In 1918 a group of Barton County farmers came together to form an organization that would go on to become part of the largest farm organization. It’s also interesting to note that many Kansas counties formed a Farm Bureau group before the State of Kansas formed Kansas Farm Bureau (KFB). Farm Bureau stands up for its members through leadership development, agriculture education, legal defense, environmental advocacy, farm safety, risk management and international trade. Farm Bureau is and will remain the Voice of Agriculture to the legislature, congress and the public. The mission of Farm Bureau is to strengthen agriculture and the lives of Kansans through advocacy, education and service.
Now that the current administration has dismantled the WOTUS regulations, the top priorities of Farm Bureau will be advocating for farmers and ranchers in the 2018 Farm Bill and to work with our trading partners worldwide. With drought, flooding, tornadoes and hail storms, policy makers in Washington D.C. must remember that Mother Mature plays a vital role in our livelihoods that is beyond our control and maintaining a functional crop insurance program is vital.
Locally, in Barton County the board has maintained an active role in the community. The following is a list of some of the projects Barton County Farm Bureau has been involved with this past year.
• Sponsoring activities at the Barton County Fair
• Hosted Ag Safety Day at BCC for 5 local high schools
• Working with and mentoring the BCC Collegiate group
• Sponsoring scholarships to local high school seniors
• Developed a Farm Bureau Ambassador program
In addition to all the Board sponsored activities, Barton County Farm Bureau Coordinator, Jerry Esfeld, has been active with “Ag in the Classroom” across the schools of Barton County.
The 2018-2019 Board of Directors are: Tim Maier, Sharon Hiss, Tom Burns, Roger Long, Jerry Morgenstern, Darren Nicolet, Dara Prescott, Kyle Schartz and Michael Stueder.
Barton County Farm Bureau will celebrate with a dinner for their 1,919 members who have made prior reservations. The Association’s Annual Meeting will follow the dinner and recognition of special guests in attendance.
