Womensnewsletter 4q2014

arkansas

farm

bureau

committee comments

T

he Arkansas Farm Bureau Women’s committee met in October to make plans for the state fair, our Ronald McDonald House activity, the Farm Bureau convention, and the Sew with Cotton contest. We planned our next Statewide Women’s Conference for March 6-7, 2015 at Embassy Suites in Little Rock. We hope to see all the counties participate and enjoy this time together On Oct. 14, we began our day at the Ronald McDonald House preparing to cook spaghetti for all the residents. Our committee enjoys this so much because of the children and their parents who are always thankful for a hot meal. We plan and prepare the meal and serve the families with joy in our hearts.

Janice Marsh Judging the rice chairwoman recipe contest at the state fair is another activity we look forward to. We had a number of entries and received a lot of new recipes.

The 80th annual convention was held in Hot Springs, and this year one of the special conferences focused on Farm Bureau’s commitment to youth. This session highlighted all the programs and scholarships that are available for our Farm Bureau members. This is one area our committee supports year-round. “Committed to Cotton” was the theme for the Sew with Cotton contest.

More than 350 Farm Bureau women and leaders attended the luncheon and enjoyed the style show.

We also spotlighted our top counties and all the work they do. Congratulations to the Washington County Farm Bureau Women’s Committee!

I want to thank each of you who have worked so hard for Arkansas Farm Bureau and our agriculture industry this year. I look forward to seeing everyone at the American Farm Bureau convention Jan. 9-13, 2015 in San Diego.

Sue Billiot

Washington Co. FB’s Women’s Committee won its seventh consecutive Outstanding County Women’s Program award. Chairwoman Querita Faddis accepted the award from President Randy Veach at the ArFB convention in Hot Springs. The award honors the committee that exhibits exemplary support of its county organization, activities and goals.

county activities The following activity summaries were submitted by the county Farm Bureau Women’s committees: a booth promoting Value Plus programs and arranged to have the Farm Bureau milking cow and combine simulator at the county fair. The committee also sponsored a tornado safety day for fifth-grade students and donated $610 to Dana’s House, the local CASA program.

Baxter: The committee and board

Boone: Committee members visited

members volunteered at the Community Great Outdoors Day that took place at the fish hatchery. Young people who attended learned how to shoot a BB gun safely and were given archery lessons. They also learned about gardening, fly fishing and water conservation. Committee members also took crayons and “Fun on the Farm” coloring books to Norfork kindergarten classes and read the book “The Cow In Patrick

Fourth Quarter 2014 ®

Benton:The committee was very active

during the period. Activities included conducting a Sew with Cotton contest; supplying animals for the petting zoo and conducting the Dairy Skill-a-thon at the county fair; conducting an embryology program for more than 200 firstand third-grade students at Rogers Northside elementary and Rogers Reagan elementary schools.

Arkansas: The committee sponsored

1

O’Shanahan’s Kitchen” to children there.

with approximately 400 fourth-grade students about safety on the farm and participated in the annual Safety Days for students in all area schools. Committee members assisted with safety stations and serving food. The committee also helped with prizes, food, organizing and decorating for the county annual meeting. continued on page 2

®

2014

county activities

arfb state

women’s committee

A

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 PEGGY MILLER vice chairwoman Chicot County, District 7 870-265-5151 peggymiller2@gmail.com SUE BILLIOT ex-officio Sharp County, District 2 870-528-3617 kajunsue@centurytel.net ROBIN C. WILLIAMS St. Francis County, District 1 870-633-8783 creses528@yahoo.com DANA D. STEWART White County, District 2 501-278-9132 danadianestewart@gmail.com ROBERTA GOLMON Baxter County, District 3 870-499-3130 robertafoxtrot@gmail.com

KEITH SUTTON photo

The ArFB Women’s Committee made a $10,000 donation Oct. 30 to Ronald McDonald House Charities of Arkansas and has committed to donate $30,000 more over the next three years. The money will fund a kitchen in the new five-story Little Rock home RMHC plans to complete by fall 2016. Attending were (l to r) Emily Piechocki, RMHCA’s development director; Janice Marsh, ArFB State Women’s Committee chair; Donna Csunyo, program director for RMHCA; Peggy Miller, co-chair of ArFB’s State Women’s Committee; and RMHCA Executive Director Katie Choate.

