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The nominating committee for the Ashtabula County Farm Bureau is currently seeking members who are interested in election to the Board of Trustees.

About Farm Bureau 

Farm Bureau is a 501(c)5 nonprofit, grassroots membership organization that works to support our state’s food and farm community. Farm Bureau is active at the local, state, and national levels on the issues that impact agriculture.  Farm Bureau is the very heart and strength of the organization. It’s here where the members work together as volunteers in an effort to improve their profession. We are committed to preserving the future of farming for the next generation of food, fiber, and fuel producers. The more members that get actively involved, the stronger our organization.

Benefits/Opportunities:

• Service as a trustee gives you the ability to serve as a voice on agricultural and community-related issues. You help plan activities which promote agriculture and advocate for local farmers, guide local ag policies and assist farmers with informational programs that can improve their lives and futures.
• Networking with other trustees across the county and members as well as public officials. Several opportunities throughout the year to network with other trustees within the Northeast Counties Region and across the state.
• Leadership development opportunities – access to opportunities to grow in leadership development such as advocacy at the local, state, and national level. There are even opportunities to serve at the state level on various committees. 
• Service as a trustee gives you the opportunity to better understand the Farm Bureau Federation and its member benefits and is a great resume builder!

Qualifications:

• All trustees must be a paid Ashtabula County Farm Bureau member.
• All trustees must be an “agriculturalist.” An agriculturalist is defined as an individual who is directly impacted by the health of the agricultural industry, as determined by the member county Organization. In Ashtabula County, trustees must farm full-time or part-time, own farmland, or work in the agriculture industry.

Board Member Responsibilities:

• Attend Board Meetings: Each trustee represents the membership of the county and is responsible for acting on behalf of the entire membership to carry out the adopted policies of the county Farm Bureau. 
• Strengthen Membership: Each trustee should give leadership to the membership campaign. More members mean numerical and financial strength. Board members should actively participate in the membership campaign by signing new members and renewing existing memberships.
• Provide Leadership to County Members: Each trustee should serve in a leadership capacity as appointed by the president. It is important that trustees serve faithfully to put into action the wishes of the members as reflected in the policy resolutions.
• Secure Adequate Finances: Through membership campaigns and other means, trustees should ensure the county Farm Bureau is financially stable.
• Contracts and Agreements: Even though contracts will probably be negotiated and signed by the organization director, board members should be kept abreast of contracts and agreements
• Carry out Policies Adopted by Members: The county members voted on and adopted county policies during the county annual meeting. These policies should be priority issues for the board of trustees.
• Be Alert to Problems: Develop and share policies in the best interest of agriculture, the community, and the members.

Application Process

The purpose of this application is to enable the current County Farm Bureau board to make appropriate choices of board members to represent the members of our county.  Applicants interested in serving as a board member should first read and understand the expectations of board members and submit a completed application. Once applications are reviewed, the board will invite you to a meeting to introduce yourself and get to know you.

Interested in becoming a trustee?

Please apply online today.