Farm Bureau News
Celebrating 75 Years!
Local Farmers Feeding Your Family
Barbara Sapp, Herb Wright family take home SCFB awards
Barbara Sapp of Milton and the Herbert Wright family of Delmar were honored at the Sussex County Farm Bureau’s annual banquet held Oct. 5 at Memorial Fire Hall in Slaughter Beach. Sapp received the Distinguished Service to Agriculture Award and the Wrights’ children accepted the Farm Family of the Year Award for their parents, who had been out of the country and were delayed in Iceland on their return.
“Herb Wright truly has farming and Sussex County in his blood,” said Guy Phillips, former Sussex County Farm Bureau president, who made the presentation.
The Wright farm was founded in 1933 by Herb’s father and
INSIDE:
DFB wraps up
75th year in style
See Page 7
CONTINUED ON PAGE 5 Family members coming forward to congratulate Barbara Sapp, recipient of the Distinguished Service to Agriculture Award from Sussex County Farm Bureau were, from left: Emily Robinson, Michele Sapp, Ryan Messick, Alan Messick, Brittany Webb, Jean Messick, Jeremy Messick, Jackie Gibbons holding Peyton Sapp, Trey Sapp and Richard Sapp. Barbara Sapp is accepting a tribute from Sussex County Council presented by Councilman Sam Wilson. The honor was bestowed on Oct. 5 at the Slaughter Beach Fire Department.
NCCFB honors Johnson, Walthers
Senators Dave
State
Wilson and Stephanie Hansen, left, and Lt. Gov. Bethany HallLong, Gov. John Carey and NCCFB President Stewart Ramsey, right, pose with Rep. Quinton Johnson, recipient of New Castle County Farm Bureau’s Distinguished Service to Agriculture Award at the organization’s annual banquet Oct. 14.
From the President’s desk: DFB in action
On Nov. 5, the New Castle County Planning Board held a public meeting to consider a recommendation by the County Land Use office regarding on-site wastewater treatment (septic) systems.
After a presentation by Richard Hall, general manager of New Castle County Land Use, the public could speak for or against this ordinance. What followed was a true example of what Delaware Farm Bureau is all about: advocacy by farmers for farmer’s rights. Although I could not attend due to a scheduling conflict, Second Vice President Bill Powers read into the record a statement on behalf of the State Farm Bureau opposing this ordinance due to its effect on direct downsizing and taking of landowner’s property
rights, a fundamental conflict with our policy on “Taking of Property Rights.” The statement also highlighted that taking of property rights has a direct negative impact on the financial security of many farmers in the county and could impact young farmers more than others.
Bill Powers also added comments from his experiences as a New Castle County farmer and former New Castle County Councilman concerning this ordinance and its effects on property values.
New Castle County President Stewart Ramsey and past State President, Gary Warren, also spoke, as New Castle County farmers, about how the availability of sewer or septic has affected their farm and neighbor’s land values in the past.
Other Farm Bureau members also spoke about how “one size fits all” doesn’t work for all farms in the county for various reasons.
Lois Cahill, also a New Castle County farmer, asked the Planning Board why there was no transparency or input from landowners or farmers in the county about this or-
dinance. The Land Use office had to admit, on rebuttal, that no public meetings were held to seek input from landowners or farmers.
More residents of New Castle County stepped forward to comment against this ordinance and specifically said they supported everything the farmers presented.
Jennifer Kmiec, executive director for The Committee of 100, an organization that watches the economic issues of New Castle County and the State of Delaware, spoke against this ordinance and applauded the farmers for voicing their concerns.
New Castle Council member David Carter, from the 6th District, spoke about his opposition to the ordinance and the methodology of data presented.
A University of Delaware professor, whose data was presented by the County Land Use Office at the hearing, was against this ordinance.
Finally, a farm and forest land appraiser with 30 years’ experience, spoke. He praised the presentations of the farmers and confirmed with his professional experience that land values would decline if this ordinance was passed. It was obvious that there are Delaware residents and organizations that support farmers and realize farmers are stewards of farm land in Delaware.
So, my challenge to you, my fellow Farm Bureau members, is to get involved. Your three minutes of time in front of a Planning Board or a three-minute call to a county council person or levy court member can make a difference.
Think about how you can get involved and get other farm families involved by asking them to join the Delaware Farm Bureau. Together we are strong!
AFBF introduces Ag Lit Catalog
Need an ag literacy resource for a school visit? An ag day event? A fair? The American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture has a new tool to help make choosing the right resource easy: the Ag Lit Catalog.
Explore the catalog at www.agfoundation.org/ag-lit-catalog. This searchable list of over 600 Foundation resources allows you to search
by keyword, grade, topic, time, cost or resource type. You can make a list of favorite resources. You can also use the main sorting tool or even use the technology of Google to help you search.
