By JOHN LINCOLN, jlincoln@nyfb.org

At New York Farm Bureau, we are proud of being a real grassroots organization. Usually it’s in the context of farm politics and developing a clear-majority position for Farm Bureau on an important issue. We are very careful and deliberate about making sure all voices are heard and that the policies that we decide to advocate are truly from the consensus voice of agriculture.

That same voice of agriculture gets reflected in the way we run the organization on a day-to-day basis, too. We say that our mission is “to serve and strengthen agriculture.” Our Board of Directors adopted a strategic plan that lays out how we plan to do that.

For many organizations, a strategic plan is something that gets put in a file cabinet but never looked at. But have a look at our six goals and see if you don’t see in them six powerful reasons to believe in Farm Bureau.

1. New York Farm Bureau will be the premier advocate for agriculture at the county, state, and national levels.

2. New York Farm Bureau will provide programs and member services that offer tangible value to the organization and its members.

3. New York Farm Bureau will plan for and provide the financial resources necessary to advance the organization’s Strategic Plan Goals and Objectives.

4. New York Farm Bureau will increase its membership and its leadership pool to reflect the agricultural diversity in New York State.

5. New York Farm Bureau will project a positive image of agriculture, and promote agriculture’s value within the state.

6. New York Farm Bureau will provide the structure and governance needed to accomplish the mission.

The pages and articles in this Guide are a kind of report to you, our members, a way of letting you know what we are doing to achieve those goals. Let me know how you think we are doing.