedmoveideasforwardinthe2015,exploringallavailableoptions.Theserelationshipscontinueandwillbeessentialinworkingtoconvincelawmakerstoadoptlegislativesolutions.

w�Waters of the U.S. Issue:TheU.S.EnvironmentalProtection

Agency(EPA)andU.S.ArmyCorpsofEngineers(Corps)�inalizedarulethatwillsigni�icantlyexpandthede�initionof“watersoftheUnitedStates”(WOTUS)undertheCleanWaterAct(CWA).The�inalrulewentintoeffectonAugust28,2015.However,onOctober9,2015,theU.S.CourtofAppealsfortheSixthCircuitissuedatemporarystayoftheEPAandCorpsWOTUSruleeffectivenationwide.ThisdecisionmeansthatthenewrulecannotbeenforcedbytheCorpsorEPApendingfurthercourtaction.

Althoughthisisonlyatemporaryvictory,itisastrongsignalthattheruleisunlawfulandharmfultostates,farmers,ranchersandlandowners.Thestaywillremainineffectuntilthecourtdecideswhetherithasjurisdictiontohearthecase.ItisyettobedeterminediftheCourtofAppealswillcontinuetohearthecases,orifDistrictCourtswillhavejurisdictiontohearthe12differentcasesthatwere�iledagainstthe�inalrule.

Justdaysafterthistemporaryvictory,theU.S.JudicialPanelonMultidistrictLitigationdeniedarequestbytheEPAandArmyCorpstocentralizethe12differentdistrictcourtcasesintoasinglecourtinWashingtonD.C.

EPAaskedthecourttocentralizethelitigationinastrategicmovetoavoidtheriskthatatleastoneofthe12courtsreviewingtherulewould�inditunlawful.

The�inalruleprovidesnoneoftheclarityandcertaintyitpromises.Instead,itcreatesconfusionandriskbyprovidingtheagencieswithalmostunlimitedauthoritytoregulate,attheirdiscretion,anylowspotwhererainwatercollects,includingcommonfarmditches,ephemeraldrainages,agriculturalpondsandisolatedwetlandsfoundinandnearfarmsandranchesacrossthenation.Therulede�inestermslike“tributary”and“adjacent”inwaysthatmakeitimpossibleforatypicalfarmerorrancherstoknowwhetherthespeci�icditchesorlowareasathisorherfarmwillbedeemed“watersoftheU.S.”Thesede�initionsarecertainlybroadenough,however,togiveregulators(andcitizenplaintiffs)plentyofroomtoassertthatsuchareasaresubjecttoCWAjurisdiction.Therulewillgivetheagenciessweepingnewauthoritytoregulatelanduse,whichtheymayexerciseatwill.Action:MinnesotaFarmBureauFederation

(MFBF)isaleadingvoiceinrepealingtheWOTUSrule.ThePublicPolicyTeamandFarmBureaumembersfromacrossthestatehaveworkeddiligentlytoensurethatthisbroadoverreachofauthoritybytheEPAdoesnothinderfarmers,ranchersandlandownerstoperformnormaldailyactivitiesontheirland.Inaddition,AmericanFarmBureauFederation(AFBF)and13otheragriculturalandotherindustrygroups�iledalawsuitaskingafederalcourttovacatethenew“watersoftheU.S.”ruleissuedbyEPAandtheCorps.Thecomplaint,�iledinfederaldistrictcourtinTexas,includesthreeprimaryallegations:(1)therulegrantsEPAandtheCorpsbroadcontroloverlandusefarbeyondwhatCongressauthorizedintheCWA;(2)thevaguenessandover-breadthoftheruleviolatestheU.S.Constitution;and(3)promulgationoftheruleviolatedtheAdministrativeProcedureActbecauseEPA’saggressivegrassrootsadvocacycampaignduringthecommentperiodre�lectedaclosedmindtoconcernsexpressedbyfarmersandothers.Result:FarmBureau’svoicecontinuestobe

heard.Sinceourinvolvementinthisissue,nearly1,500emailshavebeensentbyFarmBureaumemberstotheMinnesotaCongressionaldelegationandEPAaskingthemto“ditchtherule.”Untilfarmers,ranchersandlandownershavetheclarityand

certaintyneededundertheCWA,FarmBureauwillcontinuetobealeaderonthisissuebothlegislativelyandjudicially.

w�BiotechnologyIssue:TheFoodandDrugAdministration’s

(FDA)longstandingpolicyonbiotechfoodlabelingstates:“FDAhasnobasisforconcludingthatbioengineeredfoodsdifferfromotherfoodsinanymeaningfuloruniformway,orthat,asaclass,foodsdevelopedbythenewtechniquespresentanyorgreatersafetyconcernthanfoodsdevelopedbytraditionalplantbreeding.”

Theworld’stopcrediblescienti�icauthorities—includingtheUnitedNationsFoodandAgricultureOrganization,theWorldHealthOrganization,theNationalResearchCounciloftheNationalAcademiesofSciences,theAmericanMedicalAssociationandtheAmericanDieteticAssociation—haveallconcludedthatfoodswithbiotech-derivedingredientsaresafe.Still,therearesigni�icanteffortstorequirelabelingoffoodswithbiotechingredients,regardlessofscienti�icevidence.

Eachyear,anti-biotechnologygroupsattempttopassmandatorylabelinglawsinseveralstatesthroughstatuteorreferendum.Mandatorylabelswouldmisleadconsumersaboutthesafetyofbiotechnology,erodethecredibilityofFDAanddiscourageconsumeracceptanceofnew,bene�icialtechnologies.

FarmBureauhasopposedmandatorylabelingeffortsatthefederalandstatelevels.Action:MFBFhastakencontinuedactionto

supportavoluntaryfederallabelingstandardbasedonsoundscience.OnJuly23,2015,theHouseapprovedH.R.1599,theSafeandAccurateFoodLabelingActbyavoteof275to150.ThisbillwouldprovideanationalframeworkforthevoluntarylabelingofGMOfoods.Importantly,thebillwillpreemptstatesfromrequiringadditionalGMOlabelingstandards.

MFBFworkedcloselywithourmembersofCongresstogarnertheirsupportfortheSafeandAccurateFoodLabelingAct.Intheend,sixofMinnesota’sRepresentativesvotedtosupportthevoluntaryfederallabelingbillthatwesupported:RepresentativesWalz,Kline,Paulsen,McCollum,EmmerandPeterson.Result:PassageofH.R.1599wasapriority

forFarmBureau,andwenowlookforwardtoensuringsuccessofsimilarlegislationintheSenate.

7

FarmBureauisconstantlyservingasawatchdogonthelocal,stateandnationallevelforourmembers.Whetheritislegislationorregulations,FarmBureauisabletocommunicatewithelectedof�icialstoexplaintheconsequencesofimplementation.

ByallowingFarmBureautolaythefoundation,ourmembersareinabetterpositiontosharetheirstoriesofhowproposedlegislationorregulationseffectstheirfamilyandcommunities.Whetheritisservingasawatchdog,takingourmembers’voicestoWashingtonD.C.ormobilizingourgrassrootsactions,FarmBureauhasasuccessfulpositioninthepoliticalarena.