The Foundation has taken the steps to define "agriculturally literate." An agriculturally literate person understands the relationCONTINUED ON PAGE 4
Delaware Farm Bureau News Editor Carol Kinsley carol.kinsley@defb.org Graphics/Production Designer Heather Kline heather.kline@defb.org 302-697-3183
Delaware Farm Bureau News (ISSN 10770798), published in Camden, DE, bimonthly, by Delaware Farm Bureau. Production by Delaware Printing Company. Periodicals postage paid at Camden, DE and additional offices.
Business and Editorial Offices: 3457 S. DuPont Highway, Camden, DE 19934, 302-697-3183.
Any editorial material may be reproduced with credit to this publication.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Delaware Farm Bureau News at the office above.
Delaware Farm Bureau
President Richard Wilkins
NCCFB honors Quinton Johnson, Walthers family
Both Gov. John Carney and Lt. Gov. Bethany Hall-Long were on hand Oct. 14 at the New Castle County Farm Bureau banquet in Townsend to see State Representative Quinton Johnson accept the NCCFB’s 2019 Distinguished Service to Agriculture Award and to salute NCCFB’s Farm Family of the Year, the William Walther family, for continuing the farming tradition despite pressure from developers.
The William Walther family is testimony to the idea that farming is a family affair and a passion, said NCCFB President Stewart Ramsey in his presentation. Five generations in the Walther family have farmed in Bear, Del. William “Bill” Walther has been on the family farm all his life.
The farm was purchased in 1876 by Bill's grandfather. His son, William, took over from him, and then Bill took over on the passing of his father. He and his older sister, Sylvia, farmed it together until she passed away in 2014. Along with their farm, they farmed three family members’ properties on Walther Road until they were sold. With the loss of the three farms, the Walthers decided to discontinue the dairy business and turned to produce and beef cattle. About this time, Bill’s nephew, Wally Gott, and his sons, Fran and Matt, came onboard to help with the operation.
Today the third, fourth and fifth generations are working on the farm. About 10 years ago Bill turned over the cattle and field crops operation to Wally and his oldest son. Bill continues to run the produce business.
The Walther family has been involved with 4-H since 1929 when the Bear 4-H Club was started by
Nedra Fox, May B. Leisure and Dora Walther. Sylvia Walther, “a pillar in the 4-H community for 65 years,” was a former leader of the club, which still meets on the farm. She was inducted into the 4-H Hall of Fame and honored for the many lives she touched while volunteering her time and talents to the children she served.
The Walthers have allowed 4-H kids from any club to house livestock projects on the farm, along with leasing cattle to Bear club members to work with and show. That generosity continues.
“The Walthers have done more in teaching urban people about agriculture than just about anyone in the state,” said Bill Powers, DFB second vice president.
“Most people don’t open their farms like that, and the family is still doing it.”
Houses now line both sides of the farm. The Walthers have a lot of people urging them to please not sell out. They say when they turn off Route 40 onto Walther Road, it's like a breath of fresh air. You see the cars slow down to look at the cattle or watch work being done on the farm.
When Sylvia was alive, she often said she would gladly use her last breath to say “no” to a developer.
In the last three years, one neighborhood to the west of the farm has taken a big interest in the farm. They come out and clean the trash out of the fields and keep an eye on everything going on. Wally says he has to tell them when he rotates the cattle around or he gets calls that the cattle are out.
The Walther family and their outreach to the non-farming pubCONTINUED ON PAGE 4
Accepting the New Castle County Farm Bureau 2019 Farm Family of the Year Award are siblings Dora Edward, Wilma Gott, Ruth Scott andWilliam Walther, with Wally Gott and his wife, Karen, Gott’s daughterin-law, Kim, and his son, Fran. They represent the third, fourth and fifth generations of the Walther family who are working the farm.
NCCFB honors Johnson, Walthers family...
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lic makes them a valuable asset for New Castle County and Delaware agriculture and truly a farm that is and has been ahead of the times.
Bill Powers introduced Rep. Johnson, recipient of the Distinguished Service to Agriculture Award. Johnson was elected in 2008 as a member of the Delaware House of Representatives for the 8th District, which includes the greater Middletown area. In the past 11 years he has served as a member of many important committees and chaired some of them.
During his time as Bond Bill chairman and since then, Johnson has sponsored or cosponsored more than 20 legislative actions that demonstrate his broad commitment to the county and state’s agricultural industries. His actions helped keep agriculture economically viable and protected our most valuable resource, farmland. The list of bills and bond actions covers farmland preservation, aquaculture, horseracing, seed viability regulations, research and others. These have all been important farm issues.
A former farmer, Johnson and his wife, Julie, have owned Tender Loving Kare Child Care and Learning Center since 1994. They started in the garage of their first home before purchasing a small facility and now have three locations.
