AROUND GEORGIA News from County Farm Bureaus courtesy of the Banks County Extension Office, and saw live farm animals.
BACON COUNTY Bacon County Farm Bureau educated its community about beef and dairy cows during the fall community festival. BCFB Office Manager Jeanne Taylor (pictured, left) talks to two of about 1,000 children who milked Betsy, the dairy “cow,” at the festival. Betsy is a two-sided plywood cow that has an “udder” made of four calf bottles with nipples hanging upside down through a shelf running between the sides. To simulate the milking experience, volunteers fill the bottles with powdered milk mixed with water and hang the bottles. Two children can milk Betsy at one time sitting on stools on each side. The children spray the milk into a bucket beneath the udder. Empty bottles are refilled using the milk from the bucket. Thanks to the generosity of the local high school shop teacher, who supervised his students building the cow, Betsy only cost $44 to make - the cost of the plywood. Dairy farmer and BCFB Director Cory Johnson donated the calf bottles.
BANKS COUNTY More than 700 students at Banks County Primary School learned about farming thanks to the farm day Banks County Farm Bureau cosponsored for the school last fall. The BCFB Women’s Committee gave each teacher packets with enough ag activity sheets and other educational material for all their students. The committee also showed the video “Without Farmers, Georgia Can’t Grow.” Pictured from left, BCFB members Kelli and Margie Ward hand out “I met a farmer” stickers, while BCFB Women’s Chair Ann Gordon and Louise Sheridan talk to the students about beef. The students also enjoyed a hayride cosponsored by BCFB and the Banks County Horse Association, saw the Georgia Milk Producers mobile dairy classroom milking demonstration 20 / January-February 2012
CHEROKEE COUNTY Cherokee County Farm Bureau members Terry and Jeannie Ross hosted a 48-member delegation of South Korean honeybee industry representatives at their farm in September. The delegation included the president and vice president of the Korean Beekeeping Association, the reigning Miss Korea Queen Bee, professors from Kyonggi University, the president and vice president of Korea Apiculture Agricultural Cooperatives and several CEOs of bee-related companies. The delegation was on its way to the 42nd International Apicultural Congress in Buenos Aires, Argentina, with a layover in Atlanta. CCFB representatives welcomed the delegation to Georgia giving them free honeybee bookmarks, packets of Georgia peanuts and pens promoting Georgia agriculture.
CLAYTON COUNTY Clayton County Farm Bureau educated area residents about Georgia’s beef industry through the booth it hosted at the local fall festival. CCFB Office Manager Teresa Myers (center, left) and Secretary Linda Schray (center, right) play “How well do you know your cow?” with a child at the festival. All kids who played the game won a gift bag containing beef bookmarks and candy. Volunteers also gave away peanuts and answered questions about Farm Bureau membership, while an agent answered questions about insurance. COLUMBIA COUNTY Columbia County Farm Bureau hosted a fishing tournament for local FFA students at CCFB Director Lee Anderson’s farm. Anderson (far left) is pictured with all of the students who particiGeorgia Farm Bureau News