State Legislative PrioritiesTaxes Transportationw �w

Water Educationw �wAgriculturalw

ProductionPractices

National Legislative PrioritiesBiotechnologyw

CleanWaterActwEndangeredSpeciesActw

AgriculturallaborreformwTaxes Energyw �w

FarmBillImplementationwFarmEconomy Tradew �w

6

Your Voice—Our Future

POLICY

w�BuffersIssue:MinnesotaGovernorMarkDaytonand

aworkinggroupofstateagencies(DepartmentofNaturalResources(DNR),MinnesotaDepartmentofAgriculture(MDA),MinnesotaPollutionControlAgency(MPCA)andBoardofWaterandSoilResources(BWSR))developedandsoughtpassageoflegislationinthe2015MinnesotaLegislaturetorequirelandownerstoprovidea50footperenniallyvegetatedbufferforallwaterwaysinthestate.TheoriginallegislativeproposalplacedDNRinchargeofenforcementwiththeagencyauthorizedtoissuepenaltyprovisionsupto$20,000fornon-complianceofthebuffermandate.Action:MinnesotaFarmBureauopposedthe

legislationproposedonbehalfoftheGovernorforbuffersandpreventedthebillsfrombeingpassedineithertheSenateortheHouse.Unfortunately,anamendmentdealingwithbufferswasattachedintheHouse/SenateConferenceCommitteereportconsolidatingdifferencesoftheomnibusAgricultureFinance/NaturalResourcesbill.FarmBureauandotheragriculturalorganizationsreluctantlyacceptedthelanguagenegotiatedbetweenlegislatorsandtheadministration.

Anearlierconsideredamendment,whichFarmBureauandotheragriculturalorganizationshadsupported,wasdiscardedunderthethreatofhavingtheomnibusbill,containingmanycriticalandbene�icialelements,vetoed.Inspiteoftheacceptanceofthe�inalversionofthebufferlanguage,GovernorDaytonvetoedtheomnibuslegislationandthe�inalactionsforapprovaldidn’tcomeuntiltheSpecialSessionoftheLegislaturehadconcludedwithseveralotherdifferencesnegotiatedtoaresolution.Results:The�inalbufferlanguagerequires

landowners,byNovember1,2017,toprovidea50footaverageperennialbuffer(30footminimum)widthonpropertyadjacenttopublicwaters.Thecriteriaforwhatde�ineswaterbodiesaspublicwatersareoutlinedbystatelaw,103G.005.Propertyownerswithditches,withinabene�itedareaofapublicdrainagesystem,arerequiredtohaveperennially-vegetatedbuffersof16.5footwidthbyNovember1,2018.Localauthorities,countiesorwatersheddistrictshavetheresponsibilityforissuingpenaltiesonlandownersfornon-complianceofthelaw,withBWSRwaitinginthewingstoassumethetaskofpunishmentiflocalauthoritiesdeferbynothavingapenaltyplanapprovedofbyBWSR.

Since�inalpassageofthebufferlaw,

MinnesotaFarmBureauhasactivelyengagedinparticipatinginmorethan40informationmeetingsthroughOctober,reachingover1,000peopletoexplaintherequirementslandownerswillneedtomeet.

FarmBureauhasproducedandwidelydistributedaneasytounderstandbrochureentitled“UnderstandingMinnesota’sNewBufferRequirement.”Thistoolalsooutlinesoptionsandopportunitiesforlandownerstoconsiderinmakingdecisionsabouttheirproperty,impactedbythestate’sbufferlaw.

w�Agricultural Property TaxesIssue:Minnesotaagriculturalproperty

ownersarebeingsigni�icantlychallengedbyincreasingpropertytaxburdens,especiallyresultingfromlocalschooldebtbonds,approvedbyvotersforneworremodeledfacilities.

Withagriculturalpropertymakingupthebulkofmostruralschooldistricts,adisproportionalburdenofthetaxfallsonagriculturalpropertytaxpayers.Theissueisdemonstratedbystatisticswhereinroughly20percentofthestate’sschooldistricts,75percentormoreofthetaxbaseisagriculturalproperty.Inone-thirdofthestate’sschooldistricts,50percentormoreofthetaxbaseisagriculturalproperty.Innearlyallanalysisofimpacts,agriculturalpropertytaxpayerspay10timestheamountoftaxespaidbyhomeownersintown.

Inadditiontohighagriculturalpropertytaxescausedbyschoolconstructionbonding,ever-increasingcountygovernmentcostsarealsotranslatingtoevenmoreagriculturalpropertytax�inancialburdens.Action:Enteringthe2015Minnesota

LegislativeSession,respondingtotheexcessivelevelsofagriculturalpropertytaxeswasatoppriority.Paymentofdebtbondsisachievedbytaxingallpropertywithinthetaxdistricttobeartheburdenofthecosts-calledNetTaxCapacity.

Bringingaboutamoreequitableweightofthisleveloftaxresponsibilitywasoneoftheobjectivespursued.Earlyinthe2015session,legislationwasintroducedandstronglysupportedbyFarmBureauwhichproposedtobaseschoolandlocalgovernmentdebtbondsonthebasisofahouse/garageandoneacre-calledMarketValue.

Severalvariationsofthehouse/garageandoneacreapproachwereattempted,includingahybridversionwherehalfthetaxwouldbeplacedonNetTaxCapacityandhalfplacedonMarketValue.Thesewereofferedandprovidedatlegislativehearingswithoutfavorableaction.

“Farm Bureau truly is the best voice for agriculture at the state and federal level.”

–BarryNelson,StevensCounty

Themostprogressforagriculturalpropertytaxreliefcameintheformofaproposaltousestategeneralfundstopayforone-halftheagriculturalshareoftheannualpaymentsforschooldebtbonds.Thisamountwasestimatedtobe$50millionper�iscalyear,basedonthepresentlevelofoutstandingschooldebtbondsandtheannualpaymentsrequiredfromagriculturalpropertytaxpayerstomeettheobligationsofthebonds.Results:Becauselegislativeleadership

madethedecisiontonothaveataxbill,theproposal,forreliefforagriculturalpropertyowners,fellapartwithoutadvancingfor�inalconsideration/approval.

MinnesotaFarmBureaucontinuestomakeprogressinbuildingworkingandcooperativesupportwithotherorganizations.KeypartnershipswithFarmBureauworkingtogetherwithotheragriculturalgroupsandtheMinnesotaRuralEducationAssociationhelpedmoveideasforwardinthe2015,exploringallavailableoptions.Theserelationshipscontinueandwillbeessentialinworkingtoconvincelawmakerstoadoptlegislativesolutions.

w�Waters of the U.S. Issue:TheU.S.EnvironmentalProtection

Agency(EPA)andU.S.ArmyCorpsofEngineers(Corps)�inalizedarulethatwillsigni�icantlyexpandthede�initionof“watersoftheUnitedStates”(WOTUS)undertheCleanWaterAct(CWA).The�inalrulewentintoeffectonAugust28,2015.However,onOctober9,2015,theU.S.CourtofAppealsfortheSixthCircuitissuedatemporarystayoftheEPAandCorpsWOTUSruleeffectivenationwide.ThisdecisionmeansthatthenewrulecannotbeenforcedbytheCorpsorEPApendingfurthercourtaction.

