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Behind the Scenes: My Experience at the Franklin & Madison County Annual Meetings
As someone who works with Farm Bureau and is also a scholarship recipient, I get the chance to see both the public and behind-the-scenes side of our events—which makes each one even more meaningful. This month, I had the opportunity to attend and help out at both the Franklin County Annual Meeting and Madison County’s Annual Meeting and Barn Bash. Each event was unique, but both were packed with great conversations, good food, and the kind of community spirit that reminds me why I love being a part of agriculture in Ohio.

Franklin County Annual Meeting

On Monday, Aug. 4, I attended Franklin County Farm Bureau’s Annual Meeting at Hummel Farms in Canal Winchester, Ohio.

I was part of the planning team for this event—arriving early to set everything up, creating social media reminders, and taking care of several details behind the scenes. It was a busy day, but seeing everything come together made it worth it.

The meeting itself was not only well-organized but also incredibly informative. I was impressed by how much knowledge was shared across so many topics. Before the official agenda began, we enjoyed a delicious dinner from Smoked Lick BBQ (plus an ice cream bar). 

Our guest speaker was Trevor Horn, farm director at Mid-Ohio Food Collective, and we also heard from board member Lauren Preston of Winchester Farm Exchange. Both offered valuable insights and sparked some great conversations among attendees.

We then reviewed the new policies Franklin County Farm Bureau has been working on, followed by the election of four board trustees—each of whom was re-elected to continue their service.

One of my favorite moments of the night was recognizing our scholarship recipients. Out of 13 winners, 11 were in attendance, and you could tell they were truly grateful. Moments like that remind me of the importance of programs like this.

Toward the end of the night, Melinda Lee took the microphone to recognize outgoing president John Hummel with a special gift, along with a gift for Cassie Francis. We also welcomed a new trustee who’s excited to get involved. Melinda closed things out by thanking her office staff and the board for all their hard work throughout the year.

The evening wrapped up with John Hummel passing the presidency to Lauren Prettyman-Brown—a smooth and inspiring transition that closed out a truly memorable night.

Madison County Annual Meeting & Barn Bash

A few days later, I headed over to Madison County for the Annual Meeting and Barn Bash—my second time attending this event, and not my last!

This annual celebration blends business and fun. There was a delicious dinner, a silent auction, raffle drawings, a cash bar, live music, and lots of time to reconnect with friends and meet new people in the community.

I was honored to receive the Madison County Farm Bureau Scholarship for the second year in a row—something I’m extremely grateful for. Since I also work for Farm Bureau, I was planning to attend either way, but being recognized made it extra special.

Even though I wasn’t officially working that night, I still jumped in to help out by taking photos, selling raffle tickets, and drawing the winners. It was a fun way to stay involved and support Madison County Farm Bureau. 

The night started with dinner and silent auction bidding. Once everyone had their ballots turned in, we moved into the business portion of the meeting. We went over our current policies and introduced three of our five scholarship recipients in attendance.

We also welcomed four new board members, who we’re genuinely excited to work with in the coming year. The presidency transitioned from Kyle Young to Brenton Robertson, followed by the announcement of our silent auction winners and raffle prize drawings.

We ended the evening with live music from Jeff McClish, which was the perfect way to wind down after a full and fun night.

Final Thoughts

What stood out to me the most from both events was how much time, effort and coordination go into making them happen. From planning logistics to setting up, communicating with attendees, and managing the details—there’s so much that goes on behind the scenes that most people never see. I feel really lucky to be a part of that process and to have had the chance to contribute in small but meaningful ways.

These meetings weren’t just about policies or elections—they were about community, celebration, and progress. 

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Kassandra Simmons is serving as the Central OH Farm Bureaus Community Outreach Intern