The American Farm Bureau Federation County Activities of Excellence awards celebrate unique, local, volunteer-driven programs that serve as models of innovation for local program development.
The winning counties, including 14 from Ohio, receive a grant to fund participation in the Farm Bureau CAE Showcase at the 2023 American Farm Bureau Annual Convention & Trade Show Jan. 6-11, in San Juan, Puerto Rico. AFBF received more than 143 entries across all membership categories, with only 24 activities nationwide being selected to present at the convention.
A Crawford County entity received one of those awards.
“Once again, Ohio has more CAE winners than any other state,” said Melinda Witten, Ohio Farm Bureau senior director, leadership development. “We are thrilled to see 14 counties recognized by the American Farm Bureau, and we are proud of what each county Farm Bureau across the state does to not only be an integral part of their community, but make it even stronger through these programs”.
The winning Crawford County Farm Bureau decided to raise awareness of two common farm safety issues to help increase farmer safety in the county. The county Farm Bureau partnered with a local insurance agency to produce road safety yard signs that said: ‘Share the road with farmers and farm equipment.’ Volunteers distributed yard signs in the spring and fall to help create awareness of farm equipment on the road during busy seasons. A social media campaign with the same graphics and safety messaging accompanied the project. Reflective safety stickers to adhere to grain bins also were developed and distributed to local farmers to raise awareness of the hazards with entering a grain bin.