He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the Salisbury State University Perdue School of Business. Johnson is a member of the Peoples Plaza Merchant Association, the Middletown Area Chamber of Commerce and the Appoquinimink School District Board of Education Advisory Committee. He was formerly a soccer coach and Little League team sponsor and was active with the Coopers Run Civic Association.
The Johnsons have three children: Caitie, Kelsey and Quinton.
In his county president’s report, Ramsey invited the audience to the state Farm Bureau’s 75th Anniversary gala on Dec. 7.
Ramsey also addressed the need to preserve farmland and the fact that a farmer often depends on the value of his or her land for retirement. Property value heavily
depends on the ability to develop it, he said. A moratorium on septic tanks being discussed in the county would rob some farmers of “their 401K,” he said. “We will do everything we can to make that not happen,” he added.
His final point was the present challenge in New Castle County wherein farm structures are being taxed 700 percent higher than in Sussex County. “This is something we have to get fixed,” he said. “If Farm Bureau cannot fight to the death on an issue this important, it shouldn’t be an entity.”
State President Richard Wilkins commented, “It is wonderful that we in Delaware have one of the leading ag land preservation programs, one of the best. It is so popular and so many farmers want in that a bidding process was begun (in which farmers donate a percentage of their farm’s development rights value in order to preserve their farm.) I commend Gov. Carney on what he has done to help keep Delaware agriculture profitable. There’s a decent living to be had, but we have to maintain a viable ag sector.”
In a brief business meeting, Ryan Greer was elected to a three-year term on the State Board; a slate of seven were elected to a similar term as County Directors and 55 delegates were chosen to attend the Delaware Farm Bureau annual convention on Dec. 3.
Powers presented certificates and a cash prize to Rate of Gain winners: Liam Phipps, son of William and Robina Phipps, for his 4-H sheep; Grace Vallely, daughter of Marjorie and James Vallely, for her FFA sheep; Anna Holloway, daughter of Josh Holloway, for her FFA swine; and James Seward, son of Ashley Seward, for his FFA goat.
AFBF introduces Ag Lit Catalog...
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2
ship between agriculture and the environment, food, fiber and energy, animals, lifestyle, the economy and technology.
Helping others understand the important role agriculture plays in their everyday lives is AFBF's goal. Farm Bureau works toward this goal by being a credible source for agricultural literacy information. The Foundation’s materials and programs are designed not only to reflect reliable information, but also to meet today’s standards of learning.
The Foundation has continued its efforts to produce outstanding educational materials, create accurate resources, and provide opportunities to tell the story and is working toward making more materials free to educators and volunteers.
Stewart Ramsey, left, and William Powers Jr., right, presented Rate of Gain certificates to winning young livestock showmen: from left, Grace Vallely, Liam Phipps and James Steward. Anna Holloway was unable to attend.
Sapp, Herb Wright family take home SCFB awards ...
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 grandfather. He currently lives in the house he grew up in. Over his lifetime, Herb has remodeled two more farmhouses on his land, both now lovingly lived in by his children and grandchildren. He says, "I've moved three times in my life and never gotten more than 2 miles from the home I grew up in.”
Herb left Delmar long enough to earn his bachelor's in agriculture in 1973 and master's in plant science in 1975 at the University of Delaware. It was there that he met a Jersey girl, Kathy, whom he says he "rescued from city life" and successfully converted her to farm life. Kathy and Herb celebrated 40 years of marriage in September of this year. They are blessed with four children: Dawn, Phillip, Jeffrey and Lisa, who brought some special additions to the family in the form of their spouses and 12 wonderful grandchildren. Jeffrey was awarded a Farm Bureau scholarship as he followed in his dad’s footsteps to earn a plant science master’s degree from University of Delaware.
Herb partners with son Jeffrey in his farming operation, H and J Wright Family Farms. Together they farm more than 500 acres, growing corn, soybeans, watermelon and butternut squash. Their truck crops are delivered to New York City and Jessup, Md. Turkeys have been grown on the Wright farm for more than 80 years and the whole family participates in the busy turkey dressing season. Herb was the last operator of Double Mills Grist Mill in Mardela Springs, Md., where his own corn was ground into hominy and corn meal. You may have enjoyed hush puppies at the Red Roost Restaurant in Whitehaven made from the corn meal he delivered there.
Herb is an active member of his church and community in addition to Delaware Farm Bureau roles at the county and state board level. At Mount Hermon United Methodist Church, he is chairman of the Administrative Board and liaison for the Pastor Parish Relations Committee. Herb served on the Delmar School Board for over 10 years, includ-
ing six years as president. He is a member of the Mar-Del Watermelon Association. Herb was a founding board member of the Delmar Foundation, serving initially as treasurer and then as president for three years. This foundation coordinates fundraising in the community and awards grants to teachers for special school projects. Fun years of Cub Scout and Girl Scout campfires, hayrides, and pumpkin picking have been enjoyed on the Wright farm with Herb as tour guide and Kathy as troop/den leader. Countless Wright wagons have been transformed into homecoming floats and parade platforms for the local sports teams. In 2012, Herb was chosen as one of WBOC's "Honoring Delmarva Farmers" awardees...so you may have seen him tilling his land, as filmed by Channel 16's Charles Paparella.
