01/06/06 FB members head to national meet

Washington Ag January 6, 2006 About forty members of the Washington Farm Bureau head out for Nashville, Tennessee this weekend and the 87th annual meeting of the American Farm Bureau Federation. State Farm Bureau spokesman Dean Boyer says the meeting, expected to attract about five-thousand Farm Bureau members nationwide, gets underway Sunday. Boyer: "Washington Farm Bureau will be represented during the voting sessions by Farm Bureau president Steve Appel and vice presidents Robyn Meenach and Dean Farrens. Brent Dudak from the Chelan-Douglas County Farm Bureau will serve as an alternate during the voting sessions." Washington Farm Bureau president Steve Appel has also been the vice president of the American Farm Bureau the past four years and will face a challenge for re-election. Boyer: "We certainly hope he will be re-elected as vice president which is a very important position because that person chairs the American Farm Bureau policy resolutions committee." The vice president also substitutes for the American Farm Bureau president at meetings across the country and internationally. American Farm Bureau president Bob Stallman will address the convention Sunday. On Monday, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns will make a presentation. The Washington Farm Bureau does have four resolutions that will be put before convention delegates. I'm Bob Hoff.