Althoughthisisonlyatemporaryvictory,itisastrongsignalthattheruleisunlawfulandharmfultostates,farmers,ranchersandlandowners.Thestaywillremainineffectuntilthecourtdecideswhetherithasjurisdictiontohearthecase.ItisyettobedeterminediftheCourtofAppealswillcontinuetohearthecases,orifDistrictCourtswillhavejurisdictiontohearthe12differentcasesthatwere�iledagainstthe�inalrule.

Justdaysafterthistemporaryvictory,theU.S.JudicialPanelonMultidistrictLitigationdeniedarequestbytheEPAandArmyCorpstocentralizethe12differentdistrictcourtcasesintoasinglecourtinWashingtonD.C.

EPAaskedthecourttocentralizethelitigationinastrategicmovetoavoidtheriskthatatleastoneofthe12courtsreviewingtherulewould�inditunlawful.

The�inalruleprovidesnoneoftheclarityandcertaintyitpromises.Instead,itcreatesconfusionandriskbyprovidingtheagencieswithalmostunlimitedauthoritytoregulate,attheirdiscretion,anylowspotwhererainwatercollects,includingcommonfarmditches,ephemeraldrainages,agriculturalpondsandisolatedwetlandsfoundinandnearfarmsandranchesacrossthenation.Therulede�inestermslike“tributary”and“adjacent”inwaysthatmakeitimpossibleforatypicalfarmerorrancherstoknowwhetherthespeci�icditchesorlowareasathisorherfarmwillbedeemed“watersoftheU.S.”Thesede�initionsarecertainlybroadenough,however,togiveregulators(andcitizenplaintiffs)plentyofroomtoassertthatsuchareasaresubjecttoCWAjurisdiction.Therulewillgivetheagenciessweepingnewauthoritytoregulatelanduse,whichtheymayexerciseatwill.Action:MinnesotaFarmBureauFederation

(MFBF)isaleadingvoiceinrepealingtheWOTUSrule.ThePublicPolicyTeamandFarmBureaumembersfromacrossthestatehaveworkeddiligentlytoensurethatthisbroadoverreachofauthoritybytheEPAdoesnothinderfarmers,ranchersandlandownerstoperformnormaldailyactivitiesontheirland.Inaddition,AmericanFarmBureauFederation(AFBF)and13otheragriculturalandotherindustrygroups�iledalawsuitaskingafederalcourttovacatethenew“watersoftheU.S.”ruleissuedbyEPAandtheCorps.Thecomplaint,�iledinfederaldistrictcourtinTexas,includesthreeprimaryallegations:(1)therulegrantsEPAandtheCorpsbroadcontroloverlandusefarbeyondwhatCongressauthorizedintheCWA;(2)thevaguenessandover-breadthoftheruleviolatestheU.S.Constitution;and(3)promulgationoftheruleviolatedtheAdministrativeProcedureActbecauseEPA’saggressivegrassrootsadvocacycampaignduringthecommentperiodre�lectedaclosedmindtoconcernsexpressedbyfarmersandothers.Result:FarmBureau’svoicecontinuestobe

heard.Sinceourinvolvementinthisissue,nearly1,500emailshavebeensentbyFarmBureaumemberstotheMinnesotaCongressionaldelegationandEPAaskingthemto“ditchtherule.”Untilfarmers,ranchersandlandownershavetheclarityand

certaintyneededundertheCWA,FarmBureauwillcontinuetobealeaderonthisissuebothlegislativelyandjudicially.

w�BiotechnologyIssue:TheFoodandDrugAdministration’s

(FDA)longstandingpolicyonbiotechfoodlabelingstates:“FDAhasnobasisforconcludingthatbioengineeredfoodsdifferfromotherfoodsinanymeaningfuloruniformway,orthat,asaclass,foodsdevelopedbythenewtechniquespresentanyorgreatersafetyconcernthanfoodsdevelopedbytraditionalplantbreeding.”

Theworld’stopcrediblescienti�icauthorities—includingtheUnitedNationsFoodandAgricultureOrganization,theWorldHealthOrganization,theNationalResearchCounciloftheNationalAcademiesofSciences,theAmericanMedicalAssociationandtheAmericanDieteticAssociation—haveallconcludedthatfoodswithbiotech-derivedingredientsaresafe.Still,therearesigni�icanteffortstorequirelabelingoffoodswithbiotechingredients,regardlessofscienti�icevidence.

Eachyear,anti-biotechnologygroupsattempttopassmandatorylabelinglawsinseveralstatesthroughstatuteorreferendum.Mandatorylabelswouldmisleadconsumersaboutthesafetyofbiotechnology,erodethecredibilityofFDAanddiscourageconsumeracceptanceofnew,bene�icialtechnologies.

FarmBureauhasopposedmandatorylabelingeffortsatthefederalandstatelevels.Action:MFBFhastakencontinuedactionto

supportavoluntaryfederallabelingstandardbasedonsoundscience.OnJuly23,2015,theHouseapprovedH.R.1599,theSafeandAccurateFoodLabelingActbyavoteof275to150.ThisbillwouldprovideanationalframeworkforthevoluntarylabelingofGMOfoods.Importantly,thebillwillpreemptstatesfromrequiringadditionalGMOlabelingstandards.

MFBFworkedcloselywithourmembersofCongresstogarnertheirsupportfortheSafeandAccurateFoodLabelingAct.Intheend,sixofMinnesota’sRepresentativesvotedtosupportthevoluntaryfederallabelingbillthatwesupported:RepresentativesWalz,Kline,Paulsen,McCollum,EmmerandPeterson.Result:PassageofH.R.1599wasapriority

forFarmBureau,andwenowlookforwardtoensuringsuccessofsimilarlegislationintheSenate.

7

FarmBureauisconstantlyservingasawatchdogonthelocal,stateandnationallevelforourmembers.Whetheritislegislationorregulations,FarmBureauisabletocommunicatewithelectedof�icialstoexplaintheconsequencesofimplementation.

ByallowingFarmBureautolaythefoundation,ourmembersareinabetterpositiontosharetheirstoriesofhowproposedlegislationorregulationseffectstheirfamilyandcommunities.Whetheritisservingasawatchdog,takingourmembers’voicestoWashingtonD.C.ormobilizingourgrassrootsactions,FarmBureauhasasuccessfulpositioninthepoliticalarena.