Laura Hill, Delaware Farm Bureau vice president, introduced the Distinguished Service to Agriculture Award winner, Barbara Sapp, who trained Hill to take over chairmanship of the DFB Food Booth at the Delaware State Fair.
Barbara Sapp grew up on a farm, "on the other side of the tracks” in Harrington from her future husband, Richard.
Her parents had grown chickens, and Richard's parents had dairy cows. When they got married, they made a pact that they would have neither. They settled in Milton some 60 years ago, in the house where Richard was born; it was his grandmother's home.
There, and on 2,000 acres of rented ground, they raised beef cattle and grew limas, peas, wheat, barley, rye, soybeans and corn. In recent years, they’ve had the help of their son, Richard Jr., and grandson, Richard III ("Trey").
Barbara worked at a bank until pregnant with their son, and then at the local hospital until expecting their daughter. She's been a substitute teacher and cafeteria worker and was a crop insurance adjuster for many years. She enjoyed working with farmers, but gave it up, she said, "when I thought I was too old to be traipsing through corn fields."
Barbara has served the Farm Bureau as chair of the Sussex County and the state Women’s Commit-
tee and as a director of both the Sussex County and state Farm Bureaus. She is vice-chair of the Farm Bureau Food Booth Committee, served on the Ag Literacy
CONTINUED ON PAGE 6
Accepting the Sussex County Farm Bureau’s 2019 Farm Family of the Year Award on behalf of their parents are, from left, daughters, Lisa Littleton and Dawn Brewington, and son, Jeff Wright, holding his son, Calvin Wright. State Rep. Jesse Vanderwende, right, presented a tribute from the General Assembly. Herb Wright and his wife, Kathy, were delayed in returning from a trip abroad and missed the banquet.
Sapp, Herb Wright family take home SCFB awards ...
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5
Committee, and is a past member of the Legislative Committee. She is a former member of the Nutrient Management Commission, having been appointed to the original commission by former Gov. Thomas R. Carper.
She was one of the first two women to receive the Secretary's Award for Distinguished Service to Delaware Agriculture, along with Laura Hill. The award was presented by then Delaware Secretary of Agriculture Ed Kee in 2014.
Sapp is also well known for her sweet potato pies, which she has been donating to Farm Bureau functions since the early Young Farmers and Ranchers auctions in the Taylor and Messick Building.
The pie baking dates back to days when she used to haul lima beans from the farm to Saulsbury Brothers in Ridgely, Md., where sweet potato growers from Virginia also brought their harvest.
"They always had a bucketful waiting for me," she said. In return, she brought them pies. Her fatherin-law also grew sweet potatoes, so "we had them all winter," she said. She started taking two pies to each county or state Farm Bureau banquet she attended. They have always been well appreciated by the recipient. At auctions, ”Olin Gooden would run the bidding up to $20 or $30," she recalled.
A few years ago, Richard's ticket was drawn for one of the pies as a door prize, and since Barbara usually makes three pies at a time — that's what fits in her oven — he said he had one at home and challenged auctioneer Dave Wilson to auction it off. Bidding was intense, mounting to $200. Then, Wilson turned to the second higher bidder and said, “We have another pie. Both of you can have a pie at $200 each!” Proceeds went to the scholarship fund.
Many members of the Sapp family were on hand for the
DFB stands up for NCC farmers
The following letter was prepared by Delaware Farm Bureau to be read at a New Castle County public hearing on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2019:
Dear New Castle County Planning Board:
Please let it be known that the Delaware State Farm Bureau and its more than 5,700 members oppose the proposed ordinance No. 19-078 regarding on-site waste water treatment (septic) systems.
The Ordinance is a direct downzoning and taking of landowner’s property rights and fundamentally conflicts with Delaware Farm Bureau policy on the “Taking of Property Rights.” The ordinance is a one-size-fitsall approach to address concerns that the county has, but the county has failed to provide scientific evidence to support those concerns. Through a soon-to-expire one-year moratorium on septic systems (Ordinance No 18-093), the county was to provide supporting scientific evidence for its concerns but has failed to do so.
The proposed ordinance impacts farmers in nearly all parts of the county and goes well beyond standards and requirements administered by the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC). DNREC’s approach considers many site-specific factors such as soil type, the water table, and ground topography.
This taking of landowner property rights has a direct negative impact on the financial security of many farmers in the state and can impact young farmers more than others. Young farmers represent the foundation and future of Delaware’s largest industry and this policy can increase their cost of doing business, while at the same time making succession planning more difficult or infeasible.
