Issuu

arkansas

farm

bureau

committee comments

an Diego was the host city for the 2015 American Farm Bureau Convention. Arkansas Farm Bureau had 11 voting delegates and this year Arkansas women had a voting delegate as well. This was a wonderful experience to see how our policies are developed and discussed. During the pancake breakfast, “The Apple Orchard Riddle” was introduced as the Book of the Year. You can order copies of the book for your county at a reduced cost of $3. Contact Andy Guffey, our state Ag in the Classroom coordinator. We have four new members on our state committee this year. Benita Drew from Pope County, Angie Hodges from Craighead County, Sandra Kemmer from Monroe County and Laurie Richardson from Scott County. These laJanice Marsh dies are a great addition. chairwoman We had another exciting President’s Tour to Washington, D.C. March 2-5. Roberta Golman, Sonya Harrell, Sara Loe, Peggy Miller and I attended. Senators John Boozman and Tom Cotton spoke to us and we had the opportunity to attend briefings at USDA. March 6-7 was our annual statewide women’s conference at the Embassy Suites in Little Rock. Despite winter weather earlier in the week, we had a wonderful attendance and an awesome conference. It featured workshops on the Arkansas Rice Depot, Farm Bureau safety programs, ValuePlus, and Ag in the Classroom. The highlight Friday night was dinner prepared by the Pulaski Technical College Culinary Institute at their facility. Saturday featured presentations from two former Arkansas Teachers of the Year, plus a session on the importance of social media in agriculture. Jolene Brown was our keynote speaker. She spoke about farm women blazing new trails in agriculture. She left the audience uplifted and determined to tell the agriculture story.

Sue Billiot

Members of ArFB’s state and county Women’s Committees gathered for a photo at the AFBF Convention in San Diego. Pictured (l to r) are Jae Tipton, Betty Carter, Sherry Felts, Mary Smith, Thelma Veach, Janice Marsh, Peggy Miller, Heather Keenen, Kristian Dabbs, Donna Bemis, Sonya Harrell, Angela Jones, Belinda Wright, Roberta Golmon and Sandra Jackson.

county activities Chicot: The committee conducted poster The following activity summaries were

submitted by the county Farm Bureau Women’s committees:

Baxter: The committee was active during

the period. Committee members judged all the Ag in the Classroom coloring and poster contest entries and then mailed the first-place entries to the Farm Bureau Center in Little Rock for the state competition. Roberta Golmon read the book, “The Cow in Patrick O’Shanahan’s Kitchen,” to the Norfork Elementary students and then donated the book to the library. The committee arranged for safety coordinator Jason Kaufman to conduct a program on farm safety at Mountain Home Jr. High.

Boone: Members of the committee helped judge the Alpena science fair and assisted with the county’s annual Christmas dinner. Committee members also attended the Farm Bureau annual convention in Hot Springs.

First Quarter 2015 ®

contests at St. Mary’s Catholic school, Eudora Elementary and Dermott schools. Prizes were awarded to the winners.

Clay: The committee participated in the

Farmer’s Feeding Families program by donating food items to the Piggott Elementary and Corning Park Elementary backpack programs. The committee also conducted a coloring contest at Piggott Elementary. The winners were given cash prizes by the county Farm Bureau and the first-place winner went on to compete in the state contest.

Craighead: Committee member Han-

nah Mullins went on a mission trip to Africa. She took goody bags filled with Rice Krispie treats and “Fun on the Farm” coloring book pages, along with 100 soy crayons and donated them continued on page 2

2015

county activities

arfb state

women’s committee

s your state women’s committee, we are here to be a resource and assist you in your ag promotion activities. Please feel free to contact us at any time. JANICE MARSH chairwoman Woodruff County, District 2 870-731-5660 rmarsh@centurytel.net

Calhoun (Poster Contest)

KEITH SUTTON photo

PEGGY MILLER vice chairwoman Chicot County, District 7 870-265-5151 peggymiller2@gmail.com SUE BILLIOT ex-officio, ARFB Rep. Sharp County, District 2 870-528-3617 kajunsue@centurytel.net ANGIE HODGES Craighead County, District 1 870-935-2191 hh88@windstream.net SANDRA KEMMER Monroe County, District 2 870-734-2481 kemmer@att.net ROBERTA GOLMON Baxter County, District 3 870-499-3130 robertafoxtrot@gmail.com

Amanda Williams, safety coordinator for Arkansas Farm Bureau, led a workshop updating county women’s committee members from across Arkansas on safety programs available to their counties during the annual Statewide Women’s Conference March 6-7 at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Little Rock. Williams and safety coordinator Jason Kaufman present programs on more than a dozen topics ranging from farm and tractor to distracted driving and internet safety at county Farm Bureaus throughout the year. More than 130 women braved icy roads following a winter storm earlier in the week to attend the conference. to children in that area. Committee member Karie Gibson donated art supplies to Westside Elementary teacher Tiffany Baker. Committee members Karie Gibson and Debbie Smith contacted area schools about the upcoming poster, essay and coloring book contest. Karie Gibson and Miss Craighead County Rice, Ragen Hodges, presented an Ag in the Classroom program to kindergarten students at Brookland Elementary. The Milking Cow and Combine Simulator were used. Photos were posted on the county Farm Bureau’s Facebook page.

