2024 RIFB Annual Meeting
2024 RIFB Annual Meeting Returns to
Crystal Lake Golf Club
Please join us on Thursday, November 7 to celebrate 71 years of Farm Bureau in Rhode Island!
The 2024 Annual Meeting has been moved up two weeks this year to the FIRST Thursday in November.
Our Annual Meeting returns once again to Crystal Lake Golf Club in Mapleville, RI. Registration opens at 10:00 am, and workshops begin at 10:30 am with events continuing throughout the day. Our Business Meeting begins at 4:00 pm, Social Hour at 5:30 pm and the Dinner Buffet at 6:30 pm.
This year, registration will be $35.00 per person for all attendees. All are welcome to attend.
At 10:30 am, Ananda Fraser, RIDEM Produce Safety Program Coordinator leads our morning workshop with an update to the Produce Safety Water Rule: RIDEM’s approach. RIDEM has always aimed to work with growers when implementing new regulations. The recent update to the FSMA: Produce Safety Rule’s water requirements will be no different. To prepare RI growers for Agricultural Water Assessments as outlined in the new Rule, RIDEM’s goal is to work with larger growers that will need to understand the changes for the 2025 growing season and work through the smaller growers in a tiered approach.
At 11:30 am, Laurel Witri, Farm Succession Specialist with the Center for Mediation RI, will present on the importance of planning to protect your farm‘s future, and the opportunities and resources available to help. Laurel is the founder of Land & Sea Together, a certified Farm Transition Coordinator and mediator. This will be followed up with a workshop in February at the RIFB office, date TBD.
This year’s lunch is once again sponsored by Blackbird Farm, featuring Chef Andy Teixeira of Newport Vineyards. Chef Andy’s demos have been a hit each year, and we love to see him return. Austin Large, AFBF Senior Director, Membership & Organization Development, will speak at the afternoon workshop. Austin is the AFBF Small State Coordinator.
Our Business Meeting begins at 4:00 pm, Social Hour at 5:30 pm and the Dinner Buffet at 6:30 pm.
During our dinner, Isabella Chism, chair of the American Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee, will be our evening’s speaker. Chism serves on the AFBF board of directors and on the AFB Foundation for Agriculture board of directors. She also serves on the board of the Agriculture Council of America. She and her husband, Kent, farm in Howard County with their daughter and son-in-law, raising corn, soybeans and sweet corn.
Register on Eventbrite, stop by the office, or call the RIFB office at 401-385-3339. Space is limited, so register early! Registration closes Friday, October 25.
Tentative Schedule:
10:00 am Registration Begins- Coffee, Juice and Pastries
10:30 am Ananda Fraser, RI DEM Produce Safety Program Coordinator, will lead a FSMA (Food Safety Modernization Act) Final Water Rule workshop as the large grower compliance date is April 2025.
12:00 pm Lunch: Prepared by Executive Chef Andy Teixiera of Newport Vineyards,
Sponsored by Blackbird Farm
1:00 pm Ice Cream Social
2:00 pm Austin Large, AFBF Senior Director, Membership & Organization Development
4:00 pm RIFB Business Meeting
5:30 pm Social Hour
6:30 pm Dinner Meeting
Speaker: Isabella Chism, chair of the American Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee
-Awards, Raffle and Penny Social
We always welcome raffle donations for the meeting. Each year we have a beautiful array of farm products, gift baskets from member & other local businesses, handmade crafts, gift cards and more for our raffle. All proceeds go to our Scholarship Fund. In addition, our RI Farm Products Raffle tickets are still available in the office and will be available for purchase at the meeting before we draw the three prize winners that evening! If you are not attending the meeting, please remember you can stop by the office or call to purchase tickets! Prizes are $500- $300- $200 in member farm’s gift certificates! $5/ticket or 5 for $20. Don’t miss out on this great raffle opportunity!