State Legislative PrioritiesTaxes Transportationw �w

Water Educationw �wAgriculturalw

ProductionPractices

National Legislative PrioritiesBiotechnologyw

CleanWaterActwEndangeredSpeciesActw

AgriculturallaborreformwTaxes Energyw �w

FarmBillImplementationwFarmEconomy Tradew �w

6

w�Leadership ConferenceIssue:MinnesotaFarm

Bureaumembersareconstantlyseekingopportunitiestolearnabouttrendsinagriculture,gaintoolstoenhanceleadershipandprofessionaldevelopmentandnetworkwithothermembers.TheLeadershipConferenceisdesignedtoprovideleadershiptrainingforallFarmBureaumembers.Action:The2015

LeadershipConferencewasheldinRedWing.Attendees

participatedintoursandbreakoutsessionsfocusedonagriculture,leadershipandengagement.Topicsrangedfromfarmbusinessplanning,consumerengagement,organicfarming,pollinators,beginningfarmerprograms,theEnvironmentalProtectionAgency(EPA),FarmingToday,successionplanning,unmannedaerialsystemsandlivestock.

AttendeesreceivedatrainingkitonMinnesotaagriculture,beesandhoney,maplesugar,cornandsugar

beetstouseinclassroomsintheircountytoteachelementaryagechildren.ThekitalsocontainedtwobooksaswellasinformationontheAmericanFarmBureauFoundationforAgricultureresources.

Duringtheconference,attendeesconductedaserviceprojectforKidsAgainstHungerpacking10,800mealsfortheRedWingAreaFoodShelf.TheMinnesotaFarmBureau(MFB)Foundationsponsoredthishungerserviceprojectwithadonationof

$2,500.FarmBureaumembersalsoraisedover$3,300forSecondHarvestHeartland.Result:Nearly300members

tookpartintheconferenceandweretrainedinconsumerengagement,classroompresentationsandpolicyissues.Throughnetworkingandtraining,strongerleadershipskillsweredeveloped.LeadershipdevelopmentopportunitiesareavailablethroughouttheyearforallFarmBureaumembers.

8 9

LEADERSHIPMFBFwillrecognize,empowerandengageourmembers.•Createaculturethatprovidesopportunitiesforleadershipdevelopmentandgrowth.

•Identifyandutilizememberstrengths.

•Reliableintegratedmembershipdatabasesystem.

w�Youth and Collegiate Outreach

w�Food Awareness Month w�Leadership Development Contests

Issue:Asageneralfarmorganization,FarmBureaumonitorsallissues.FarmBureaurecognizestheopportunitytoassistindevelopingstrongerleadersandstrengthencollaborativeefforts.Action:Toreachcollegeagedstudents,the

YoungFarmers&RanchersCommitteemetwithdifferentagricultureorganizationson�ivedifferentcampusesthroughoutthestate.ToincreaseparticipationintheCollegiateDiscussionMeet,regionalcontestswereheldoncampusespriortoa�inalcompetitionattheMFBFAnnualMeeting.

MinnesotaFarmBureaualsoparticipatedintheannualAgAwarenessDayontheUniversityofMinnesota-Minneapoliscampus.

MinnesotaFarmBureaumeetsyearlywith

thestateFFAof�icers;assistsintrainingthestate4-Hambassadorsandsupportsleadershipdevelopmentopportunitiesforyouthintheseorganizationsthroughouttheyear.Inaddition,allFFAChaptersinthestatearemembersofFarmBureausothatwecanserveasaresourcetotheseadvisorsandchapterleaders.EveryFFAAdvisorreceivestheImpactnewsletter.Result: Minnesota Farm Bureau continues to

strengthen its working relationship with these organizations and is viewed as a valuable partner in creating strong leaders. These energetic, future leaders are enlightening individuals, and they see the opportunities to be the next generation of agriculture.

Issue:FarmersarecommittedtoprovidingsafeandhealthyfoodchoicesforallAmericans.FarmBureaumemberswanttotalkwithconsumersaboutthesharedgoalofnutritiousandaffordablemealsforfamilies,butdonotalwaysknowwheretobegintheconversation.Action:MinnesotaFarmBureaucelebratedFebruaryas

FoodAwarenessMonth.FoodAwarenessMonthbringsawarenesstoallthingsfood–fromthefarmerswhogrowandraisefood,tofoodsafetyandavailability.FoodAwarenessMonthhelpsAmericanconsumerslearnaboutthefoodtheyeateveryday.MinnesotafarmersandrancherstakeprideinensuringsafefoodchoicesforMinnesotafamilies.Tomarktheoccasion,countyFarmBureausthroughoutthestatehostedeventstosharehowtheygrowfoodandworkedwithfoodshelvestoincreaseawarenessoflocalfoodandhunger.Result:CountyFarmBureauswereprovidedwitha

handoutfullofconsumerfocusedinformationansweringtoughquestionsanddemonstratinghowMinnesotaFarmersCARE.FarmBureaureachedthousandsofpeoplethroughavarietyofactivities,includingbreakfasts,grocerystoreoutreach,fooddrives,radiocampaignsandRonaldMcDonaldHousedonations.

Issue:AspartoftheYoungFarmers&Ranchersprogram,FarmBureaumembershavetheopportunitytoparticipateinthreedifferentleadershipdevelopmentcontests.TheDiscussionMeethonesdiscussionskills,developsabetterunderstandingofissuesaffectingagricultureandexploreshowgroupscanpoolknowledgeandreachaconsensusandsolveproblems.

TheExcellenceinAgriculturecontestisdesignedasanopportunityforyoungfarmerstoearnrecognitionwhileactivelycontributingtoagricultureandbuildingtheirleadershipskillsthroughtheirinvolvementinFarmBureauandtheircommunity.TheAchievementAwardcontestisapplicationbasedandlooksatfarmgoals,successes,�inancialplanningandleadershipskills.

AcollegiateDiscussionMeetandFFADiscussionMeetarealsoheldeachyear.Action:TheYoungFarmers&

RanchersCommitteeactivelyrecruitsparticipantstoeachofthecontests.AFBFholdswebinarsandeducationalopportunitiestobetterpreparethesecontestants.ThepreliminaryroundsoftheDiscussionMeetareheldattheMFBFLeadershipConference,andthe�inalsforallcontestsareheldattheMFBFAnnualMeeting.Result:MinnesotaFarm

BureauFederationwaswellrepresentedatthestateandnationallevelintheLeadershipDevelopmentContests,especiallyin

ExcellenceinAgriculturewherePaulandRuthLanoueofLyonCountycamehomewiththetopprize.TheseyoungfarmerssharedtheirexperiencesattheMFBF

LeadershipConferenceandcontinuetodeveloptheirleadershipthroughengagementwiththeirlocalandstateFarmBureaus.

“Farm Bureau works in St. Paul and D.C. for me while I am busy raising my family and farming.” –JulieMarquardt,WrightCounty

“No matter what part of the country farmers or

ranchers are from, we all have

challenges to face and goals

to celebrate. Farm Bureau

stands beside us through them all.”

–TaLanaMathiowetz,

RedwoodCounty

w�Leadership ConferenceIssue:MinnesotaFarm

Bureaumembersareconstantlyseekingopportunitiestolearnabouttrendsinagriculture,gaintoolstoenhanceleadershipandprofessionaldevelopmentandnetworkwithothermembers.TheLeadershipConferenceisdesignedtoprovideleadershiptrainingforallFarmBureaumembers.Action:The2015

LeadershipConferencewasheldinRedWing.Attendees

participatedintoursandbreakoutsessionsfocusedonagriculture,leadershipandengagement.Topicsrangedfromfarmbusinessplanning,consumerengagement,organicfarming,pollinators,beginningfarmerprograms,theEnvironmentalProtectionAgency(EPA),FarmingToday,successionplanning,unmannedaerialsystemsandlivestock.

