The Block Party

Michigan Farm Bureau Final State Level Question Engaging Public Concerns About Diet, Childhood Health, and Modern Agriculture Join us at The BLOCK Party! Get ready—this month’s episode of The Block Party is officially LIVE, and you won’t want to miss it! Tune in now and catch up on this episode and all past episodes at: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2134475. We’re diving back in with some of our incr...

Michigan Farm Bureau State Level Question 2  Leveraging Farm Bureau’s Grassroots Network to Break Barriers in Local USDA Certified Meat Processing  Join us at The BLOCK Party!  Get ready—this month’s episode of The Block Party is officially LIVE, and you won’t want to miss it! Tune in now and catch up on this episode and all past episodes at: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2134475.  We’re diving back...

AFBF Discussion Meet Questions Series (Michigan Farm Bureau – State Level Question 1) Attracting and Retaining Rural and Large Animal Veterinarians: How Farm Bureau Can Lead the Way The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) Discussion Meet is a competitive event that helps young farmers and ranchers build skills in researching issues, developing solutions and communicating them in a collaborative...

Michigan Farm Bureau District Level Question 2  Join us at The BLOCK Party!  Get ready—this month’s episode of The Block Party is officially LIVE, and you won’t want to miss it! Tune in now and catch up on this episode and all past episodes at: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2134475.   We’re diving back in with Seth Earl, Mason County's 2025-2026 President, and Darcy Lipskey, current MFB State Pr...

Join us at The BLOCK Party!  Get ready—this month’s episode of The Block Party is officially LIVE, and you won’t want to miss it! Tune in now and catch up on this episode and all past episodes at: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2134475.  We’re diving back in with some of our incredible Young Farmer leaders as they explore a powerful and timely topic: “Growth in rural areas can strain rural energy infr...

* Please excuse the audio issues in the beginning of this episode* Join us at The BLOCK Party!  This month’s episode of The Block Party is live and ready for you to listen, check it out!  To listen to this episode and others, visit: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2134475 .  In this episode we will meet our 2026-2027 ProFILE Class and hear what they have to say about this issue, building excitement for...

Join us at The BLOCK Party!  This month’s episode of The Block Party is live and ready for you to listen, check it out!  To listen to this episode and others, visit: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2134475 .  We will listen in on an AFBF Newsline reviewing the annual farmland value survey and join in on the state young farmer committee’s DM chats as member Chris Sanford and MFB’s staffer Matt Kapp expl...

Join us at The BLOCK Party!  This month’s episode of The Block Party is live and ready for you to listen, check it out! In this episode we will hear from the Michigan Agriculture in the Classroom Manager, Michelle Blodgett, who shares what MFB is doing beyond food and financial contributions to fight food insecurity in the state. To listen to this episode and others, visit: https://www.buzzsprout....

Join us at The BLOCK Party! This month’s episode of The Block Party is live and ready for you to listen!  Deb Schmucker, MFB's Field Operations Division Director joins in a discussion regarding issues on farmers' minds to compliment the discussion topic written by Jeremy Nagel.  Check it out!  To listen to this episode and others, visit: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2134475   Did this disc...

Join us at The BLOCK Party! This month’s episode of The Block Party is live and ready for you to listen!  Mecosta County Farm Bureau member, Cora Okkema joins to share her personal experience with Young Farmer Discussion Meets and the overall Young Farmer Program.  Check it out!  To listen to this episode and others, visit: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2134475   Did this discussion spark a policy id...

Join us at The BLOCK Party! The next episode of The Block Party is live and ready for you to listen!  Join us as we talk with Michigan Farm Bureau’s staff members Jeremy Nagel and Hannah Meyers.  In this episode we explore a common question in our grassroots organization, do smaller producers threaten Farm Bureau’s integrity? Check it out!  To listen to this episode and others, visit: https://www....

Join us at The BLOCK Party! The next episode of The Block Party is live and ready for you to listen!  Join us as we talk with Michigan Farm Bureau’s staff member Matt Kapp.  In this episode we explore another one of Michigan Farm Bureau’s Emerging Issue Briefs regarding the potential of an upcoming Constitutional Convention. Check it out!  To listen to this episode and others, visit: https://www.b...

Join us at The BLOCK Party! The next episode of The Block Party is live and ready for you to listen!  Join us as we talk with Michigan Farm Bureau’s staff members Laura Campbell, Rebecca Park and Josh Scramlin.  In this episode we explore another one of Michigan Farm Bureau’s Emerging Issue Briefs on the reauthorization of Michigan’s Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program. Check it out!  To l...

