Page 81 - strategicfactbook

Labor Project Team
Final Report: June, 2020
Board Priority
Ag Labor: Devise and support solutions to ag labor challenge, increase profitability and productivity, and reduce stress.
Board Goal
By June 2020, 50% of our core farmer members who have identified agricultural labor as highly important will have engaged in a Farm Bureau activity to address the agricultural labor challenge.
Assigned Staff Team: Bob Boehm (Lead), Craig Anderson, Ernie Birchmeier, Dawn Drake, Rob Anderson, Lori Schrauben, John Kran as needed. Farm Bureau Insurance member: Steven Traub
Objective 1: By December 2017 identify the appropriate group of members to target regarding labor needs. (COMPLETED)
Tactics:
1. Surveyed MFB CAC committees & MACMA members
2. Regional Reps identified 10 (large) target members per region
3. Feedback from GLALS clients
Objective 2: By June 2018, Michigan Farm Bureau will survey and collect feedback from targeted members to identify their labor needs and challenges. (COMPLETED)
1. Completed survey with 164 responses. Training identified as top concern, along with availability of workers.
2. Most respondents offered to participate in future issues related to labor
Objective 3: By December 31, of each year MFB will support GLALS in achieving their annual Business Plan.
Recommendation: CONTINUE
Trend: Need for workers continued throughout the virus outbreak, despite record unemployment
1. Beginning 6th season of helping members secure their labor needs
2. Hired and trained a staff of 8 full time employees
3. Brought in over 6,000 workers to the state so far
4. Meeting client needs through recruitment in multiple origin countries
5. Have successfully completed multiple DOL audits with no significant fines or penalties
6. No negative media events impacting parent organization
7. Maintaining profitability, while providing lowest cost to members
8. Paid $625,000 for MFB services through 2019. Budgeted $250,000 for 2020
9. Invested $85,000 to develop and implement a proprietary database to streamline operations and track prospects
10. Launched new stand-alone web site
11. Explored expansion of services to other states. (New York, California, Ohio, Indiana and Texas)
12. Entered into joint marketing/referral agreement with Indiana Farm Bureau February, 2020
13. Increased client numbers to 57 with 88 applications successfully filed, bringing 1,715 workers to Michigan in 2019.