Calhoun: The committee conducted a county

Ag in the Classroom coloring and poster contest, distributed brochures and set up a display during the county fair with Farm Bureau information. Committee members also decorated the county office for a city beautification fall program.

Chicot: The committee was very active during

the period. Activities included conducting a Miss Chicot

Clark: Committee members were very active at

the county fair distributing numerous recipe brochures and rice bags, baking cakes for the livestock show, providing snacks for the fair queen judges and promoting local commodities in the county’s fair booth.

The display won nine blue ribbons. The committee also assisted with the milking cow and combine simulator.

In a separate project committee members provided healthy snacks for a local ICU waiting room.

ANGELA K. JONES Sebastian County, District 4 479-462-3369 akjones31@gmail.com SARA N. LOE Garland County, District 5 501-545-1572 snwasl143@aol.com 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

County Rice contest; a tomato growing project for Eudora, Dermott and Lake Village elementary schools; read and discussed the book “Who Grew My Soup?” and used fresh vegetables to illustrate the story; conducted a Food Check-Out Day event and handed out farm fact sheets about food safety; and sponsored an information booth at the county fair. The committee also visited the Tourist Information Center and left Farm Fact brochures to be given to those passing through Lake Village.

WASHINGTON CO FB photo

On Sept. 17, Lisa Taylor (left), a teacher at Springdale’s Willis Shaw Elementary School, received a $250 Garden Grant check from Washington Co. FB Women’s Committee member LaJoyce Duncan. The money will be used to build worm bins in the school’s outdoor learning area so the children can be taught how earthworms are beneficial in building soil quality.

Clay: In September the committee conducted a variety of rice promotional activities at Corning schools.

Cleburne: Committee members presented a lesson on cotton to more than 500 students during School Bus Day at the county fair. The committee also continued on page 4

Independence (Coloring Book Packets)

Washington (Poster and Coloring Contests)

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

Stone (Pumpkin Patch )

Lee (Rice Poster Contest) 3

Independence (ICU Food Basket)

Stone (Fall on the farm) 3

assisted with the Farm Bureau booth.

Cleveland: Committee members participated

in a reading program at Woodlawn elementary school where they read Arkansas ag readers to students and displayed the My Food Connection poster. The committee also arranged for Amanda Williams to conduct a safety program on school bus safety during the Progressive Agriculture Safety Day. Farm Bureau’s Matt Jackson presented the Mobile Agriculture Experience trailer.

Columbia: Committee member Deborah

Reynolds read to children at Emerson Head Start and handed out snacks at an Arkansas producers workshop.

The committee also hung Farm Bureau safety posters at the Columbia County Fair and worked with contestants on their Sew with Cotton projects.

Conway: Committee members assisted with

the annual 4-H Fishing Derby to promote Arkansasgrown catfish. More than 50 youth took part in the derby and went home with aquaculture and wildlife information. Committee members also assisted with the Senior Health Fair at the T.C. Vaughan Senior Center.

They assisted with set up and distribution of health and nutrition information to the 80 adults who participated.

A committee member also assisted with the Kids First safety day by setting up a hand-washing station and talking about the importance of proper hand-washing and how to stay healthy during the flu season.

Craighead: Miss Craighead County Rice,

Brittany Roedel, attended the Arkansas Rice Expo in Stuttgart and posted photos of her activity to her Facebook page and Instagram. Committee member Debbie Smith accompanied her to the Miss Arkansas Rice Contest, where she was judged with other county contestants by presenting her rice dish, being interviewed by the judges and passing out her recipe cards. Committee members were interviewed by a reporter from the Jonesboro Sun regarding September as National Rice Month. The committee also conducted its 19th annual “Rice Tasting” event at a local bank.

Bank patrons were treated to many different rice dishes along with a copy of the recipes. The county judge signed a proclamation declaring September as Rice Month.

Crawford: The committee took a group of 15

to 20 children to all the fair exhibits and discussed the value and importance of agricultural production. Committee members also stuffed bags with information about farming and coloring books that were handed out to children at the fair. The committee also served lunch to judges and volunteers.

