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Do You Know an Outstanding Volunteer or Volunteering Program?
If you know of people or organizations that have made exceptional volunteering efforts to educate about agriculture, the Foundation wants to hear about it. Nominate them at www.agfoundation.org, under What We Support-Volunteers.
Foundation Recognizes Michigan Volunteer Jennifer Marfio

As chair of Mecosta County Farm Bureau's Promotion and Education program, Jennifer Marfio jumped in with both feet and has never looked back. Jennifer is a dedicated advocate for modern agriculture. She is interested and informed about current agricultural issues. She is a leader in promoting good farm practices and animal welfare and is willing to volunteer for almost any job to help promote agriculture. Anything Jennifer is involved with, she runs with it and makes her community proud. For her efforts, the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture is recognizing Jennifer as an outstanding volunteer.

Jennifer and a team of volunteers teach agricultural lessons in area classrooms and during the county fair. In the past year Jennifer has visited six classes of third-graders in three different schools across her county with lesson plans that contribute to students' understanding of where their food comes from and how it's produced. This is a first-time undertaking for a Mecosta County volunteer.

Farmers CARE lesson"The program focuses on how farmers care for the environment, animals and you. This program has special emphasis on Michigan agriculture and over 200 different commodities that Michigan raises," Jennifer explains. "People are so removed from the farm now that it's very important to get the word out and teach these kids where their food comes from."

Jennifer also coordinated a farm breakfast event for a group of county commissioners. After a hearty meal, the local leaders got a behind-the-scenes look at farming on a local dairy farm and a potato-growing farm. Issues discussed during the event included economic impact of farming, water and road usage and property taxes.

Another Breakfast-on-the-Farm event is already on Jennifer's radar for the future. She said, "Sometimes we, as farmers, just assume that everyone knows what we do because most of us have been around farming our whole life. I think some of the commissioners were surprised to find out how far agriculture reaches out in the community. It's not just the farmer, there are many people involved between the farm and the store."

Event Participants in Mich.

An effective communicator, Jennifer reaches out to the general public about her industry by working with local media. She compiles information for a quarterly newsletter that keeps local Farm Bureau members informed about the organization's issues, events and activities. For National Agriculture Week in March, she distributed promotional placemats to several area restaurants.

In addition to these activities, Jennifer is involved in Farm Bureau's Young Farmer program, focused on leadership development among the next generation of Michigan farmers, and has served on the county board of directors for the past two years. She and her husband Andy farm 1,100 acres with Jennifer's parents to raise corn, wheat, hay and 80 head of beef and dairy beef cattle.

Congratulations to Jennifer Marfio of Mecosta County, Michigan, for successful program planning to help others learn about agriculture! The Foundation appreciates efforts of volunteers to build awareness and understanding of agriculture. To nominate an individual for recognition, visit agfoundation.org.

Michigan breakfast volunteers