Please consider the state’s economy and its local food supplies and do not adopt ordinance No. 19-078.
award, including the Sapps’ first great-grandchild, two-week-old Peyten Sapp.
The business portion of the meeting was quickly dispensed with, as Mark Davis was elected to a three-year term on the State Board, county directors were elected for a two-year term and delegates approved for the state convention in December.
In the Rate-of-Gain competition, for youth raising livestock for the Delaware State Fair, Sussex County winners were Thomas Warren, whose 4-H sheep gained
0.5 pounds per day, and Brock O’Day, whose 4-H goat gained 0.41 pounds per day. Parents of these youth, respectively, are Elizabeth and Tom Warren of Georgetown and Billy and Robin O’Day of Seaford.
The Sussex County 2019 Youth Ambassador was chosen as State Ambassador. Introduced by SCFB Women’s Chair Connie Fox, she is Shannon O’Hara, who got a good start as representative of the Delaware Farm Bureau by meeting U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue at the state fair.
AFBF
The American Farm Bureau Federation website now includes a Stress and Mental Health Resources page for those who wish to learn more about the warning signs of rural stress and how to help someone who is at risk. More information is coming on this web page, so this is just the beginning. There is a contact email on the new web page for anyone to communicate with members of AFBF’s Rural Stress Working Group to share resources, share their stories, learn more or even ask for help. The page includes a link to AFBF’s polling on the issue, as well as a video about stress in the farm community. Take a look at the web page at www.fb.org/programs/rural-resilience and share any ideas you might have about expanding its content and reach.
Thank you.
Sincerely yours, Richard
Wilkins
President Delaware State Farm Bureau
AFBF is working to finalize details on a “train the trainer” program for state Farm Bureau staff or volunteers at the AFBF annual convention in January. Trainees would be equipped with resources and information to take back to their states and share with others. The plan is to ask each state to nominate two people to attend this training. Details will be coming soon.
Sussex County Women's Chair Connie Fox introduced Shannon O'Hara, county and state Youth Ambassador.
Farmers welcome Japan trade deal New H-2A rules: no more newspaper ads
On Oct. 7, President Trump signed the U.S.-Japan Trade Agreement, which is an important step forward with U.S. agriculture’s fourth-largest export market.
American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall commented: “Today’s signing marks the successful end to more than a year of negotiation between Japan and the United States. This agreement means sharply lower tariffs on our farm and ranch exports with the promise of more to come. And while we aren’t yet finished opening this market, the conclusion of these talks means we can now trade with Japan with the same advantages enjoyed by signers of the CP-TPP trade agreement. That’s great news.
“We hope the momentum from this win carries through to the negotiations with China and sets the stage for similar bilateral agreements with other countries involved with the CP-TPP. We appreciate this Administration’s efforts to improve trade opportunities for farmers.”
U.S. negotiators have been working to develop new trade agreements with Japan and other countries in the wake of U.S. withdrawal from the multinational Trans-Pacific Partnership process.
The Japan bilateral agreement keeps intact essentially all the trade benefits the United States would have gained in Japan under TPP. It immediately eliminates all tariffs on U.S. exports of sweet corn, almonds, broccoli and prunes, among other things. Other tariffs on products such as ethanol, cheese and whey, fresh cherries and other farm and ranch products will be phased out over a number of years.
The United States also will benefit from increased export quotas on products such as corn starch, malt, potato starch, fructose and more.
Make plans now for AFBF Convention
Farm Bureau members from across the nation will gather for the American Farm Bureau Federation’s 101st Annual Convention, Jan. 17-22 in Austin, Texas. Top-notch speakers will deliver updates on the latest national ag issues, as well as strategies to succeed in rural America. The meeting will also feature a Trade Show featuring the best tools and equip-
ment available to farmers and ranchers. The meeting will be held at the Austin Convention Center. A tentative rundown of the convention schedule of events can be found here: https://annualconvention.fb.org/schedule-of-events. For information on registration, contact Jan Cartanza at the Delaware Farm Bureau office, (302) 697-3183.
The Department of Labor is amending its regulations governing the certification of agricultural labor or services to be performed by H-2A workers.
A final rule, published Sept. 20, modernizes and improves the labor market test that the Department uses to assess whether able, willing and qualified U.S. workers are available by rescinding the requirement that an employer advertise its job opportunity in a print newspaper of general circulation in the area of intended employment.
According to the organization AmericanHort, growers have been telling DOL for years that such advertisements simply do not result in applications from potential U.S. workers.
The final rule also expands and enhances DOL's electronic job registry and leverages the exper-
tise and existing outreach activities of State Workforce Agencies to promote agricultural job opportunities.
This final rule was effective Oct. 21, 2019.
