Farm Bureau recognized at 105th annual meeting

The American Farm Bureau Federation is the nation’s oldest grass-roots membership-driven general agricultural organization, representing farmers and ranchers in all 50 states. The mission of the American Farm Bureau Federation is to represent the voices of farmers and ranchers through grass-roots policy development, focusing on protecting private property rights, strengthening agriculture and supporting farm and ranch families through advocacy, education and leadership development.

Members unite as one voice to work together to keep agriculture strong. The Wyoming Farm Bureau is led by volunteer farmers and ranchers who work to promote agriculture. Membership in the organization is about giving back to the basic values of life and being a part of the solution as members work to keep agriculture strong in Wyoming and the United States of America. 

The Big Horn County Board was recognized for excellent leadership at the Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation 105th annual meeting held in Casper, November 7-9. Chapter president Tim Beck and vice president Zack Tippetts accepted the Bronze Boot Award and Bronze Hat Award. Both awards represent achievement for the highest levels of member recruitment and retention. 

The awards were accompanied by this statement: “The Outstanding Membership Worker Award in the Volunteer category this year is presented to the Big Horn County Farm Bureau Federation Board. The BHC Farm Bureau Board has been very good at coming up with several innovative ideas to serve and increase their membership. They are very supportive of the youth ag organizations, ensuring they rotate support of every community in their county.

“They have purchased jackets and welder equipment for FFA, serve pie at the county fair, give add-ons to members’ children at the fat stock sales and bought a rototiller for the Buff Ranch – a Greybull FFA project which produces plants and animals which they sell to the community. They also won the Bronze Boot award for three consecutive years. Congratulations to the board members of the Big Horn County Farm Bureau Federation.”

The Big Horn County Farm Bureau is closely aligned with the University of Wyoming Extension/4-H and Future Farmers of America (FFA) chapters in all of the schools in the county. In recent years, they have provided welding helmets and oxy-acetylene welding tips to Lovell High School, FFA blue jackets to Riverside and Greybull high schools, a cattle-fitting chute to Rocky Mountain High School and a mega-vice to Burlington High School.

The Big Horn County chapter has donated to the national qualifying FFA competitor, Addison Perkins, of Lovell High School and the Ag Business Team from Riverside High, as well as providing approximately $2,500 in annual scholarships to students continuing their education in ag-related curriculums. They are a continued supporter of the Greybull FFA Buff Ranch, donating $2,500 in 2024. They supply educational Ag Books to the county elementary schools and libraries as part of the Young Farmer and Rancher program. They are a regular supporter the Food Bank of Wyoming.

If anyone is interested in becoming a member or volunteer in the Big Horn County Farm Bureau Federation, contact Tim Beck at 307-272-5600 or doubledollarcc@gmail.com. For other counties in Wyoming, see contacts by county at WYFB.ORG.