4

county activities Cross: Committee members loaded rice

samples so local students could see the process of rice being milled. The committee also participated in the community “Back to School Bash” with proceeds going to purchase school supplies and also participated in the community birthday party with donations going to the West Cross County Food Pantry.

Dallas: The committee sponsored a child safety awareness program, displayed child safety seat brochures in the county office, conducted a poster contest and sponsored a tornado safety program at the local elementary school.

Faulkner: Committee members were

involved in a number of activities during the period.

They included working with students at Greenbrier and Wooster elementary schools on how to grow and maintain their school gardens. They also conducted a cooking school for the Conway Regional Women’s Committee, in addition to teaching about agriculture in everyday life for the Faulkner County Leadership Institute youth program.

Garland: The committee conducted a

fundraiser and information day outside of the local Harvest Foods supermarket. Committee members sold tickets to raffle off a Yeti cooler with the proceeds going to the Livestock Premium Sale.

Members handed out Farm Bureau literature, signed up new members, and sat down with kids and colored with them, asking them to draw their favorite farm animals or crops. It was educational and productive.

The committee was also in charge of the Premium Sale at the county fair this year. Members worked all year raising money for each student who showed an animal because they felt it was important to reward their hard work even if they didn’t make the sale. The committee raised more than $2,000.

Grant: The committee was involved in a number

of activities during the period. These included assisting with the Farm Bureau booth at the county fair, conducting a Sew with Cotton contest, assisting with an Extension Homemakers sewing program, sponsoring a family fitness night at a local school and seniors nutrition classes in August, September and October.

The committee also conducted an appreciation dinner for Quorum Court members.

Howard: The committee sponsored an educa-

tional booth at the county fair and served breakfast to the livestock exhibitors prior to the annual Premium Sale. Parents, exhibitors and premium bidders were all invited to attend. Committee members also provided lunch for volunteers working the “Get Real, Here’s the

GREGG PATTERSON photo

Winners in the Sew With Cotton Contest were Ashley Eye (left), a senior at Lakeside High School in Hot Springs, who won the Youth Sweepstakes, and Brenda Sandage of Batesville, who won the Adult Sweepstakes.

Deal” program that provides students an opportunity to learn and experience making financial decisions.

Independence: The committee conducted

a number of activities during the period. During Rice Month, 800 kindergarten students received rice samples and “Kids in the Kitchen” pamphlets with easy rice recipes anyone can prepare. Each month a fruit basket with is donated to the ICU waiting room at the local hospital for families of seriously ill patients. In addition, activity packets are donated to the emergency room for pre-school and kindergarten age patients.

Izard: The committee conducted and judged the

county Sew with Cotton contest. Committee members honored the county and district Farm Family of the Year at the annual meeting and sponsored a Farm Family booth and distributed Farm Bureau materials at the North Central District Fair.

Jackson: The committee conducted a rice-

tasting event at a local bank in recognition of Rice Month. The ladies set rice bags out in the county office and served a rice dessert at the monthly board meeting. They also served rice dishes at an Extension Service reception for staff chair Randy Chlapecka. The

county activities committee also delivered coloring book, poster and essay contest rules to all local schools and donated coloring books to the local hospital auxiliary.

Jefferson: The committee assisted the county

Extension Service in conducting the dairy recipe contest.

Lee: The committee delivered educational materi-

als including placemats and factoids about the rice industry to classes at Lee Academy. The committee also conducted and judged a poster contest to promote rice month in September. Members participated in a safety day at the Marvell fairgrounds and manned a booth promoting member benefits at the Moro Homecoming.

Little River: The committee assisted students

who had animals in the Little River County livestock premium sale at the county fair. The committee also donated $1,850 for three animals that were sold.

Committee members conducted a pumpkin-decorating contest for the local kindergarten and first graders.

Members also assisted with Pleasant Manor Nursing Home’s Fall Festival.

Lonoke: The committee sponsored and assisted

Miss Lonoke County Rice with her booth at the Lonoke County Fair and also sponsored two safety programs at “Fun with 4H Days” in August.