Poultry companies get safety awards
Delaware poultry companies had several facilities included among the record-breaking 230 chicken and turkey facilities receiving safety awards during the 2019 National Safety Conference for the Poultry Industry in Destin, Fla. The awards were given by the Joint Industry Safety and Health Council in recognition of outstanding performance through the implementation of innovative and effective employee safety and
Among dignitaries who have agreed to read to elementary school classes as Book Barns are presented to their libraries was Delaware Ag Secretary Michael Scuse, shown here on Oct. 7 at Lake Forest East Elementary School in Frederica. The goal of Delaware Farm Bureau's Promotion and Education Committee is to present a Book Barn to every elementary school in the state within the next two years.
Explore beautiful Austin, Texas, site of the AFBF Convention in January. Photo by Jeremy Banks on Unsplash.
Celebrating 75 years of Delaware Farm Bureau!
Delaware Farm Bureau is going all out for its 75th Anniversary Celebration to be held Saturday, Dec. 7, at the Del-One Center on the Del-Tech Terry Campus at 100 Campus Drive in Dover. Agribusinesses in Delaware have been generous with their sponsorships, making it possible to offer tickets for a grand event at a reasonable cost.
The evening will begin with a reception from 5 to 6 p.m. with hors d’oeuvres and beverages (including locally produced wine and beer) and live musical entertainment by the Clifford Keith Duo. The Young Farmers and Ranchers will have their annual silent auction set up; proceeds go toward YF&R ac tivities and scholarships. Be sure to look for photos of friends and family members, and maybe even yourself, on the video screen,
Why
thanks to those in the state office who scanned hundreds of images in the past several months.
A special Guest Master of Ceremonies will welcome all at 6 p.m., just before the buffet dinner begins with an array of locally produced foods.
Presentations and speeches will be held to a minimum, as this is an occasional for fun and fellowship.
Following video presentations on the county Farm Family of the Year and Distinguished Service to Agriculture honorees, the state winners will be announced.
The YF&R will recognize its Supporter of the Year winner. The State Ambassador will be formally introduced, although she has been “on the job” since July.
Following the awards presentations, five exciting prizes will be offered in a live auction benefitting the
Delaware Farm Bureau?
Reprinted from the Delaware Farm Bureau News, 1967
The American farmer is becoming the most important man in the world, if, indeed he has not already reached that status. Upon his shoulders, singly and as a group, rests the responsibility not only of feeding his own fellow countrymen but also supplying a great portion of the needs of other nations.
Such an important group must have a united voice, else it will fall victim to the divisive attacks of others with conflicting purposes and philosophies. And not the least difficulty in the path toward a strong organization is the farmer’s own traditional insistence on going his own independent way.
We would never deride the farmer’s rugged individualism nor his determination to stand on his own two feet. But unless he is willing to accept the discipline of organization, banding together with others to achieve common goals and combat common enemies, then he is less effective than he could be.
Farm Bureau is proving this fact more and more as we increase our strength, both in numbers and the result of constructive activity. We have brought about no revolutionary changes in the economic or political systems of our state and nation, but we are pointing the way to a better economic life and to an increased awareness of responsibility in public affairs.
Farm Bureau is truly the voice of agriculture. Whether it remains so depends on the effectiveness with which it continues to meet the needs of the members, and membership is open to all farmers. The way in which the members have worked together during the past year — through the county Farm Bureau, the commodity groups, women’s and young people’s units, have been inspirational. Watch us grow; even better, make your organization grow with your own participation in all programs.
YF&R and the DFB Foundation:
• Delaware Farm Bureau specialty license plate number 75, donated by Clifford Short of Clifford Short Insurance;
• A one-hour helicopter ride for three ($1,200 value), donated by Jeff Chorman, Chorman Spraying LLC;
• Aerial spraying or seeding ($1,000 value), donated by Jim and John Gooden of First State Ag Air Inc.
• A 22-caliber long gun engraved with the 75th anniversary logo, offered by the YF&R.
• A “murder mystery” dinner for eight, featuring good food and priceless memories, donated by the King sisters of King Crop Insurance.
Craig Adams, owner and opera-
Looking back...
tor of a grain and livestock farm in Ohio and member of the Nationwide Board of Directors, will offer closing remarks at 8:30 p.m.
The Indian River Band, formerly known as the Clifford Keith Band, will provide “Coastal Country” and Americana musical entertainment for the remainder of the evening. A “munchie bar” will be available.
The Del-One Conference Center is located in the Education Technology Building (ETB), which is No. 700 on the campus map. As you come in the main entrance on South Delaware Tech Drive, bear left. There’s a parking lot off West Campus Road, right in front of the building.
To purchase tickets ($30 per person), call (302) 697-3183.
