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Some people join Farm Bureau, pay their dues, and the participation ends there. For others, they desire to get involved, and Farm Bureau offers various levels of involvement opportunities.

According to Angela Robertson, OFBF director of field staff development, Farm Bureau offers training sessions on an individual, county and state level for those who want to participate in Farm Bureau programs. County cabinet meetings, regional cabinet meetings and Leadership Conference are just a few of the ways Farm Bureau equips volunteers.

For Ann Obrecht, Wayne County, her Farm Bureau involvement sparked an interest in politics that led her to a career in public service.

Ann and her husband, Jim, operate an 800-acre dairy farm where they milk 200 Holsteins. They began their involvement in Farm Bureau as soon as they decided they wanted to go into farming.

Ann’s parents were Farm Bureau members. She said as she and her husband began their farm, "we understood the importance of Farm Bureau’s legislative power and other benefits, such as GatesMcDonald."

They also knew they wanted to participate in Farm Bureau. "We’re a team," she said. "We’re partners in our business and in Farm Bureau."

Recalling her parents’ involvement in a Farm Bureau advisory council and the support it provided, one of the first things she and Jim did was form an advisory council, Y-RU-Farmers, which still meets today. As young farmers, they wanted support from other farmers in the community, just as her parents had received.

Beyond their council, Ann coordinated the county’s Drive-It-Yourself tour and Jim served on the county board. In the early 1990s, there was a legislative issue in the area regarding Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ desire to purchase land. She was very involved in a citizens group opposed to the purchase. That is when she said she saw the power of Farm Bureau and had the opportunity to work with some members of the OFBF staff.

"I saw first-hand that agriculture had to have a voice," she said. That local issue spurred her interest in Farm Bureau’s policy development process – she was chairman of that committee for several years and also served as a delegate to the OFBF annual meeting, as did Jim.

She made the leap to public life when she served on the Wayne County Planning Commission, and that sparked a further interest in government. Even though she had never run for public office before, she was approached about considering running for office: Residents wanted someone who understood agriculture to be part of the county commissioners.

She and Jim knew there would be sacrifices to be made and a lot of hours when she would be away from the farm, but they decided she should run. She is serving her first term and will run for re-election in 2006.

She and Jim continue to be full-time farmers and Farm Bureau members. They attended Farm Bureau’s campaign management seminar when she was running for office. She also speaks to the county board when invited and stays in contact with Organization Director John Fitzpatrick.

"The county’s business climate has been good for Jim and I," she said. "We were ready to give back a little bit."

OFBF’s Robertson said there are many ways to get involved in Farm Bureau, such as the annual membership campaign, special events or committees. "You have to be willing to come forward, to give it a try," she said.

To participate in Farm Bureau, contact a local office.

Caption: At this year's Leadership Conference, nearly 600 volunteer leaders came to Columbus to receive specialized training in their specific program areas. An additional statewide training opportunity was offered in early December.