Join us at The BLOCK Party! The next episode of The Block Party is live and ready for you to listen!  Join us as we talk with Michigan Farm Bureau’s Economist, Loren Koeman.  In this episode we will diver deeper into one of Michigan Farm Bureau’s Emerging Issue Briefs on Tariffs. Check it out!  To listen to this episode and others, visit: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2134475   Did this discussion sp...

Join us at The BLOCK Party! The next episode of The Block Party is live and ready for you to listen!  Join us as we talk with Michigan Farm Bureau’s President and cherry farmer, Ben LaCross.  In this episode we will learn more about MFB’s strategic plan and the steps leadership is taking to develop that plan. Check it out!  To listen to this episode and others, visit: https://www.buzzsprout.com/21...

Join us at The BLOCK Party! The next episode of The Block Party is live and ready for you to listen!  Join us as we talk with Laura Campbell discussion topic.  In this episode we explore the Nutrient Tales: The Buzz About EPA’s Pesticide Strategy. Check it out!  To listen to this episode and others, visit: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2134475   Did this discussion spark a policy idea for you?  Be su...

Join us at The BLOCK Party! The next episode of The Block Party is live and ready for you to listen!  Join us as we talk with Andrew Vermeesch and Pierce Bennett to introduce March’s discussion topic.  In this episode we discuss deer management and how after a number of years it continues to be a growing challenge for Michigan farmers. Check it out!  To listen to this episode and others, visit: ht...

Join us at The BLOCK Party! The next episode of The Block Party is live and ready for you to listen!  Join us as we talk with Tess VanGorder and Laura Campbell discussion topic.  In this episode we explore the Nutrient Tales: The Good, the Bad, and the Algae Check it out!  To listen to this episode and others, visit: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2134475   Did this discussion spark a policy idea for...

Join us at The BLOCK Party! The next episode of The Block Party is live and ready for you to listen!  Join us as we talk with Tom Piepkow, Farm Bureau Insurance of Michigan’s Risk & Safety Management Representative to introduce January’s discussion topic.  In this episode we will dig into on-farm emergency action plans (EAP) and how to best prepare your farm for the unexpected. Check it out! ...

Join us at The BLOCK Party! The next episode of The Block Party is live and ready for you to listen!  Join us as we talk with John Kran, Michigan Farm Bureau’s National Legislative Counsel to introduce December’s discussion topic.  Check it out!  To listen to this episode and others, visit: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2134475   Did this discussion spark a policy idea for you?  Be sure to submit tha...

Join us at The BLOCK Party! The next episode of The Block Party is live and ready for you to listen!  Join us as we talk with Persis Sopariwala, Farm Bureau of Michigan’s Agent Charitable Fund Manager and Audrey Carey, Farm Bureau Family of Companies Community Engagement Specialist to introduce November’s discussion topic.  In this episode you will learn about the great work being conducted around...

Join us at The BLOCK Party! The next episode of The Block Party is live and ready for you to listen!  Join us as we talk with Jeremy Nagel to introduce October’s discussion topic and get to know.  This episode discusses how farmers today are fewer in number and rely less on face-to-face contact, meaning less neighborliness, fewer handshake agreements, and less community. Check it out!  To listen t...

Thanks for joining us at The BLOCK Party! On this episode we talk with Leona Daniels, District 10 Director on the Michigan Farm Bureau board or directors to introduce September’s discussion topic and get to know.  This will preview the four-corner post as determined by Michigan Farm Bureau’s Rural Communities Task force.  You will hear more regarding the great work happening across Michigan and ho...

Join us at The BLOCK Party! The next episode of The Block Party is live and ready for you to listen!  Join us as we talk with Jeremy, Michigan Farm Bureau’s Member Communications Specialist, to introduce August’s discussion topic and get to know.  Check it out!  To listen to this episode and others, visit: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2134475   Did this discussion spark a policy idea for you?  Be su...

Join us at The BLOCK Party! The next episode of The Block Party is live and ready for you to listen!  Join us as we talk with Laura Campbell, Michigan Farm Bureau’s Senior Conservation and Regulatory Relations Specialist, Tess VanGorder, MFB’s Conservation and Regulatory Relations Specialist, and Emma Totzke MFB’s Agricultural Ecology Department Intern, to introduce July’s discussion topic and get...