A salute to early presidents
Based on updated information from Delaware Farm Bureau’s 50th Anniversary History Book, here is a look back at presidents who served DFB in the 20th Century:
1945 - 1947; 1953 - 1954
George Simpson of Houston is regarded by most as the first president of the Delaware Farm Bureau. Actually, it was H. Milliken of Newark who was first elected as president, and Simpson served as vice president. However, there are no records of Milliken at any meetings, so Simpson, in his role as vice president, conducted the meetings. Simpson was then elected president in 1945 and served until 1947. He was again elected president in 1953 and served until February 1954.
Simpson is considered by many as the man who actually got DFB established. During his tenure, DFB found an office, held its first annual meeting and helped get the organization incorporated. Simpson resigned as DFB president in 1954 to accept an appointment with the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation State Committee. In 1961, he became director of the State Fair and worked there through 1984. Simpson and his wife, Kathryn, ran a dairy herd
operation and raised turkeys and laying hens. Simpson died in1985. 1948 - 1952
Floyd Short of Georgetown served as president from 1948 to 1952. While president, Short organized many membership drives. These drives provided a stable membership base which allowed for the continued growth and success of DFB. He is remembered as an essential and persuasive spokesman for DFB. Short firmly believed in Farm Bureau and he enthusiastically shared with other farmers his beliefs that DFB was necessary to help their operations. Short, along with his wife, Aleine, had a small dairy herd and, during the winter months, bought and sold timber. Short died in 1978. 1954 - 1962
James H. Baxter Jr. of Georgetown was elected president in February 1954 to complete the term of George Simpson. He was re-elected in November 1954 and served for nine more years until November 1962. Prior to becoming president, Baxter served as state vice president and president for Sussex County Farm Bureau. During his tenure, Baxter oversaw the construction of DFB's first permanent fair booth, the purchase of a new
The Louise and Ciro Poppiti Family The Catherine King Family
A salute to early presidents ...
building for the state office and helped establish the Farm Family Mutual Insurance Company. He also served on the AFBF board of directors, the AFBF executive committee and the AFBF Poultry Advisory committee. While he was president, DFB's four-page newsletter expanded to a 20-page news magazine, and the Farm Bureau organized its first trip to Washington, D.C., to meet with Delaware legislators. He and his wife, Ruth, along with their sons James III and William, and later his grandson, Jay, operated a corn, soybean and broiler farm south of Georgetown. Baxter received numerous awards and recognitions, including the 2011 Secretary's Award for Distinguished Service to Agriculture and the 2002 J. Frank Gordy Sr. Delmarva's Distinguished Citizen Award. Baxter died in August 2018 at the age of 94.
1962 -1966
Roland Garrison of Dover was elected on Nov. 15, 1962, and served until Oct. 31, 1966. While he was president, one of the biggest issues facing Farm Bureau was the national "Wheat Referendum.” Because of its opposition to this measure, DFB was accused of misleading the public. The referendum, thanks to intense lobbying efforts on both state and national levels, was defeated when more than one million U.S. wheat farmers cast their ballots. Prior to becoming state president, Garrison served as Kent County FB President for several years. After completing his term as president, he was elected vice president for the state group. He continued to be active with the DFB and its various committees. Garrison and his wife, Clara, operated a dairy and grain farm. Garrison passed away in February 1997 at the age of 102. 1966 -1977
O. Joseph Penuel of Milford was the longest serving president of the Delaware Farm Bureau. Elected on Nov. 1, 1966, he served until October 1977. While DFB president, he served on the board of directors for both Farm Family Insurance Companies and the AFBF. He was on the board of trustees of Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Del-
aware and was chairman of the governor's Agricultural Advisory Committee. Among his accomplishments was the establishment of the Safemark tire and battery program. It was also during his tenure that DFB purchased and remodeled the state office building, which is now rented out. Penuel resigned as president in 1977 to accept the executive director position with the state’s Agriculture Stabilization and Conservation Service. A self-employed dairy, grain and vegetable farmer, at one time he owned and operated 3,000 acres. He was co-owner of Johnson & Penuel, a farm machinery dealership in Harbeson, during the ‘50s. In the late 1960s, he opened a successful roadside vegetable market/restaurant near Argo’s Corner with his wife, Susan, who passed away in 1981. With his second wife, Beulah, Penuel continued to manage the farming operation. He served with many agricultural, community and government organizations. He passed away in 2010 at the age of 87.
1977
William L. David of Bear served as president in October and November of 1977, completing the unexpired term of O. Joseph Penuel. While he is the holder of the shortest presidential term, it should to be noted that David had been an active member of DFB since 1944. He served many years as either first vice president for the state or president of the New Castle County Farm Bureau, and sometimes both. He also served on numerous committees through the years. David was one of the organizers of the Farm Family Insurance Company and served on its board of directors. He and his wife, Helen, celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary in June 1994, shortly before his death the next year. They had lived on a grain and cattle farm near Red Lion.
