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MFB names Lenawee Co. volunteer ’09 Ag Promoter

By SHELLY STRAUTZ-SPRINGBORN
Michigan Correspondent

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Joy Marvin of Clayton tells agriculture’s story to anyone who will listen; for her dedication to the industry, Marvin was named the Michigan Farm Bureau Agricultural Promoter of the Year during its 90th annual meeting earlier this month in Grand Rapids.

“Nobody else is going to tell our story, so we need to tell our story,” Marvin said. “We start with kids, and hopefully they will remember when they grow up.”

The award recognizes a Farm Bureau member who does an outstanding job of voluntarily promoting agriculture and educating the non-farming public. Marvin was nominated for the award by the Lenawee County Farm Bureau and chosen by the MFB Promotion and Education Committee from 19 nominations submitted by county Farm Bureaus from across the state. In honor of the distinction, Marvin received a $500 grant to support future promotional efforts.

“From community events to a casual visit, she never misses a chance to talk about agriculture, particularly the dairy industry, of which she has been a part of with her family for 30 years,” said Lenawee County Promotion and Education Committee chairman Norm Emmons in nominating Marvin for the award.

Lenawee County Farm Bureau President Tom Scharer said Marvin “is just the kind of person who represents agriculture well.”

No opportunity for agricultural promotion is off limits. Each year she hosts farm tours for hundreds of visitors to her family’s dairy farm.
Marvin also takes the farm to her community in a variety of ways. If dressing in a cow costume gets the attention of elementary students, she’ll happily don udders when she visits schools to read farm-related books to children.

For 29 years, Marvin has organized the local Farm Bureau’s Agriculture in the Classroom program, which teaches third-graders about Michigan’s agricultural diversity. The annual program has grown to reach 1,400 students through the involvement of all the public and parochial schools in the county.

“There have been many helpers who have come and gone in helping out with the activity, but Joy continues to lead the six to eight presenters each year,” Emmons said.

Marvin is actively involved in other activities of the county Farm Bureau’s Promotion and Education Committee, including Project Rural Education Day (Project RED), which provides agricultural lessons for area fourth-graders. Marvin has been a mainstay in Project RED’s 10-year history in the county, helping it grow from reaching 75 students in the beginning to 350 students today.
In addition, Marvin is always prospecting for other opportunities to raise agricultural awareness. Marvin added milk to the menu of Adrian High School’s “Chocopalooza!” Chocolate Festival, and arranged to serve ice cream to kids attending a sports camp at Adrian College sponsored by Olympic Gold Medal wrestler Roland Gardner.

Marvin also devotes considerable volunteer time to promoting agriculture through her involvement with the county fair, Michigan Milk Producers Assoc. and United Dairy Industry of Michigan.
A respected member of her community, Marvin was named a “Citizen of the Year” in 2000 by the Adrian Daily Telegram, and last year she received the Excellence in Agriculture Promotion Award from the Dairy Diplomats of Michigan. Even with the attention, Marvin remains humble, according to Emmons.

“There are many volunteers in the agriculture industry, but Joy is a true promoter. She has a great passion for the industry and will continue to do so without recognition from outside sources,” Emmons said.

Visit www.michiganfarmbureau.com for a complete list of MFB contest winners.

12/23/2009