By Glenn Brunkow, Kansas Farm Bureau President
Let me introduce myself, I am Glenn Brunkow, and the president of Kansas Farm Bureau. I am a farmer, stockman from Pottawatomie County. Most importantly I am Jennifer’s husband and Isaac and Tatum’s dad. I am also the fifth generation to farm the ground my family bought in the 1890s. We raise cattle and sheep and grow corn, soybeans and hay. All I have ever wanted to be is a farmer, and I am living my dream.
Agriculture is my passion, and I can think of no better way to represent agriculture than to lead Kansas Farm Bureau. I started my Farm Bureau journey in 1999 as a member of the Pottawatomie County Farm Bureau board. Jennifer and I then had the opportunity to be members of the Young Farmers and Ranchers Committee first at the state level and then with the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF).
That experience and my experience with AFBF’s Partners in Advocacy Leadership class ignited my interest and love for Kansas Farm Bureau and the grassroots nature of our organization. The success of Kansas Farm Bureau starts with our county level leadership, which is what gives us our power and influence. It is not about those of us in Manhattan; the most important people are each one of you.
I am proud of the legacy of Kansas Farm Bureau, but I am even more excited about the future. My dream is to grow our organization, make it stronger and hand it off to the next generation of leaders as the most influential organization in Kansas. I promise that with every decision I make, I will do so with the best interest of each county and, ultimately, each member in mind.
Over the next few months, I plan to meet as many of you as I possibly can. Please know I value each member’s opinion and look forward to hearing from you. My door is always open.
I am incredibly honored and humbled to serve as your president, and I would be remiss if I did not also thank our past president, Joe Newland. It was a blessing to work alongside him for the past two and a half years, and I thank him for his leadership and mentorship along the way. I have big boots to fill.
I just want to end by thanking each of you for allowing me the honor of serving you. I do not take this job lightly, and I will do my best to live up to your expectations. I know times are tough now, but I have faith in the bright future of agriculture and Kansas Farm Bureau, together we will weather the storm and come out better on the other side. In the words of the FFA creed, “I believe in the future of farming, with a faith born not of words but of deeds.”
“Insight” is a weekly column published by Kansas Farm Bureau, the state’s largest farm organization whose mission is to strengthen agriculture and the lives of Kansans through advocacy, education and service.
