Our organization is only as strong as the membership behind it.  We can never say enough about the amazing members we know and work with every day.  This November, MFBF is celebrating a ‘Month of Thanks’.  Throughout the month we’ll be featuring members from across the state who have been nominated by their peers and fellow County Farm Bureau members.  We’ll learn a little about these folks and why their County Farm Bureau is so thankful for their involvement.

This week’s nomination comes from Carbon/Stillwater Counties Farm Bureau.

Lee Boyer

A Farm Bureau member for over 20 years, Lee Boyer has been an active volunteer leader at both the county and state level.  After a long standing career with the Montana Department of Agriculture, Lee served as the Carbon/Stillwater County President and is currently serving as a member of the MFBF Board of Directors and the Mountain West Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company Board.
“I am thankful to have someone with Lee's experience as a member of Carbon/Stillwater Farm Bureau. Having served 27 years for the MT Dept of Ag, his leadership and people skills are a real asset. As president, he took the initiative to bring our local activity to a new level. He is great at making new members feel welcome and facilitating all members' desire for involvement and leadership,” says Rhonda Hergenrider, the current Carbon/Stillwater Counties President. 

Lee has been involved in agriculture his entire life.  He grew up on the Boyer Ranch the Lazy F Lazy 9, a homestead established by his great-grandfather in 1900, south of Bridger.  Over the years the family raised crops, cattle, sheep, pigs, and chickens. A typical ranch kid, his chores included everything from baling hay, corn chopping, working cattle and sheep, feeding and butchering pigs, and probably his least favorite, cleaning the chicken house. 

After graduating from Bridger High School, Lee attended MSU Bozeman and earned a degree in Range Management. He worked in Pierre, SD as a manager at a fertilizer plant, and in Shelby, MT where he managed a grain elevator. Lee spent 27 years with the Montana Department of Agriculture in the Ag Development Division; managing marketing programs, ag loans, the hail insurance program, young farmer and rancher loans and more. Lee also served as the President of the Montana FFA Foundation for 8 years.
Lee and his wife Sara are now ‘retired’ on the family ranch in Bridger.  Sara says, “Lee has an incredible passion for all things ag.  I would say it’s in his blood.”

Know a county Farm Bureau member you’re thankful for?  Send your nominations to Chelcie Cargill at chelciec@mfbf.org through the month of November.  Be sure to tell us about their involvement in MFBF, their agricultural background and why you’re thankful to have them involved in Farm Bureau.  Please include a couple of photos if possible.