GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The new president of Michigan Farm Bureau (MFB) comes with sort of a cherry on the top.

Ben LaCross is a sweet and tart cherry grower in Leelanau County along Lake Michigan in the northern part of the state’s Lower Peninsula, one of the premier areas in the nation for raising cherries.

LaCross raises cherries along with plums and applies on about 850 acres with his parents, Glenn and Judy. He and his wife, Kelsey, have two sons, Keaton and Cameron, and a daughter, Lauren.

The family also operates Leelanau Fruit Co., which offers chocolate covered dried cherries and a variety of other cherry-based food and beverage products along with t-shirts and hats. All the cherries in their products come from the LaCross family farm.

LaCross was chosen as the organization’s 17th president by MFB delegates at their annual meeting in Grand Rapids on Dec. 4.

“I want to thank all of our members who are so supportive of Michigan Farm Bureau,” he said.

He replaces Carl Bednarski, who was president for five two-year terms.

“It’s a new day with new leadership,” said Bednarski, who raises sugar beets in Tuscola County in the “thumb” section of the state near Lake Huron.

LaCross, who has a long active history with MFB, said one of his goals is to build upon the existing relationships of farm bureau members statewide.

“Our county farm bureau boards are the backbone of our organization. We wouldn’t be where we are right now without them and we’re going to work on strengthening those relationships to help give them what they need to be successful at the local level,” he said.

LaCross also placed an emphasis on looking to the future to help solve the problems of farmers. “In farm bureau, it’s about agriculture and it’s about moving agriculture forward,” he said.

Previously, LaCross served four years on the MFB Young Farmer Committee, including two years as committee chairman. He was a young farmer representative on the MFB board of directors.

He also served on the MFB Policy Development Committee and was chairman of the American Farm Bureau Federation’s Young Farmers and Ranchers Committee in 2011.

In 2006, LaCross was one of 20 farm bureau members chosen to a MFB sponsored international agricultural study tour of Europe, where participants met with their European counterparts to compare farm policies.

LaCross also belongs to the Northwest Farm Bureau. He has also served on the Northwest Farm Bureau’s Membership and Policy Development committees. LaCross is vice president of the Leelanau Horticulture Society.

The Leelanau Fruit Co. in Suttons Bay was started by local cherry growers in 1964.

The LaCross family became majority owners in 1994 and eight years later purchased a satellite processing facility housing the company’s research and development division to meet the unique needs and expectations of customers.

In 2015, the company undertook a large renewable energy initiative at the processing facility to achieve a more environmentally friendly operation.

“I’m so inspired by our members every day by what they do to provide food for our nation, for our state. That inspiration really drives me, and I know it drives the reset of the board of directors to do the right thing, to move agriculture forward and help solve the problems our farmers face,” he said.

All five incumbents on the MFB board of directors were reelected to one-year terms.

They are Jennifer Lewis, representing Branch, Calhoun, Hillsdale, Jackson and Lenawee counties; Jeff Sandborn, representing Allegan, Barry, Ionia, Kent and Ottawa counties; Michael Mulders, representing Bay, Gratiot, Isabella, Midland and Saginaw counties; Leona Daniels, representing Arenac, Clare, Gladwin, Huron Shores, Iosco and Ogemaw counties; and David Bahrman, representing the entire Upper Peninsula of the state.

Travis Fahley, a 10-year member of the board representing Huron, Lapeer, Sanilac, St. Clair and Tuscola counties, decided not to seek reelection. Elected to fill that seat was Mike Noll, a fourth-generation Croswell area farmer and previous president of the Sanilac County Farm Bureau branch.