AttendeesreceivedatrainingkitonMinnesotaagriculture,beesandhoney,maplesugar,cornandsugar

beetstouseinclassroomsintheircountytoteachelementaryagechildren.ThekitalsocontainedtwobooksaswellasinformationontheAmericanFarmBureauFoundationforAgricultureresources.

Duringtheconference,attendeesconductedaserviceprojectforKidsAgainstHungerpacking10,800mealsfortheRedWingAreaFoodShelf.TheMinnesotaFarmBureau(MFB)Foundationsponsoredthishungerserviceprojectwithadonationof

$2,500.FarmBureaumembersalsoraisedover$3,300forSecondHarvestHeartland.Result:Nearly300members

tookpartintheconferenceandweretrainedinconsumerengagement,classroompresentationsandpolicyissues.Throughnetworkingandtraining,strongerleadershipskillsweredeveloped.LeadershipdevelopmentopportunitiesareavailablethroughouttheyearforallFarmBureaumembers.

8 9

LEADERSHIPMFBFwillrecognize,empowerandengageourmembers.•Createaculturethatprovidesopportunitiesforleadershipdevelopmentandgrowth.

•Identifyandutilizememberstrengths.

•Reliableintegratedmembershipdatabasesystem.

w�Youth and Collegiate Outreach

w�Food Awareness Month w�Leadership Development Contests

Issue:Asageneralfarmorganization,FarmBureaumonitorsallissues.FarmBureaurecognizestheopportunitytoassistindevelopingstrongerleadersandstrengthencollaborativeefforts.Action:Toreachcollegeagedstudents,the

YoungFarmers&RanchersCommitteemetwithdifferentagricultureorganizationson�ivedifferentcampusesthroughoutthestate.ToincreaseparticipationintheCollegiateDiscussionMeet,regionalcontestswereheldoncampusespriortoa�inalcompetitionattheMFBFAnnualMeeting.

MinnesotaFarmBureaualsoparticipatedintheannualAgAwarenessDayontheUniversityofMinnesota-Minneapoliscampus.

MinnesotaFarmBureaumeetsyearlywith

thestateFFAof�icers;assistsintrainingthestate4-Hambassadorsandsupportsleadershipdevelopmentopportunitiesforyouthintheseorganizationsthroughouttheyear.Inaddition,allFFAChaptersinthestatearemembersofFarmBureausothatwecanserveasaresourcetotheseadvisorsandchapterleaders.EveryFFAAdvisorreceivestheImpactnewsletter.Result: Minnesota Farm Bureau continues to

strengthen its working relationship with these organizations and is viewed as a valuable partner in creating strong leaders. These energetic, future leaders are enlightening individuals, and they see the opportunities to be the next generation of agriculture.

Issue:FarmersarecommittedtoprovidingsafeandhealthyfoodchoicesforallAmericans.FarmBureaumemberswanttotalkwithconsumersaboutthesharedgoalofnutritiousandaffordablemealsforfamilies,butdonotalwaysknowwheretobegintheconversation.Action:MinnesotaFarmBureaucelebratedFebruaryas

FoodAwarenessMonth.FoodAwarenessMonthbringsawarenesstoallthingsfood–fromthefarmerswhogrowandraisefood,tofoodsafetyandavailability.FoodAwarenessMonthhelpsAmericanconsumerslearnaboutthefoodtheyeateveryday.MinnesotafarmersandrancherstakeprideinensuringsafefoodchoicesforMinnesotafamilies.Tomarktheoccasion,countyFarmBureausthroughoutthestatehostedeventstosharehowtheygrowfoodandworkedwithfoodshelvestoincreaseawarenessoflocalfoodandhunger.Result:CountyFarmBureauswereprovidedwitha

handoutfullofconsumerfocusedinformationansweringtoughquestionsanddemonstratinghowMinnesotaFarmersCARE.FarmBureaureachedthousandsofpeoplethroughavarietyofactivities,includingbreakfasts,grocerystoreoutreach,fooddrives,radiocampaignsandRonaldMcDonaldHousedonations.

Issue:AspartoftheYoungFarmers&Ranchersprogram,FarmBureaumembershavetheopportunitytoparticipateinthreedifferentleadershipdevelopmentcontests.TheDiscussionMeethonesdiscussionskills,developsabetterunderstandingofissuesaffectingagricultureandexploreshowgroupscanpoolknowledgeandreachaconsensusandsolveproblems.

TheExcellenceinAgriculturecontestisdesignedasanopportunityforyoungfarmerstoearnrecognitionwhileactivelycontributingtoagricultureandbuildingtheirleadershipskillsthroughtheirinvolvementinFarmBureauandtheircommunity.TheAchievementAwardcontestisapplicationbasedandlooksatfarmgoals,successes,�inancialplanningandleadershipskills.

AcollegiateDiscussionMeetandFFADiscussionMeetarealsoheldeachyear.Action:TheYoungFarmers&

RanchersCommitteeactivelyrecruitsparticipantstoeachofthecontests.AFBFholdswebinarsandeducationalopportunitiestobetterpreparethesecontestants.ThepreliminaryroundsoftheDiscussionMeetareheldattheMFBFLeadershipConference,andthe�inalsforallcontestsareheldattheMFBFAnnualMeeting.Result:MinnesotaFarm

BureauFederationwaswellrepresentedatthestateandnationallevelintheLeadershipDevelopmentContests,especiallyin

ExcellenceinAgriculturewherePaulandRuthLanoueofLyonCountycamehomewiththetopprize.TheseyoungfarmerssharedtheirexperiencesattheMFBF

LeadershipConferenceandcontinuetodeveloptheirleadershipthroughengagementwiththeirlocalandstateFarmBureaus.

“Farm Bureau works in St. Paul and D.C. for me while I am busy raising my family and farming.” –JulieMarquardt,WrightCounty

“No matter what part of the country farmers or

ranchers are from, we all have

challenges to face and goals

to celebrate. Farm Bureau

stands beside us through them all.”

–TaLanaMathiowetz,

RedwoodCounty

MFBFwillenhanceandstrengthenitspro�ile•StrengthenedFarmBureaubrand•Earnkeyin�luencertrust

IMAGE

OTAS FE AN RN MIM BUREAU FO

UN

DATION

EffortstoenhancethepositiveimageofagriculturegohandinhandwiththemissionoftheMinnesotaFarmBureauFoundation,whichistoprovideopportunitiesforsupportersofagriculturetoinvestinpeopleandprogramsfocusedonsupportingactivefarmersandagriculturalists,betterconnectingagriculturetoconsumersandservingruralcommunities.