DONNA BEMIS Pulaski County, District 6 501-897-4931 donna@bemistreefarm.com SONYA HARRELL Calhoun County, District 7 870-798-4821

sonya.harrell@ymail.com 2

C O U N T Y C L O S E - U P S

Crawford: Committee members visited the

Mountainburg Senior Inn and discussed Food CheckOut Week with the staff there. The committee will be making a donation to the inn in observance of Food Check-Out Week. The committee also conducted a cotton program for Mulberry Elementary fourth graders. Committee members asked the children if they knew what products are made from cotton, then passed around a sample of cotton fiber for them to feel.

Grant: The committee conducted school

Van Buren (Cooking Demontration )

Washington (Women’s Conference)

nutrition programs in November and January which involved 558 students each month. Committee members also attended several 4-H, Cloverbud and Extension Service meetings during the period.

LAURIE RICHARDSON Scott County, District 4 479-207-3954 lrichardson555@mail.com BENITA DREW Pope County, District 5 479-858-9272 benitakay@centurytel.net

Monroe (Poster and Coloring Contests)

Independence: Each month during the

POPE CO FB photo

On Feb. 12 in Russellville, Laura Clark (right), a member of the Pope Co. FB Women’s Committee, presented a check for $50 to Jannie Condley, executive director of the River Valley Shelter for Battered Women and Children. The Women’s Committee made the donation to help the shelter provide free emergency shelter, food and clothing to victims of domestic violence.

period, the committee donated a healthy food basket to the ICU waiting room at the local hospital and 20 emergency room packets to help young people during times of stress in the ER and to promote agriculture at the same time. Committee members also helped prepare students to take ag classes in high school every six weeks by participating in the pre-ag class for younger students. Committee members also used ag readers to help introduce corn, beef, forestry, rice, soybeans, and poultry to local students and to emphasize how important agriculture is to all aspects of their lives. The committee conducted a tour of a local ranch and educated seven students about forage and hay storage. continued on page 4

Van Buren (Appreciation Tea)

Calhoun (Poster Contest) 3

county activities Jackson: The committee participated in the

Farm to You program for local schools where health and safety stations were set up for children. 180 people were fed at this meeting. The committee also donated money and helped prepare meals for the diabetes program in Newport. Committee members participated in the backpack program and donated $300. The committee also conducted a coloring book and poster contest at local schools. Committee members judged the entries and awarded Walmart gift cards to the winners.

Monroe: The committee presented checks to

the winners of the Ag in the Classroom “Using Modern Technology on the Farm” poster and coloring book contest. The committee awarded the two county winners $40 each and awarded checks for second and third place and honorable mention in each school. The committee also donated $200 for art supplies to Partee Elementary in Brinkley and Clarendon Elementary. Photos were printed in the local newspaper. Committee member Valerie Turner, an agent with the Monroe County Cooperative Extension Service, assisted in implementing the program “Arkansas Farms to You,” an interactive walk-through display of 10 stations that takes students from the farm to the table and through the human body.

Newton: The committee was involved in a

number of activities during the period. These included distributing commodity usage information to more than 200 contacts. The commodities included rice, poultry, beef, pork, dairy and legumes. This information was distributed in the county Extension Service newsletters. The committee also presented prize money to the winners and runners-up in the county poster and coloring book contest at Jasper Elementary School. A total of $60 was donated by the county in prize money. Photos of the presentation were sent to the local newspaper.

North Logan: The committee conducted an Ag in the Classroom coloring contest and distributed

county activities

poster contest information to Paris, Scranton and St. Joseph schools. The committee also conducted a class on “Food Safety Following a Power Outage” attended by 23 ladies from the Prairie View Extension Homemakers Club. Committee members also helped prepare food for the “CASA Children’s Tea Party,” which is a fundraiser to provide Christmas gifts for foster children.

to harvest large fields of corn, rice and soybeans.

Pope: The committee sponsored 4-H O’rama

Van Buren: The committee was active during

Day and fed more than 100 local 4-H members. The committee cooked and served hamburgers, hot dogs and apples with caramel syrup. The children enjoyed learning to use an apple peeler. The committee also participated in the “Farm to You” program. Committee members stuffed 500 packets with information about farming, ag readers, coloring books about dairy and Extension materials about “My Plate.” An article and photos were printed in two local newspapers. A committee member also read the book of the year, “The Apple Orchard Riddle,” to a first-grade class.

