The mission: Eighty four County Farm Bureau presidents representing 91 counties attended the 2024 CFB Presidents Conference in Champaign. CFB Presidents also contributed to IFB’s grassroots policy development process during a meeting of the IFB Resolutions Committee.

The challenge: As a former president of Ogle County Farm Bureau, I’m familiar with the stresses and joys of leading at the local level. CFB presidents get pulled in many directions, and the role can be a demanding responsibility. Although we’ve been blessed with generations of incredible CFB leaders, it is becoming more challenging to fill these roles with folks who are willing to make the commitment to serve.

The opportunity: That said, serving as a CFB president is the most powerful and most important role in our organization. To echo what AFBF President Zippy Duvall said at the conference: “Without you, nothing gets done.”

This rings true as the CFBs are the foundation of IFB and CFB presidents are the anchors of the CFBs. These leaders can be the conduit between agriculture and consumers and other partners, and between current and future generations of agriculture. Countless times I’ve seen the relationship between a CFB president and his local, state or federal elected officials be the difference maker on a legislative decision. Our policy starts and stops with CFB presidents, and their leadership is vital to moving us forward as an organization.