Minnesota Farm Bureau Foundation

10

Speak for Yourself Issue:OverhalfofallMinnesotanshave

nevermetafarmer.Consumersareextremelyinterestedintheirfoodandwhereitcomesfrom.Studieshavealsoshownthatpeopletrustotherindividualsoveranameororganization.Action:MinnesotaFarmBureauworked

withEidson&PartnersandpartneredwithMinnesotaCornGrowersAssociation,MinnesotaBeefCouncil,CHS,Cargill,AgStarFinancialServices,UnitedFCS,AgCountry,AgriBank,RiverviewLLPandCHStotrain12newspeakers,schedule101presentationsandlaunchasocialmediapilotprogram,includingapublicFarmingTodayFacebookpage.Result:Intotal,63farmerleadersare

trainedthroughSpeakforYourself.WiththehelpofEidson&Partners,thesespeakershavebeenabletoaddressmorethan300communityorganizations,includinglocalrotaryclubs,lionsclubsandschoolboards.Speakersalsospeaktomomsgroupsandhighschoolclassrooms,reachingover2.5millionpeoplethroughpresentationsandmediacoverage.ParticipantswerealsoencouragedtotelltheirstorythroughsocialmediaandtheFarmingTodayFacebookpagereachingnearly150,000people.

Issue:Itisimportantforagricultureorganizationstorepresentthemselvesinauni�iedfront.Organizationsexisttoshareresourcesandinformationregardingspreadingthepositivewordofagriculture.Action:TheMinnesotaFarmBureau

hasinvestedmoneyandtimeinorganizationswhoseeffortsaimtoreachkeyin�luencersandenhancethepositiveimageofagriculture.TwooftheseorganizationsareAmerica’sHeartland,atelevisionprogramonpublictelevisionandtheUnitedStatesFarmers&

RanchersAlliance,anationwideorganizationaimingtoanswerquestionsabouthowfarmersraiseourfoodandcareforanimals.Result:Beingpartoftheseorganizations

allowsMinnesotaFarmBureautobeatthetablewhenkeydecisionsarebeingmadeaboutagricultureinMinnesotaandthroughoutthenation.MinnesotaFarmBureauisbuildingpositiverelationshipsto

buildauni�iedforceinagricultureandisgainingaccesstoresourcesformembersandleaderstouse.

Minnesota State FairIssue:Consumersaremoreremovedfromagriculturethanever

before.Peopleareaskingquestionsabouttheirfoodandwanttofeelconnectedtothosethatgrowandraiseit.Maintainingandregainingthetrustofconsumersasthenumberoneresourceoninformationisapriority.Action:MinnesotaFarmersCAREwasthethemeoftheMinnesota

FarmBureaubuildingattheMinnesotaStateFair.FairgoershadtheopportunitytotakeaquizabouteachoftheareasofMinnesotaFarmersCARE—Animals•Environment•Food•Family.EveryonewhotookthequizreceivedalunchbagwiththeMinnesotaFarmersCARElogooranicecreamscoopandwereencouragedtocontinuetheconversationontheMinnesotaFarmersCAREFacebookpage.Result:Over10,000fairgoersvisitedourMinnesotaStateFair

buildingandover6,000tookthequiztoreceiveaprize.FairgoerswereabletohaveconversationswithfarmersandFarmBureauvolunteersabouttheirquestionsaboutfarming,includingsomeofthehottestissueslikegeneticenhancement,waterqualityandantibiotics.

FarmlandIssue:Most

Americanshaveneversteppedfootonafarmorranchoreventalkedtothepeoplewhogrowandraisethefoodweeat.TheFarmland�ilmtakesanintimatelookatthelivesoffarmersandranchersintheir20s,allofwhomarenowresponsibleforrunningtheirfarm.

Throughthis�ilmfromaward-winningdirector,JamesMoll,viewersstepinsidetheworldoffarmingfora�irst-handglimpseintothelivesofyoungfarmersandranchers.Welearnabouttheirhigh-risk/highrewardjobsandpassionforawayoflifethathasbeenpasseddownfromgenerationtogeneration,yetcontinuestoevolve.This�ilmwasmadewiththegeneroussupportoftheU.S.Farmers&RanchersAlliance.Action:Asanaf�iliatepartnerofthe

U.S.Farmers&RanchersAlliance,MinnesotaFarmBureauhasbeenakeypartofpromotingFarmlandinMinnesota.Followinglastyear'spublicandprivateshowings,thisyear'sattentionwasturnedtothelocallevel

andhowCountyFarmBureauscouldusethe�ilmintheirowncommunities.Communitykitresourceswere

availabletoanygroupthatwishedtoshowthe�ilmandhavetheconversationaboutfarming.Result:Initssecondyear,theFarmland

�ilmremainstogainmomentumthroughoutMinnesota.Theonlinestreamingofthe�ilmfoundtobeverysuccessfulnationwideandcontinuestobeavailableforsaleonDVDonline.ManycountyFarmsBureausworkedwithlocalagriculturegroupstoshowthe�ilmintheircommunitiesandstarttheconversationaboutfarming.FarmlandisstartingtomakeitswayintoschoolsettingsthroughtheSpeakforYourselfprogramandwillcontinuetobesuccessfulfollowingthereleaseoftheclassroomcurriculum.Farmlandisagreatopportunitytoengagethosethathavebeenremovedfromthefarminaheart-warmingstorythateveryonecanrelateto.

Minnesota Farmers CAREIssue:MinnesotafarmersareCommittedtoAgriculturewhileRespectingtheEarth,and

CountyFarmBureausneedresourcestosharethismessagewithconsumers.MinnesotaFarmersCARE—Animals •Environment •Food •Family,isonlyasusefulastheinformationweareabletoshareandconversationsweareabletohave.Action:CountyFarmBureausacrossthestateimplementedlocalprojectsinordertobe

proactivewithconsumersnotdirectlyinvolvedinagriculture.Whoeverde�inesthe“issue”aretheoneswhohavepositiveoutcomes.

ForFoodAwarenessMonthinFebruary,aMinnesotaFarmersCARE–Foodpiecewasprovidedtoeachcountytohaveatevents,featuring“AskaFarmer,”wherefarmersansweredsomeofthemostaskedquestionsaboutfoodtoday.

FollowingtheMinnesotalegislativesession,aMinnesotaFarmersCARE–Environmentpiecewascreatedtoletconsumersknowsomeofthethingsthatfarmersarealreadydoingontheirfarmtoprotectandpreservetheland.Farmersaretruestewardsoftheresourcestheyhavebeenprovided.Result:TheMinnesotaFarmersCARE,CommittedtoAgriculturewhileRespectingthe

Earth—Animals •Environment •Food •FamilyinitiativetoconnectandengageconsumerswithfarmersdrivenbylocalFarmBureaushasbeenverysuccessful.Projectsincludebillboards;newspaperads;placematsusedatannualmeetingsandBreakfastsontheFarms;movietheaterandradioads;popupbanners;backpacksfor4-Hyouthleadership;fairdisplays;county4-Hherdsmanshipdisplays;bookmarks;newspaperinserts;andbrochures.Thisyear’sprojectshadover20millionpeopleconsumerimpressions.

