GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A Tuscola County crop farmer was elected the 16th president of Michigan Farm Bureau (MFB) on Dec. 4 during the organization’s state annual meeting.

Carl Bednarski succeeds outgoing President Wayne H. Wood, a dairy farmer from Sanilac County who has served as the top leader of the state’s largest farm organization for the past 14 years.

Bednarski has served as the District 6 director on the MFB board of directors since 2000 and has been a longstanding member of the board’s executive committee. He and his wife, Lisa, live near Caro and have three sons, Carl, Nathan and Michael. The family raises corn, dry beans, sugar beets, soybeans and wheat.

Addressing the delegation during MFB’s 95th annual meeting immediately after being selected president, Bednarski said during his tenure on the board, he has watched it come together for the good of the organization.

“We have had decisions where we didn’t all agree, but that is part of the process,” he said. “When it came to the final decision, we were all in agreement. We all understood and we all pulled in the same direction.”

Under his leadership, Bednarski pledges to work to preserve the organization’s member-driven, grassroots policy development procedure.

“This organization, it’s ever-changing, and it never will change, but one thing we must remember: That this process stays as pure as we can possibly keep it. Because, if we lose this process of decision-making and policy coming from each and every one of you – from the counties, from the grassroots – if we lose that direction, we’ve lost our company. We’ve lost our effectiveness,” he said.

Bednarski’s Farm Bureau involvement includes serving six years as vice president of the Tuscola County chapter and seven years on its executive committee. He has also served the organization at the county, state and national levels in membership, national affairs, Promotion and Education and policy development programs.

Outside of Farm Bureau, he has been involved with his local 4-H program, was a founding member of the Michigan Sugar Cooperative and has served on the Michigan Sugar board of directors. He is a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church and the Knights of Columbus.

Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) Director Jamie Clover Adams looks forward to working with Bednarski in his new role.

“Carl’s passion, enthusiasm and dedication will help keep Farm Bureau on the successful path laid by outgoing President Wayne Wood,” she said. “As an active leader in the community, Carl is a tremendous example for Michigan’s agricultural industry. I look forward to working together to grow Michigan’s food and agriculture industry.”

Other candidates for president were Andrew Hagenow of Rockford in Kent County, and Ben LaCross of Cedar in Leelanau County.

Bednarski’s election as president leaves a vacancy on the board of directors. His seat, representing District 6, including Huron, Lapeer, Macomb, Sanilac, St. Clair and Tuscola counties, will be filled by a separate election within that district.

In addition to Bednarski, six incumbent board members were reelected, including Jennifer Lewis, District 2; Paul Koeman, District 4; Mike Mulders, District 8; Pat McGuire, District 10; Doug Darling, at-large; and Andrew Hagenow, at-large.

The board’s new Promotion and Education representative is Oceana County fruit and vegetable grower Kellie Fox. She resides near Shelby with her husband, Todd, and their children, Noah and Emelie. She is owner, manager and winemaker for Fox Barn Market & Winery. The family farms 2,200 acres and the operation also includes a tart cherry processing plant, fresh apple packing facility, fresh apple cider facility and a trucking company.

Mark Daniels was selected as the new Young Farmer representative on the board, succeeding Clinton County swine producer Caleb Stewart. Daniels and his wife, Miranda, manage Bonnie Plants, a wholesale greenhouse operation in Gratiot County, which produces more than 200,000 flats of vegetable and herb transplants for distribution to retailers across Michigan.