David Schieferstine knows his key farm employees have choices when it comes to deciding where to work. He also knows that his family-owned dairy farm in Westmoreland, Oneida County, would have a very difficult time without them. The Schieferstine farm—which milks about 200 cows— has ten employees. Four of them are full time. David, like any manager of a farm this size, has to be concerned about keeping them.

“I heard about the Farm Bureau program where you could sign up farm employees as members as a way to give them member benefits,” says David, who is also president of Oneida County Farm Bureau. “It’s a good set of perks for my key employees. And it’s a good way for them to keep up on farm issues.”

He signed up three of his employees in April.

As members of New York Farm Bureau, his employees get all the regular benefits of membership: accidental death and dismemberment insurance; a prescription discount card; discounts on Grainger tools and supplies, hotels, auto rentals, Sherwin Williams paints, Amerigas propane, AmerLink log homes; a $500 rebate on most new Dodge vehicles; Grassroots newspaper every month (including a free classified advertisement); and eligibility to apply for Farm Family insurance.

As an employer paying for the membership of several of his employees all at once, Schieferstine and his workers get several additional perks as well. Schieferstine and each of his signed-up employees received a Farm Bureau hat. As the employer, Schieferstine received a framed “Farm Bureau Team” plaque to hang in his farm office. Each member of his “Farm Bureau team” is eligible for a free banquet dinner at the State Annual Meeting.

Employers who pay for memberships for three or more employees will qualify for the program and receive these benefits. Every August they will receive an advance mailing from N.Y. Farm Bureau, inviting them to renew their Farm Bureau Team roster with one consolidated payment. Employees not renewed by their employer (or no longer working at that farm) will be invited to renew their membership by N.Y. Farm Bureau directly.

“It’s a brand new program,” says Fred Perrin, director of member relations for New York Farm Bureau, “but we already have four farms that have qualified. We’re pretty excited about it. It’s a great way to offer an attractive, competitive set of employee benefits for not very much money. And at the same time, you’re building a stronger Farm Bureau.”