DAVIDSONVILLE, Md. — The Maryland Farm Bureau, a non-profit member organization promoting Maryland agriculture and rural life, will hold its 102nd annual convention from Dec. 3-5 at The Clarion Resort Hotel in Ocean City.
The three-day convention will feature presentations, awards, elections and discussions to educate and update members on MFB activity and issues affecting the agricultural industry. MFB President Chuck Fry, Maryland Secretary of Agriculture Joe Bartenfelder, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen, Nationwide Insurance Board Member Dan Kelley, UMD College of AGNR Dean Dr. Craig Beyrouty and Miss Maryland Agriculture Mackenzie Underwood will address the members. Jerry Carroll, comedian and inspirational speaker, will give the keynote address “Dirt in My DNA.” The 102nd convention will also host the annual meetings for the Women’s Leadership and Young Farmers committees.
“We are looking forward to gathering with our members and delegates to celebrate the success of Maryland Farm Bureau and plan for the organization’s future,” said Chuck Fry, President of Maryland Farm Bureau.
To provide our members with more detailed information during the convention, we have updated our mobile app with speaker bios, exhibitor and sponsor information, and a full schedule. Convention attendees, members and those interested in Maryland agriculture are encouraged to download the free app on a smartphone or tablet by searching “Maryland Farm Bureau” in iTunes and Google Play stores or by going to https://crowd.cc/s/nrNG.
MFB will present several awards at the convention, including the 2017 Top Nationwide Agencies, MFB counties that made membership goals, County Awards of Excellence and Distinguished Service to Maryland Farm Bureau. The MFB Young Farmers will compete for the Achievement Award, Young Farmer Excellence in Agriculture Award, Collegiate Discussion Meet and Discussion Meet during the convention. Winners of the Young Farmers Competitions will go on to compete at the national level in Nashville in January of 2018 during the American Farm Bureau Federation’s annual meeting.
“The Maryland Farm Bureau Convention will be a great time for collaboration as our members pass new policies for 2018,” said Fry. “We will hold District Farm Bureau Caucus meetings and announce the 2018 MFB Board of Directors; a lot of exciting developments for our organization.”
A live auction will be held on Monday night to benefit the MFB Scholarship Fund. There will be 23 items, one donated from each MFB member county. The annual meeting will also feature two rounds of breakout sessions on Monday that include:
- Land As Your Legacy, Nationwide Insurance
- Rules of the Road, State Highway Administration
- Starting With ‘Why’, American Farm Bureau
- Food Safety Modernization Act, Maryland Department of Agriculture
- Wildlife Management, Department of Natural Resources
- UMD Ag Law Education Initiative, Paul Goeringer
Closing the Deal with Members, IQ StrategicFor more information on Maryland Farm Bureau’s 102nd Annual Convention, visit our website at www.mdfarmbureau.com or download our app. The full convention program is also attached for your reference. We would love to see you there.
— Maryland Farm Bureau