By Bill Robinson
The Madison County Farm Bureau Federation has brought home top state honors for the second year in a row.
The organization, which serves farmers and homeowners, was recognized Dec. 7 at the Kentucky Farm Bureau Federation convention in Louisville.
“If we win top county again next year, we will get to keep this trophy,” said Kevin Fields, local federation president.
Eddie Warren, local president for the previous four years, passed leadership of the almost 6,000-member organization to Fields in July.
“Eddie had the Madison County Farm Bureau Federation in great shape when I became president,” Fields said.
On its way to claiming the top-county prize, the local organization received several other Kentucky Farm Bureau awards. They include:
• Outstanding Health and Safety Program Award
• Women’s Program Gold Star of Excellence
• County Activities Program Excellence Award
• Information Award and Membership Award.
Greg Harris received the Young Farmer Gold Star Award and with his wife Contessa shared the Outstanding Young Farm Family Award for District 8.
“The federation represents farming interests to local, state and federal governments,” Fields said. “Our local board recently met with local leaders, including the Madison Fiscal Court and the mayors of Richmond and Berea.
The organization also sent delegations to meet with lawmakers and administrators in Frankfort and Washington, D.C. this year.
Fields said the Kentucky Farm Bureau Federation was instrumental in seeing that half of the state’s funds from the national tobacco buyout go toward developing new opportunities for Kentucky farmers. “Farmers in some other tobacco states got very little help from their states’ buyout funds,” he said.
The Madison County Farm Bureau Federation administers two state programs funded with tobacco buyout money that assists local farmers with construction of hay and commodity storage facilities and border fencing.
The local Farm Bureau Federation sponsors a safety fair in conjunction with the Madison Southern High School Future Farmers of America and a county-wide scarp metal collection. The organization also helped persuade the fiscal court to begin collecting and disposing of livestock carcasses from farms.
The organization co-sponsors the annual Farm-City Banquet and provides some of the awards presented at the event. It also sponsors college scholarships for local students.
“The people of Madison County have been good to farmers, and we want to give back to the community,” Fields said.
Federation members also qualify for discounts from an automobile manufacturer, a car rental agency, several hotel chains, Kentucky state parks and others.
Kentucky Farm Bureau Insurance, with offices in Richmond and Berea, opened a new Berea office this year.
Bill Robinson can be reached at brobinson@richmondregister.com or at 623-1669, Ext. 267.