BothprintedMinnesotaFarmersCAREpieceswereprovidedtocountiesanddistributedthroughoutthestate.Asanaddedfeature,bothwerefeaturedontheMinnesotaFarmBureauwebsiteandlinkedtofurtherinformationabouteachofthefarmers,whetheritbeavideo,blogornewsstory.HavingadditionalavenuesforinformationonthewebsiteandsocialmediamaintainsFarmBureau'scredibilityasatrustedsource.

Agriculture in the ClassroomIssue:Theaverageconsumeristhree–

sevengenerationsremovedfromthefarm,soitmakessensewhenconsumerresearchindicatesthatconsumerswanttohearfromfarmers.Providingconsumersanopportunitytolearn�irst-handhowandwhyfarmersdowhattheydoisimpactful.Action:MinnesotaFarmBureauconnected

withteachersattheEducationMinnesotaConferenceandworkedtoconnectthemwithMinnesotafarmers.Classroomvisitsweremadeinpersonoronline.FarmBureaumembersconnectedwithconsumersthroughoutreachatFarmersMarkets,IMetaFarmerTours,countyfairsandBreakfastontheFarmevents.Result:Classroomvisitsweremadeduring

theMinnesotaFarmBureauAnnualMeeting

andthroughouttheyearinurbanareas.Inaddition,anewpartnershipwasformedwiththeMinnesotaStateAcademyoftheDeafandtheMinnesotaStateAcademyoftheBlind.

ResourcesandmaterialsweredistributedbytheMinnesotaFarmBureauandtheAmericanFarmBureauFoundationforAgriculturewhichwereusedbycountyleadersduringclassroomprograms,farmtours,FarmersMarkets,countyfairsandBreakfastsontheFarms.

Agriculturehasagrowingneedforfutureemployees.60,000agriculturalrelatedjobsgoun�illedeachyear.Providingopportunitiesforconsumerstobetterunderstandproductionagriculturewillhelpshapethedirectionofagricultureinthefuture.

“I’m a Farm Bureau member because it aligns with my values and it's important to be part of the discussion, and therefore part of the solution.” –BruceTiffany,RedwoodCounty

America’s Heartland and United States Farmers & Ranchers Alliance

“With Farm Bureau, there are so many great opportunities to interact with consumers and the general public.”

—JonGuentzel,LeSueurCounty

11

MFBFwillenhanceandstrengthenitspro�ile•StrengthenedFarmBureaubrand•Earnkeyin�luencertrust

IMAGE

OTAS FE AN RN MIM BUREAU FO

UN

DATION

EffortstoenhancethepositiveimageofagriculturegohandinhandwiththemissionoftheMinnesotaFarmBureauFoundation,whichistoprovideopportunitiesforsupportersofagriculturetoinvestinpeopleandprogramsfocusedonsupportingactivefarmersandagriculturalists,betterconnectingagriculturetoconsumersandservingruralcommunities.

Minnesota Farm Bureau Foundation

10

Speak for Yourself Issue:OverhalfofallMinnesotanshave

nevermetafarmer.Consumersareextremelyinterestedintheirfoodandwhereitcomesfrom.Studieshavealsoshownthatpeopletrustotherindividualsoveranameororganization.Action:MinnesotaFarmBureauworked

withEidson&PartnersandpartneredwithMinnesotaCornGrowersAssociation,MinnesotaBeefCouncil,CHS,Cargill,AgStarFinancialServices,UnitedFCS,AgCountry,AgriBank,RiverviewLLPandCHStotrain12newspeakers,schedule101presentationsandlaunchasocialmediapilotprogram,includingapublicFarmingTodayFacebookpage.Result:Intotal,63farmerleadersare

trainedthroughSpeakforYourself.WiththehelpofEidson&Partners,thesespeakershavebeenabletoaddressmorethan300communityorganizations,includinglocalrotaryclubs,lionsclubsandschoolboards.Speakersalsospeaktomomsgroupsandhighschoolclassrooms,reachingover2.5millionpeoplethroughpresentationsandmediacoverage.ParticipantswerealsoencouragedtotelltheirstorythroughsocialmediaandtheFarmingTodayFacebookpagereachingnearly150,000people.

Issue:Itisimportantforagricultureorganizationstorepresentthemselvesinauni�iedfront.Organizationsexisttoshareresourcesandinformationregardingspreadingthepositivewordofagriculture.Action:TheMinnesotaFarmBureau

hasinvestedmoneyandtimeinorganizationswhoseeffortsaimtoreachkeyin�luencersandenhancethepositiveimageofagriculture.TwooftheseorganizationsareAmerica’sHeartland,atelevisionprogramonpublictelevisionandtheUnitedStatesFarmers&

RanchersAlliance,anationwideorganizationaimingtoanswerquestionsabouthowfarmersraiseourfoodandcareforanimals.Result:Beingpartoftheseorganizations

allowsMinnesotaFarmBureautobeatthetablewhenkeydecisionsarebeingmadeaboutagricultureinMinnesotaandthroughoutthenation.MinnesotaFarmBureauisbuildingpositiverelationshipsto

buildauni�iedforceinagricultureandisgainingaccesstoresourcesformembersandleaderstouse.

Minnesota State FairIssue:Consumersaremoreremovedfromagriculturethanever

before.Peopleareaskingquestionsabouttheirfoodandwanttofeelconnectedtothosethatgrowandraiseit.Maintainingandregainingthetrustofconsumersasthenumberoneresourceoninformationisapriority.Action:MinnesotaFarmersCAREwasthethemeoftheMinnesota

FarmBureaubuildingattheMinnesotaStateFair.FairgoershadtheopportunitytotakeaquizabouteachoftheareasofMinnesotaFarmersCARE—Animals•Environment•Food•Family.EveryonewhotookthequizreceivedalunchbagwiththeMinnesotaFarmersCARElogooranicecreamscoopandwereencouragedtocontinuetheconversationontheMinnesotaFarmersCAREFacebookpage.Result:Over10,000fairgoersvisitedourMinnesotaStateFair

buildingandover6,000tookthequiztoreceiveaprize.FairgoerswereabletohaveconversationswithfarmersandFarmBureauvolunteersabouttheirquestionsaboutfarming,includingsomeofthehottestissueslikegeneticenhancement,waterqualityandantibiotics.

FarmlandIssue:Most

Americanshaveneversteppedfootonafarmorranchoreventalkedtothepeoplewhogrowandraisethefoodweeat.TheFarmland�ilmtakesanintimatelookatthelivesoffarmersandranchersintheir20s,allofwhomarenowresponsibleforrunningtheirfarm.

