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Michigan Farm Bureau President reflects on 1st year

The Michigan Farm Bureau president says his first year of service has been a family affair.

Carl Bednarski  was elected at the 2014 Michigan Farm Bureau Annual Meeting by member delegates as their 16^th president.  The Tuscola County crop farmer grows corn, dry beans, sugarbeets and white wheat with his wife and three sons in Michigan’s Thumb.

“It’s been a great opportunity for not only myself to take this position, but it’s been a great opportunity for perhaps turning the reigns over—giving them a little bit more leeway in making decisions every day on the farm.”  He tells Brownfield as president he’s been working to create relationships within the agricultural industry and family has made that possible.

Looking back on the issues this year, Bednarski says passing and expanding legislation for the Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program was a major accomplishment for the state’s agricultural sector. He’s also proud the Great Lakes Ag Services program at Farm Bureau which helps farmers source H-2A workers.  “It’s really proven to be very successful the second time around and from what we understand, we have a number of people already asking for next year to increase the number of participants they would like to come to their farms to help work.”

At next week’s annual meeting, Bednarski says members will hear more about how the work of many get things done.

AUDIO: Interview with Carl Bednarski