Farm Market News: What is your professional affiliation? How long have you served in this position?
Tom Griebel: I am currently the president of the Pipestone County Farm Bureau. I have held this position for the past three years.
FMN: What are your organization’s primary objectives?
TG: Farm Bureau’s primary objective is to work as a unified voice for American agriculture. We accomplish this through education, ag promotion and influence at the state legislature and Congress on rural issues. We are active at the county, state and national levels. With fewer citizens having any connection to agriculture and rural areas, it is important that there is a voice for rural issues. Farm Bureau is that voice. At the county level, we pass resolutions that, when appropriate, are moved onto the state level. This results in a policy book, which guides our state and national offices. Some of Pipestone County’s resolutions are now part of our state policy.
FMN: How does your organization benefit its members?
TG: Members of Farm Bureau benefit greatly from the organization. Members can use group purchasing discounts and have access to many levels of support to improve our agriculture organizations to promote and defend U.S. agriculture. Members can network with other county and state organizations. Our state and national offices are sources that members can tap for help with local, state and national issues.
FMN: Where did you grow up?
TG: Agriculture has been part of me all of my life. I grew up on the family farm northeast of Pipestone. My parents and grandparents farmed together having both crops and livestock.
FMN: Do you farm currently? If so, where? Can you describe your operation?
TG: My wife, Barb, and I crop farm with my parents, John and Corlys. Barb and I have a commercial herd of 60 stock cows near Hatfield. Our oldest daughter, Cassy, has partnered with us to run 75 head of commercial ewes. Our son, Luke, has joined production agriculture also, raising laying hens, broilers and turkeys.
Family? Barb and I have three children. Cassy is a sophomore at the University of Minnesota studying for an animal science degree and working to be a large animal veterinarian in the future. Becca is a sophomore in Pipestone Area High School. She is involved in gymnastics and 4-H. Luke is a seventh grader in the Pipestone area school. He likes baseball, basketball, cross country, track and 4-H. Barb is employed at First Bank and Trust of Pipestone full time. She also is in charge of “mom’s taxi service” for the kids.
Outside interests? I am not only involved with production agriculture, but other areas of agriculture too. I am a member of the FFA alumni to assist the FFA with various learning activities throughout the year. Ag retail sales is another way I am involved with agriculture, selling attachments for loaders and skidsteers along with livestock feeding and handling equipment. Being a Farm Bureau member also enables me to be involved in these and other things that influence agriculture as a whole.
My advice to young people in any area of agriculture is to be proud of what you do and share the fact that everybody is connected to agriculture in some way, shape or form.