Madison: The committee assisted with the

Kiddie Tractor Pull at the Madison County Fair and supported local 4H and FFA students by bidding on and purchasing a goat at the premium sale. Committee members also helped with planning and serving meals at the county annual meeting.

Miller: The committee assisted at the Miller

County Fair by helping cook lunch and serving meals for senior day. The committee also had signs laminated for the Agri Learning Center at the Four States Fairgrounds.

Monroe: Committee members Allison Gurley

and Sandra Kemmer set up a booth with promotional information, Fun on the Farm coloring books, bookmarks, rice and dairy brochures, how to build a safe playground, tornado and tractor safety pamplets and rice recipes. The committee also “manned” the combine simulator and Farm Bureau milking cow during the annual Brinkley Fall Fest. It was a big hit!

Nevada: The committee conducted a coloring contest at the local elementary school.

Newton: The committee was involved with a

number of activities. These included working with the Extension Service painting jars for the Homemakers Club; making a quilt to donate to a local charity, nursing 5

KEITH SUTTON photo

Arkansas Farm Bureau State Women’s Committee members served as judges for ArFB’s Rice Cooking Contest. Left to right: Janice Marsh, Angela Jones, Donna Bemis, Roberta Golmon, Sue Billiot and Sherry Felts. home and “Grandma’s House,” a women and children’s safe house; conducting a youth leadership class; assisting at the county fair registering entries, judging and placing ribbons and working at the EHC booth. Committee members also helped plan and serve the meal at the county annual meeting.

North Logan: The committee set up a cotton exhibit with handouts at the county fair, which won the “Best in Show” award. Committee members also cleaned the fair building and helped set up exhibits, helped with judging, prepared and served lunch to volunteers and judges and shared the duties of hostess at the fair exhibit building. The committee also delivered coloring contest sheets to Paris, Scranton and St. Joseph schools.

Perry: The committee assisted with the county fair by entering exhibits and taking photographs. Committee members also provided information to teachers at local elementary schools and helped with planning and carrying out the county annual meeting.

Pike: The committee assisted with the annual

meeting and fish fry and at the county fair. Committee members also shared information with local schools about participating in the coloring contest and worked to secure school supplies for county students.

Poinsett: The committee helped with prepar-

ing and serving dishes and recipes at the annual Rice Festival tasting event. Committee members also organized the coloring book contest and awarded prizes to winners, and assisted at the annual Poinsett County

Fair rice activities.

Polk: The committee conducted a Sew With Cotton

contest, assisted at the Cattlemen’s Meeting, purchased animals and assisted with the Junior Livestock Auction, and worked the booth at the county fair. Committee members also read to children on Grandparents Day.

Pope: The committee delivered coloring books to

two kindergarten classes so children could learn about dairy cows and how to make butter before going to the county fair. Committee members fed the fair judges a meal promoting pork and assisted at the fair booth promoting local commodities. The committee also arranged a beef cooking demonstration and made tacos for the 4-H day at the Arkansas Tech University farm.

The 4-Hers learned about being safe around animals and machinery. The event included an educational talk about the beef industry.

Prairie: The committee sponsored the dairy recipe

contest for 4-H, donated awards and judged entries. The committee also donated dyed rice to a local preschool for an activity during the fall festival and sponsored a poster contest for rice month at two local schools. The committee also set up and displayed an informational booth at the county fair.

Pulaski: Committee member Pam Bredlow hosted

a farm tour for a visitor from China. The visitor was shown the different crops, and Pam demonstrated how they are planted, spoke to her on the affects of weeds and how the crops are irrigated. Kathy Ratcliffe is mentoring a college student who is entering the Master Gardener Program and Emily Bemis made a presentation on bees to a local

elementary school. Kathy Ratcliffe attended a workshop through Master Gardeners on “Your Urban Garden.”

county activities

Scott: The committee conducted a number of activities during the period. A highlight was a poultry presentation to Giddy-Up Grow pre-K students in recognition of National Poultry Month. Committee members spoke about the difference between roosters and hens, and where eggs come from. The local Tyson facility donated hatching eggs, and the students were able to see chicks hatch. One of the ladies dressed in a chicken outfit and surprised the children. The committee also was asked to conduct a presentation for two first-grade classes on farm animals. The students were given general information on chickens, cows (dairy and beef), hogs, sheep, and goats. This was to prepare them for their visit to the county fair. The committee also performed a skit for elementary and some middle school students called WOW!! What A Cow!! Committee member Angela Hunsucker wrote, directed and starred in it.

