By now you’ve (hopefully) heard us talking about this little ol’ event we have coming up in 2019: the 100th Anniversary of Montana Farm Bureau.  You know nothing major.  In honor of this monumental celebration there is a whole line-up of Centennial Celebration events and promotional items that will soon be available to you.  With the dawning of our 100th year, we also thought it was very important to do some reflection on where we’ve been and strategic planning for where we want to go.  The MFB Foundation followed this theme and kicked off the Centennial Community Initiative.  This project will result in a $100,000 investment towards community improvement projects in Montana during 2019.

The goal is to support endeavors like these:

  • Individuals or companies with a patent or business idea that need funding to create their business plan.
  • Organizations or companies seeking matching grant money for large economic development projects.
  • Community improvement projects that attract new businesses or residents.

This is by no means a comprehensive list and anyone who is pursuing a community or economic development project should consider applying.  A program like this is a huge endeavor, but one we feel is beneficial, and needed, to encourage the preservation of rural communities in Montana.  In order to raise $100,000, we need your help.  When you get your dues renewal notice in the mail please consider becoming a member of the $1K Club.

As we at MFBF prepare for our Centennial Celebration, we’ve been taking a hard look at history and one theme that stands out time and time again is ‘community’.  This grassroots organization was built on a strong sense of community and responsibility for the well-being of our neighbors and friends.  We would be remiss if we didn’t give a nod to the fundamentals that built us.

(If you’ve missed our weekly Centennial posts you can read the most recent one here.)

I know the benefits a strong rural community has to offer and can’t imagine raising my own child in a world where rural communities no longer garner those same feelings of comfort, support and a sense of belonging. 

You, too, know the communities I’m talking about.  If you were lucky, you probably grew up in one.  If you didn’t, you have family that lives in one and each time you visit you’re likely left with an unexplained draw to the rural landscapes, the towns and the families who call those places home.

I’m talking about communities where you know what your kids were up to before they get a chance to tell you themselves; towns where businesses close down early on a Friday afternoon to travel to the away football game.  When tragedy strikes people come out of the wood work to offer more help and support than you ever imagined.  These are the places and people who built Montana Farm Bureau and this is exactly what we’re trying to preserve.

If our goal is to continue a legacy as Montana’s premiere agriculture organization we must reinvest in our grassroots and support the communities, and people, who built the Farm Bureau.

Strong communities mean a strong Farm Bureau, so consider the $1K Club and help rural Montana thrive.