Four Montana Farm Bureau Federation (MFBF) members have been appointed to serve on American Farm Bureau committees in 2024. Bonita Cremer, a cattle rancher from Melville, will serve on the Promotion & Education (P&E) Committee which develops and centralizes resources that inspire and equip Farm Bureau to convey the significance of agriculture.

“I'm thrilled to serve on the American Farm Bureau Promotion and Education Committee,” said Cremer, who currently serves as chair of the MFBF P&E Committee. “My term begins at the conclusion of the Target Training Conference in Columbus, Ohio, March 2024. In April, I will be at the American Farm Bureau headquarters in Washington, D.C. for more training and to learn more about the responsibilities and opportunities this committee offers in bridging the gap between producers and consumers.”

Cremer is looking forward to working with other committee members and varying segments of agriculture from across the country as they work to strengthen consumer connections and plan future learning opportunities for Farm Bureau members.

AFBF’s Issue Advisory Committees provide an avenue for Farm Bureau’s grassroots leaders to contribute their expertise on specific issues to the organization’s policy deliberations. Committee members meet in person annually—February 15-16 this year and hold additional meetings via webinar or conference calls throughout the program year as needed to discuss new developments on their assigned issues.

Montana Farm Bureau has three members serving on the IAC Committees: MFBF Vice President Gary Heibertshausen on Federal Lands, Chouteau County President Jess Bandel on Market Structures and Yellowstone County Farm Bureau Treasurer Greg Gabel on Technology.

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The Federal Lands Committee handles issues regarding water rights, grazing on federal lands, national parks/monuments/heritage sites, and access to federal lands. The Market Structures Committee covers marketing/bargaining, GIPSA, checkoff programs, credit markets, commodity markets and futures. The Technology Committee will discuss data privacy and control, unmanned aircraft systems, biotechnology and robotics.

 

Outcomes of the committees’ deliberations include advice and counsel to the AFBF Board of Directors on policy-related actions AFBF might take, recommendations for state Farm Bureau policy development, and policy recommendations to the AFBF Resolutions Committee.