Searcy: The committee helped with activities

at the county fair including the Farm Bureau booth, entering canned goods to be judged and helping children who entered animals to be judged. The ladies also prepared a potluck meal for board members at the monthly meeting.

Sevier: Committee members attended the county

fair premium sale and contributed add-on money to animals sold by Farm Bureau member children. The committee also provided meals and refreshments for the county board meetings each month. The committee also met with school administration to plan activities for the year, distributed coloring and safety poster contest materials and conducted the poster contest. A scrapbook of Sevier County Farm Bureau activities was initiated.

Sharp: The committee conducted its Sew with

Cotton contest. Rosanne Stitcher of Cave City won and entered the state contest. In observation of Rice Month, the committee handed out information and recipes to fourth graders at the Cave City school. Farm Bureau safety coordinator Amanda Williams presented pro-

STEVE EDDINGTON photo

Karen Brown (left) and Gabby Mell of McCrory received certificates of appreciation from Woodruff Co. FB Oct. 7 at the organization’s annual meeting in Patterson. County board member Janice Marsh, chair of ArFB’s State Women’s Committee, made the presentation.

The girls represented the county and participated in a local M*A*S*H camp last summer. grams to Cave City students, as well as a program on skin cancer prevention to the Sharp County farm board at the September meeting.

South Logan: The committee manned a

booth at the county fair which included a large poster with photos and a basket of Arkansas-grown products.

The committee also sponsored a Sew with Cotton contest and style show. Chelsea Danekas was the winner of a Singer sewing machine. The committee also fed the judges at the county fair a meal of beans and cornbread, and checked in exhibits during the check-in time of

home economics items.

South Mississippi: The committee filled

backpacks with school supplies and snacks that promote rice, wheat, beef, dairy, fruit and soybeans and delivered them to area schools. A committee member judged the local rice-tasting contest and delivered 765 coloring books to Rivercrest, Blytheville and Gosnell schools along with information about the county poster contest.

St. Francis: The committee promoted Arkansas commodities at the back-to-school fair in August by

staff contacts • Harry Willems, associate director of O&MP, 501-228-1247, harry.willems@arfb.com • Autumn Wood, O&MP special programs assistant, 501-228-1306, autumn.wood@arfb.com

6

county activities handing out bags of rice and rice cookbooks as well as rice, soybean and cotton coloring pages for the children.

The committee also conducted the annual Rice Tasting Luncheon and Cookoff and at the luncheon collected moisture gloves that were filled with rice and donated to the NICU at UAMS for nurses to heat and lay on the NICU babies. The committee also promoted rice at the annual convention by handing out small bags donated

by Riceland Foods.

Stone: The committee delivered 150 Ag in the

Classroom coloring books to first-grade classrooms and copies of the book, “The Cow and Patrick O’Shanahan’s Kitchen” to first-grade classes in area schools. The committee also donated $50 for the Stone County Health Fair, conducted a farm safety program at Mountain View high school, worked in the Stone County food room and assisted at the Star Gap Farms, “Fall on the Farm” pumpkin patch, corn maze and hayride.

Union: Committee members conducted an

Arkansas Foods luncheon featuring rice, salad and strawberries for county fair workers, set up a Farm Bureau booth and handed out brochures. Committee members also conducted a Sew with Cotton contest and worked with youth sewing entries for the contest. An Ag in the Classroom coloring, poster and essay contest was conducted at two local schools involving 360 students.

The committee also taught a “Get Moving” fitness program to 48 adults and provided refreshments at the Farm Bureau-sponsored Life Line Screening program, in addition to presenting a program on diabetes.