Prairie: The committee donated $25 to the

Prairie County Health Department to purchase a child car seat, in addition to donating $200 to the local food pantry. The committee also sponsored and purchased gifts for two children through the local Angel Tree program.

Scott: The committee conducted an Ag in the

Classroom coloring and poster contest for local elementary schools. Five second-grade classes at Waldron Elementary and two fifth- and sixth- grade classes from Mansfield Middle school participated. The committee awarded $25 to each first-place winner and $15 to each second-place winner.

Sevier: The committee conducted a luncheon for 90 teachers and staff members at DeQueen Elementary and prepared meals for county board meetings which featured foods produced in Arkansas. Signs were displayed to inform those in attendance where

St. Francis: The committee distributed Arkansas commodity brochures and rice samples to local elementary schools. Committee members also assisted with a 4-H activity and ATV helmet safety program for fourth-grade students and conducted an Ag in the Classroom coloring contest for third-grade students.

KEITH SUTTON photo

Sue Billiott of Smithville was honored for her two-year term on the AFBF Women’s Leadership Committee during the Women’s Luncheon Sunday at the American Farm Bureau Convention in San Diego. Presenting the award is Terry Gilbert, former chair of the committee. Arkansas ranks in the production of these products. The committee also arranged for an activity trailer for first-grade students at DeQueen Elementary and conducted an Ag in the Classroom coloring, poster, and essay contest in area schools.

South Logan: The committee conducted a

program on rice production for second-grade students at Booneville elementary schools. The students learned about growing rice, beginning with how Native Americans harvested rice using a basket, sticks and canoes to the use of tractors and combines today. Each student was given a bag of rice to take home and a Rice Krispy treat. Fourth-grade students discussed the use of modern technology to grow crops today compared to the way crops were grown in the 1800s. Most students knew about tractors but did not know about combines used

the period. Activities included a beef cooking demonstration by Donette Spann. She discussed different cuts of beef and appropriate cooking techniques while demonstrating how to prepare a flank steak recipe. The committee also invited Donette to present the “Wow, The Incredible Cow” program to 90 students with the Clinton Elementary After School program. The activity session included each student making a beaded bracelet on a leather wrist band and making a beef jerky snack pack. Photos were taken and shared with teachers, while a news release with photos of the activity were sent to the local newspaper.

Washington: The committee conducted

numerous activities during the period. Among them, committee members donated the book, “The Cow in Patrick O Shanahan’s Kitchen,” to Prairie Grove Kindergarten and Elementary, Holcomb Elementary, Williams Elementary and Elkins Primary schools. The committee also conducted and judged an Ag in the Classroom coloring book, poster and essay contest for area elementary schools and made and delivered cookies to area farmers at the Farmers’ Cooperative in Fayetteville.

White: The committee conducted an Ag in the

Classroom coloring contest in cooperation with a Westside Elementary art teacher as a follow up to a tour

POPE CO FB photo

On Jan. 27, Benita Drew (left) and Ida Ruth Jones, members of Pope Co. FB Women’s Committee, shared “The Apple Orchard Riddle” by Margaret McNamara with firstgrade students at Pottsville Elementary. A copy of this American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture “Book of the Year” award winner was presented to the class for its library.

of the Michael Oxner farm. Each student drew a picture of what impressed them most about the tour. Winners were selected from each classroom and received a Sonic gift card. Photos of the winners and Farm Bureau board members along with the Oxner family were featured in two local newspapers. Committee members also met with the White County Regional Library System director to make plans for programs to be conducted during after school programs at Searcy and other branch libraries. One member visted and worked with the children’s library director to plan programs for the year.

Committee members also participated in a distracted driving program at Pangburn High School.

Woodruff: Committee chair Janice Marsh

also serves as chair of the state Women’s Committee. She represented the county and attended a number of meetings including: the Winter Commodity Division meeting and Sew with Cotton Women’s Luncheon at the state convention. The committee also conducted an Ag in the Classroom coloring book and poster contest and is preparing to conduct a county safety contest.

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arfb women’s committee calendar Sun.

Mon.

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April 1

April Fool’s Day

Fri.

Sat.

FB Offices Closed for Good Friday Good Friday

Easter

Administrative Professional’s Day Earth Day

M30 ay 1

May day

National Day of Prayer

Cinco de Mayo

State Women’s Committee 2nd Quarter Report Due

Armed Forces Day

Mother’s Day

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2 1 June

National Leadership Forum at Harding University

Teen Challenge at 4-H Center in Ferndale Flag Day

First Day of Summer Father’s Day