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I recently was a guest speaker where I had the opportunity to share information about the amazing and vast array of careers in agriculture with third-, fourth- and fifth-graders. I always start my presentations off with a quick survey of the room.

“Who here lives on a farm or has a family that has a farm?” Out of the six classes I talked to, only a few raised their hands.

“How many of you have ever been to a farm?” Again, only a few hands raised in the air.

“Who here thinks agriculture is important? Could we live without it?” Slightly more hands were raised, but much to my dismay, there sure wasn’t enough.

Throughout my presentation, I engaged the children by relating every ag career sector to something they all could relate to. Clothes, entertainment, sports, school, and of course, food. I surveyed the kids at the end of the class and asked the question again, “Who here thinks agriculture is important? Could we live without it?” Hands flew in the air and butts off the seat and “No’s” coursed through the room.

I walked out of that school feeling really great about the impact, though it may be small, that sharing about the industry I know and love just made to those kids – those kids that belong to the 98% of consumers who are at least two to three generations removed from the farm, according to the American Farm Bureau.

People are less and less involved in agriculture and with that, the struggles facing the agriculture community continue to mount. As we continue to face a volatile economy, I can’t stress enough how important sharing information and stories is to the future of agriculture.

Your stories on the challenges (and the successes) you face make a difference. The coolest part of my job with Farm Bureau is watching our members step off the farm and out of their comfort zone and tell their stories.

It’s not fancy, it’s not scripted, and sometimes it’s not pretty, but guess what? It’s real, it’s factual, and it’s impactful. Your story matters. Your story is what allows the staff here at Farm Bureau to fight every single day on the issues each of you shares to be important to our industry, our communities, and your livelihoods. That filters right down to every single consumer that you feed and clothe.

A membership or a $12 per month investment is crucial to the 2% of Americans who are navigating over-regulation, environmental challenges, soaring input costs, exasperated labor challenges, and food supply chain issues to name a few. The $120 per year membership to Farm Bureau is worth thousands of dollars for every member.

Whether you are a farmer, an agriculturalist, or just someone who supports the industry, I encourage you to visit this site to explore how the achievements of Farm Bureau impact you, your family, farms, businesses, and your community.

Farm Bureau is committed to our members and your membership supports our 100-plus-year legacy of delivering results for our members.

We want and need to hear from you. Contact us with issues you are hearing or concerned about in your local community, state, and even nationally. Grassroots means it all starts right here with us.

To join your county Farm Bureau or to get involved, call the county office at 440-426-2195 or visit our website.

Mandy Orahood is an organization director for Ohio Farm Bureau Federation serving Ashtabula, Geauga, Lake, and Trumbull counties.

OFBF Mission: Working together for Ohio farmers to advance agriculture and strengthen our communities.