Throughthis�ilmfromaward-winningdirector,JamesMoll,viewersstepinsidetheworldoffarmingfora�irst-handglimpseintothelivesofyoungfarmersandranchers.Welearnabouttheirhigh-risk/highrewardjobsandpassionforawayoflifethathasbeenpasseddownfromgenerationtogeneration,yetcontinuestoevolve.This�ilmwasmadewiththegeneroussupportoftheU.S.Farmers&RanchersAlliance.Action:Asanaf�iliatepartnerofthe

U.S.Farmers&RanchersAlliance,MinnesotaFarmBureauhasbeenakeypartofpromotingFarmlandinMinnesota.Followinglastyear'spublicandprivateshowings,thisyear'sattentionwasturnedtothelocallevel

andhowCountyFarmBureauscouldusethe�ilmintheirowncommunities.Communitykitresourceswere

availabletoanygroupthatwishedtoshowthe�ilmandhavetheconversationaboutfarming.Result:Initssecondyear,theFarmland

�ilmremainstogainmomentumthroughoutMinnesota.Theonlinestreamingofthe�ilmfoundtobeverysuccessfulnationwideandcontinuestobeavailableforsaleonDVDonline.ManycountyFarmsBureausworkedwithlocalagriculturegroupstoshowthe�ilmintheircommunitiesandstarttheconversationaboutfarming.FarmlandisstartingtomakeitswayintoschoolsettingsthroughtheSpeakforYourselfprogramandwillcontinuetobesuccessfulfollowingthereleaseoftheclassroomcurriculum.Farmlandisagreatopportunitytoengagethosethathavebeenremovedfromthefarminaheart-warmingstorythateveryonecanrelateto.

Minnesota Farmers CAREIssue:MinnesotafarmersareCommittedtoAgriculturewhileRespectingtheEarth,and

CountyFarmBureausneedresourcestosharethismessagewithconsumers.MinnesotaFarmersCARE—Animals •Environment •Food •Family,isonlyasusefulastheinformationweareabletoshareandconversationsweareabletohave.Action:CountyFarmBureausacrossthestateimplementedlocalprojectsinordertobe

proactivewithconsumersnotdirectlyinvolvedinagriculture.Whoeverde�inesthe“issue”aretheoneswhohavepositiveoutcomes.

ForFoodAwarenessMonthinFebruary,aMinnesotaFarmersCARE–Foodpiecewasprovidedtoeachcountytohaveatevents,featuring“AskaFarmer,”wherefarmersansweredsomeofthemostaskedquestionsaboutfoodtoday.

FollowingtheMinnesotalegislativesession,aMinnesotaFarmersCARE–Environmentpiecewascreatedtoletconsumersknowsomeofthethingsthatfarmersarealreadydoingontheirfarmtoprotectandpreservetheland.Farmersaretruestewardsoftheresourcestheyhavebeenprovided.Result:TheMinnesotaFarmersCARE,CommittedtoAgriculturewhileRespectingthe

Earth—Animals •Environment •Food •FamilyinitiativetoconnectandengageconsumerswithfarmersdrivenbylocalFarmBureaushasbeenverysuccessful.Projectsincludebillboards;newspaperads;placematsusedatannualmeetingsandBreakfastsontheFarms;movietheaterandradioads;popupbanners;backpacksfor4-Hyouthleadership;fairdisplays;county4-Hherdsmanshipdisplays;bookmarks;newspaperinserts;andbrochures.Thisyear’sprojectshadover20millionpeopleconsumerimpressions.

BothprintedMinnesotaFarmersCAREpieceswereprovidedtocountiesanddistributedthroughoutthestate.Asanaddedfeature,bothwerefeaturedontheMinnesotaFarmBureauwebsiteandlinkedtofurtherinformationabouteachofthefarmers,whetheritbeavideo,blogornewsstory.HavingadditionalavenuesforinformationonthewebsiteandsocialmediamaintainsFarmBureau'scredibilityasatrustedsource.

Agriculture in the ClassroomIssue:Theaverageconsumeristhree–

sevengenerationsremovedfromthefarm,soitmakessensewhenconsumerresearchindicatesthatconsumerswanttohearfromfarmers.Providingconsumersanopportunitytolearn�irst-handhowandwhyfarmersdowhattheydoisimpactful.Action:MinnesotaFarmBureauconnected

withteachersattheEducationMinnesotaConferenceandworkedtoconnectthemwithMinnesotafarmers.Classroomvisitsweremadeinpersonoronline.FarmBureaumembersconnectedwithconsumersthroughoutreachatFarmersMarkets,IMetaFarmerTours,countyfairsandBreakfastontheFarmevents.Result:Classroomvisitsweremadeduring

theMinnesotaFarmBureauAnnualMeeting

andthroughouttheyearinurbanareas.Inaddition,anewpartnershipwasformedwiththeMinnesotaStateAcademyoftheDeafandtheMinnesotaStateAcademyoftheBlind.

ResourcesandmaterialsweredistributedbytheMinnesotaFarmBureauandtheAmericanFarmBureauFoundationforAgriculturewhichwereusedbycountyleadersduringclassroomprograms,farmtours,FarmersMarkets,countyfairsandBreakfastsontheFarms.

Agriculturehasagrowingneedforfutureemployees.60,000agriculturalrelatedjobsgoun�illedeachyear.Providingopportunitiesforconsumerstobetterunderstandproductionagriculturewillhelpshapethedirectionofagricultureinthefuture.

“I’m a Farm Bureau member because it aligns with my values and it's important to be part of the discussion, and therefore part of the solution.” –BruceTiffany,RedwoodCounty

America’s Heartland and United States Farmers & Ranchers Alliance

“With Farm Bureau, there are so many great opportunities to interact with consumers and the general public.”

—JonGuentzel,LeSueurCounty

11

®Minnesota Farm Bureau

2015 ANNUAL REVIEW

P.O. Box 64370St. Paul, MN 55164 651-768-2100 Fax: 651-768-2159info@�mn.org • �mn.org

“I believe in grassroots organizations that are all about bringing farmers and ranchers together, no matter what you

farm. We all can work together to create policy and create a community where we’re all looking out for each other.”

–LeahJohnson,DouglasCounty

12

w America’s unparalleled progress is based on freedom and dignity of the individual, sustained by basic moral and religious concepts.

w Economic progress, cultural advancement, ethical and religious principles flourish best where people are free, responsible individuals.

w Individual freedom and opportunity must not be sacrificed in a quest for guaranteed “security.”

w We believe in government by legislative and constitutional law, impartially administered, without special privilege.

w We believe in the representative form of government...a republic...as provided in our Constitution, in limitations on government power, in maintenance of equal opportunity in the right of each individual to freedom of worship and in freedom of speech, press and peaceful assembly.

w Individuals have a moral responsibility to help preserve freedom for future generations by participating in public affairs and by helping to elect candidates who share their fundamental beliefs and principles.

w People have the right and the responsibility to speak for themselves individually or through organizations of their choice without coercion or government intervention.

w Property rights are among the human rights essential to the preservation of individual freedom.

w We believe in the right of every person to choose an occupation; to be rewarded according to his/her contributions to society; to save, invest or spend; and to convey his/her property to heirs. Each person has the responsibility to meet financial obligations incurred.

w We believe that legislation and regulations favorable to all sectors of agriculture should be aggressively developed in cooperation with allied groups possessing common goals. We support the right of private organizations to require membership as a prerequisite for member services.

FARM BUREAU BELIEFS

Anadvocateforagriculturedrivenbythebeliefsandpoliciesofourmembers.

®Minnesota Farm Bureau