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Van Wert County Farm Bureau member Ernie Welch farms with his wife, Molly, their four children and “great farm hand” Tyler Richey in northwestern Ohio. In 2022, he secured 50 Farm Bureau memberships, making him a first-time Murray Lincoln Award winner (pictured above).

During membership campaign season, Welch shares his thoughts on the importance of bringing new farmers and agriculturalists into the Farm Bureau family:

Q: What is your connection to agriculture and how long have you been a Farm Bureau member in Van Wert County?
A: We are grain farmers with a 2,400 head hog operation as well. We’ve been members for about 10 years.

Q: In 2022 you were a Murray Lincoln Award winner for the first time. What advice would you give to someone who might be interested in securing memberships for the organization but is not sure how to go about it?
A: Start simple. Look at where you and other ag-related folks do business or may be affected by the same policies the Farm Bureau protects. Make a list, pay them a visit and follow through. Even the people who said “yes” right away may need a follow-up to get the right person to sign or to pay for the memberships. I personally had more success with face-to-face interactions versus phone or email contacts.

Q: Why is it important for farmers and those in agribusiness and ag-related fields to be members of Farm Bureau?
A: Ohio Farm Bureau membership may be your best value for the protection and promoting of the practices, values and lifestyles of agriculture. You are literally partnering with an advocate to protect your interests, and to scale, the interests of all ag-related fields.

Q: Why are you an Ohio Farm Bureau member?
A: I appreciate the benefit of having a strong voice in my corner. I have personally experienced the advocacy on a local level. I have also witnessed the impact with professionals in our community from judges and police to politicians and first responders, that voice has an audience locally and all the way to the Statehouse. The extras that are included with membership are wonderful, but I’m a member because of the positive impact to my local and state agricultural communities.

The 2023 membership campaign runs through March 31. Contact your county Farm Bureau to get involved.