Butte County Farm Bureau, represented by Executive Director Colleen Cecil and Blain Moffitt, receives the Class C County of the Year Award from the California Farm Bureau officer team. From left, Second Vice President Ron Peterson, President Shannon Douglass, Cecil and Moffitt. Photo courtesy of California Farm Bureau

MONTEREY, CA (MPG) - Three California county Farm Bureaus were honored for excelling in membership recruitment, influencing policy and community education.

The awards for the County of the Year were presented at the 106th California Farm Bureau Annual Meeting in Monterey.

For county Farm Bureaus with up to 300 agricultural members, Lake County Farm Bureau earned the County of the Year Award for its strong efforts to increase and engage membership. In February, the board set a goal to recruit 60 new members; in October, the organization reached it.

The Farm Bureau used several means to achieve its goal. It added new discounts for propane and purchases at a local agriculture-supply store, launched a weekly e-newsletter, hosted member workshops and a supervisor candidate forum, gave presentations about Farm Bureau to social service clubs and hosted community events.

It also reached out to youths by getting involved in agricultural education and hosting events, such as the “Punkin’ Chunkin” in which high school students build contraptions to hurl pumpkins hundreds of feet into the air.

Monterey County Farm Bureau received the County of the Year Award for Farm Bureaus with 300 to 700 members for membership recruitment and retention and for being politically active in its region.

The Farm Bureau was recognized for fostering relationships with elected officials at all levels of government and working with regulatory agencies. Board members are engaged on several issues, including water, labor, land use and food safety.

The organization is involved in consumer education and provides volunteer and financial support for three annual Farm Day events that educate 6,000 third graders about food production and processing. It also partners with the community on issues such as housing, homelessness and illegal dumping.

Monterey County Farm Bureau is often a source used by the local media and has an active social media presence. The e-newsletters target three audiences: agricultural members, Young Farmers & Ranchers, and community leaders and business partners.

The County of the Year Award for Farm Bureaus with 700 or more members went to Butte County, which has comprehensive programs in membership, policy implementation, leadership, agriculture education, public relations and Young Farmers & Ranchers.

One component of its marketing is “Membership March,” a membership drive that offers tangible incentives.

Butte County Farm Bureau was honored for excelling in communication, publishing a bimonthly newspaper and an electronic newsletter sent monthly to more than 3,100 people, and emailing updates as news breaks. It also has active relationships with radio, TV and newspaper journalists and is recognized as the go-to source for local farm stories.

Active in the community, Butte County Farm Bureau holds its annual Junior Farm Bureau program for children ages 7 to 15 at their Summer Barbecue Fundraiser and is involved in a Farm City Celebration and agricultural education.

The county’s Young Farmers & Ranchers members participated in the statewide YF&R Summer Leaders Meeting to further develop their skills.

The California Farm Bureau works to protect family farms and ranches on behalf of more than 26,000 members statewide and as part of a nationwide network of 5.8 million Farm Bureau members.