Van Buren: The committee was very active

during the period. One of the programs conducted was the “Farmer for a Day” exhibit at the county fair. The committee created an exhibit focusing on activities that will attract interest in farm life such as gathering eggs, riding a horse and milking a cow. Children are taught the chores of a farmer, how the farmer markets his crops and are given the opportunity to have an interactive time inside the exhibit. Agriculture-related handouts and a ribbon stating they milked a cow are given to the children as they leave. Class photos were delivered to each teacher as a reminder of their agriculture experience. The committee also provided public relations support, taking photos and writing an article for the two local newspapers.

Washington: The committee was very active

during the period. Activities included participation in the “Moms on the Farm” tour. The farms visited were John and Carolyn Hart’s dairy farm in Prairie Grove, Eric Walker’s beef cattle operation in Prairie Grove and the UA poultry farm. There were 35 women in attendance. The committee also conducted a coloring book, poster and essay contest for county elementary schools, a Dutch oven cooking event and served visitors 7

SCOTT CO. FB photo

Scott Co. FB held a Poultry Day aimed at teaching area children facts about chickens.

As part of the event, county Women’s Committee member Belinda Wright of Waldron took some newly hatched chicks to Giddy Up Grow Preschool in Waldron so the young students could enjoy a hands-on lesson about the importance of poultry farming in Scott County.

at Gravette’s Pioneer Days and West Fork’s Fall Fest.

Committee members also donated copies of the booklet “9,000,000,000 Changes Everything” to the NWA Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Waiting Room and Willow Creek Women’s Clinic Waiting Room.

White: The committee prepared and erected an

educational exhibit for the county fair. The theme was “White County Agriculture, a World of Products,” and featured soybeans, corn, wheat, rice and products made from them. The display received a perfect score! Two committee members assisted with the livestock auction.

The committee also conducted a Sew With Cotton contest and assisted with a tour of the Oxner Farm near Bald Knob for 147 first-grade students from Westside Elementary in Searcy. Students tried their hand at grinding corn, climbing on a combine and sitting in the cab of a large farm tractor. A local ag pilot flew over the fields, dumping water and entertaining the students.

Woodruff: Committee chair Janice Marsh also

serves as chair of the state women’s committee. The county committee conducted a number of activities during the period. They included participation at the Rice Expo in Stuttgart, conducting rice luncheons at local banks, promoting rice and edamame during television interviews on KAIT and KATV, judging the rice recipe contest at the state fair and a county coloring book contest. The committee donated the book, “The Cow in Patrick O’Shanahan’s Kitchen” to the McCrory Library and Arkansas CARE. It also invited high school counselors and home economics teachers to a meeting and gave them a packet with information on Ag in the Classroom programs, scholarships and safety programs.

Yell: The committee cooked a meal and served 50

judges and workers at the Yell County Fair. Committee members also conducted an embryology program for third-grade students at Tucker elementary school.

arfb women’s committee calendar Sun.

Mon.

Tue.

Wed.

Thu.

Fri.

Sat.

January 1

2

3

8

9

10

New Year’s Day FB Offices Closed

4

5

11

12

6

7

13

14

15

16

17

21

22

23

24

2015 Soybean & Feed Grains Producer Conference in Jonesboro

2015 Soybean & Feed Grains Producer Conference in Dumas

AFBF Convention in San Diego, CA

18

19

20

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

25

26

27

ARFB Winter Commodity Division Meetings in North Little Rock

2 1 February

2

8

9

28

County Presidents, Vice Presidents, Legislative and Information Chairmen’s Conference

29

30

31

3

4

5

6

7

10

11

12

13

14

Groundhog Day

Arkansas’ 89th General Assembly Convenes

15

16

Valentine’s Day

Lincoln’s Birthday

17

18

19

20

21

Mardi Gras President’s Day Washington’s Birthday

Ash Wednesday

State YF&R Conference in LR

22

23

24

25

26

31 1 March

2

3

4

5

President’s tour to D.C.

8

27

28

6

7

Arkansas Agriculture Hall of Fame Luncheon

State Women’s Conference in LR

9

10

11

12

13

14

16

17

18

19

20

21

Daylight Savings Begins

15

St. Patrick’s Day

22

23

24

28

30

31

First Day of Spring

25

26

27

28

8