I remember the first Kentucky Farm Bureau (KFB) meeting I attended. As a fifth-generation member of our family farm dating back to the 1870s, being a part of this organization was a natural fit for our operation.

And while we conducted a lot of business during that first Farm Bureau experience, I couldn’t help but notice the camaraderie of the gathering and how it felt more like a family get-together rather than a local county meeting. 

As the years have passed, I have been to countless meetings in this state and throughout the country, gathering with members from all walks of life.

While the times have changed and the issues we discussed have varied throughout the years, one thing remains the same. We still come together as one organization with a common bond and common goal: We want to serve our members as best as we can.

In 1919, the KFB Federation was born out of the need to give farm families a voice in their industry, in their communities, and about the issues that were affecting them.

Later in 1943, the KFB Mutual Insurance Company was founded, offering insurance benefits to farmers throughout the state.

From those early beginnings, we have seen KFB grow into the fourth-largest Farm Bureau in the country, with our insurance company becoming the largest writer of insurance domiciled in this state. 

While it may often seem like we are two different companies, in reality, we are one organization with the same mission, offering advocacy and insurance for the nearly 470,000 KFB members all across Kentucky. 

The Federation has served as the “Voice of Kentucky Agriculture” for generations of farm families and worked tirelessly to advocate for our ag industry from the steps of the courthouse to the halls of Congress. We do so by keeping our members and the communities in which they live at the forefront of these efforts.

As a grassroots organization, the policy and priorities we set each year begin at the local level. And this system has served us well since our very beginnings.  

From an insurance perspective, no other company has what we do, with offices in every county. But it is so much more than just an office and an agent in each of these communities.

We are supporters of local programs. We are partners in many local initiatives. We are friends and neighbors and a vital part of each community. We’re there for our members in good times and especially when they need us the most.

In looking back over the years of my involvement in KFB, I can’t tell you how honored I am to be a part of this great organization and how proud I am of all the people who work day in and day out to make sure we are serving the needs of our members.

We often refer to the folks who are a part of KFB as a family, and that is what we truly are. And I am reminded of that each time I attend a meeting or an event. The same sense of inclusion and camaraderie I experienced so many years ago is just as strong today.