Clark County Nevada Farm Bureau: August 22, 2011 Farm Bureau meeting

Folks of the Clark and Lincoln County Farm Bureau got together on a Monday night at Windmill Ridge in Alamo to have dinner and learn a few things from each other.

Small talk was made and dinner was ate, then it was time to get down to business.

Zack Allen started the discussion on the topic of social media and the importance of it in the world today by showing a video explaining the huge impact social media has had. To view this video clink on the link below.

After the video Zach applied the social media specifically to the Farm Bureau by informing of the different types of social media the Farm Bureau is apart of now. This includes facebook and blogs. By doing these things, the Farm Bureau can keep people updated with what is happening, and can include more people in activities. People can also be included and stay updated with other related groups as well. For example, the NV Farm Bureau and NV Young Farmer Rancher orginizations have blogs as well. To visit the Young Farmer Rancher blog, go to www.nvfbyfandr.blogspot.com.

Many of the older generation were quite lost with all the technology talk, but the main point of Zach's presentation was that social media is free, timely, and efficient.

Cindy Hardy who is the Nevada State Farm Bureau Womens Committee Chair, discussed the speech contest. She explained that instead of doing the speech in front of a live audience, they are having the contestants create a video. She explained that when a speech is given in front of and audience, a limited number of people can hear the speech given. But by creating a video and posting it on youtube, it can be seen by numerous people.

There are three divisions in the video competition which are; Junior 6th-8th grades, Senior 9th-12th grades, and Young Farmer Rancher division which is ages 18 through 36. All three divisions have the topic HOW WATER BECOMES AMERICA'SFOOD. Junior has the topic, FARM SAFETY ESPECIALLY FOR KIDS. and Seniors and Young Farmer Rancher have HOW AGRICULTURE BENEFITS WILDLIFE.

For those interested in creating a video for the contest, it is to be a well planned video 3-5 min long and submitted to Cindy Hardy by October 8. The video will be judged by the county, and the winning video from each division then gets sent to the state where it will be judged at the annual meeting. Then the winner of the video contest will be posted on youtube. First place in the county gets $100, second place ges $75, and third receives $50.

Kaley Sproul and Brooklyn Shotwell won last years video

Doug Busselman was next to give his presentation, which was on Building Key Relationships For A Better Farm Bureau. He passed around a handout designed to map out the relationships people have with their congressmen and representatives. Doug expressed the importance of mapping the links in order to find out who will take the responsibility to call, and then to find out who calls you. It is important to know who knows who in order to get ideas expressed to the people who can make a difference. Doug also encouraged others to start building relationships. A relationship can start by sending a simple email, introducing yourself and thanking that person for the work they have done. It would benefit the Farm Bureau to be able to pick up the phone and call the County Commisioners, State Legistlature, or the Congressional Leaders. Doug also expressed that good relationships have a two way component, which are spending time and work at rebuilding the relationship.

The last presentation of the evening was given by Stephanie Licht. The title of her slideshow presentation was, "Are YOUR County Farm Bureau Members Telling YOU Where to Go?" She stressed the point by asking, why have an organization if we don't use our members? Stephanie expressed that members that do all the work get burned out, by sharing the work an responsibility the Farm Bureau program can continue. Having groups of 3-5 people to work on small committee projects can be most effective. It is also important for members to have some fun and recreation. Steph also stated that it is important to ASK and LISTEN to members of the community in order to find out what needs to be done, or improved`.

Thank you to Zach, Cindy, Doug, and Stephanie for the hardwork and preparation involved in putting this meeting together. I think everyone that attended would agree that there was much to learn in everything discussed. Farm Bureau members were able to rub shoulders once again learn how they can help grow a stronger Farm Bureau.