1977 -1982
John F. (Jack) Walton of Staytonville was elected president in November 1977 and served until November 1982. Walton was the first state chairman of the Young Farmers and Ranchers Committee to become state president. He had previously served as Kent County president and as both 2nd and 1st
vice president of DFB. During his tenure with DFB, he served on the board of directors for Farm Family Insurance Companies and also initiated the procedure for member classification. He was the first president for the Preservation of Farmland Association and was also president of the Potato Growers Association. While president, Walton and his wife, Mary, operated a vegetable growing and packing operation of nearly 1,000 acres near Magnolia. Primary crops were asparagus, cabbage and potatoes. He served as general manager/agriculture for the now closed Draper Canning Company in Milton, which processed tomatoes, peas, peaches, lima beans and corn.
1982 -1990
John F. (Jack) Tarburton of Milford served as president of the Delaware Farm Bureau from November 17, 1982, until January 12, 1990. While he was president, membership increased by onefourth and the state office was expanded. He served on the board of directors for both AFBF and Farm Family Insurance Companies. He also served on two AFBF committees. One was to develop a new AFBF logo and the other was to study net farm income. He represented DFB and AFBF on a trade mission to Europe in 1986 and
again in 1988 on a trip to South Africa. Tarburton also was appointed to the Governor's Ag Task Force Committee. Prior to becoming state president, he was president of Kent County Farm Bureau. He and his wife, Maggie, operated a 315acre potato and grain farm. Tarburton was appointed Delaware State Secretary of Agriculture in 1993 and was president of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture. He served as State Director for USDA Rural Development from 2009 to 2012 and is now retired.
1990 - 1998
Joseph Calhoun of Dagsboro served as president of Delaware Farm Bureau from 1990 to 1998. Under his presidency, the state office became computerized, the offices were remodeled and the Agricultural Lands Preservation Act was signed into law. He served on the board of directors for the Farm Family Insurance Companies. He had served as president of the Sussex County Farm Bureau and was a member of the AFBF's Poultry Meat Advisory Committee. Calhoun and his wife, Bessie, along with their son, Joseph Jr., operated a poultry, hog and grain farm. They tilled 350 acres east of Dagsboro. Calhoun died in 2001 at age 66.
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fair from the start. “Dad ate there rather than coming home, so I had to do all the farm work,” he said.
Ron David points to photo of his father, William L. David, who helped start Delaware Farm Bureau and served as president in 1977. David said his father worked to get people to join Farm Bureau and tried to work with politicians to get them to support things needed by the farm community. He also would travel to the Midwest to attend AFBF meetings. David also recalled his father was involved with the food booth at the Harrington
Reprinted from 1967, still true today:
Why should I (you) belong to Farm Bureau?
Look around you. Organization is everywhere. Ministers have their ministerial association. Doctors their local, state and national medical associations. Regardless of professions and jobs you look at, there is an organization for the people in them.
The organizations of the ministers, doctors, druggists, grocers, lawyers or what have you — all non-profit organizations of competitors in a single industry — joined together to provide mutual services in expanding their professional or industrial produc-
tion, sales and employment. While members in the same field are competing, they are also cooperating where they can do their whole field real good.
Farmers and ranchers are competitive, too — hog producers with hog producers, hog producers with cattle feeders, wheat growers with corn growers and so on — but there are many mutual problems.
Farm Bureau does not and cannot take sides between producers of the various commodities, but it does provide a common ground where they can work together for mutual
profit and advantage. Farm Bureau helps all farmers and ranchers find a common ground for their school, road, tax, conservation and multitude of other problems. It provides them with services like insurance, animal health and tires and batteries to gain the savings of volume and numbers. Farm Bureau offers a voice for agriculture with no distinction between large and small producers.
Farm Bureau members work together at building whole agriculture, providing strength on common problems.
How much is Farm Bureau membership worth? … $500 a year … more? ...It is a bargain regardless of how much its meeting ground and services provide during a year.
Farm Bureau is certainly worth as much to individual farmers and ranchers as organization is to doctors, teachers or grocers, and chances are, they pay for their organization on the basis of their volume or size.
Any way you think about it, Farm Bureau membership is the biggest bargain in organization today!
Delaware Farm Bureau honored as ‘Friend of Extension’
Delaware Farm Bureau was one of several recipients of the Friends of Extension Award recognitions at the Delaware Cooperative Extension Conference held Oct. 16 in Dover. The honor is the highest recognition presented to a non-Extension layperson, business or organization and recognizes truly outstanding support and personal involvement in Extension efforts.
“The Friends of Extension Award is a wonderful opportunity to acknowledge individuals and organizations that make possible and enhance our work,” said University of Delaware Cooperative Extension Director Michelle Rodgers. “Extension is truly about partnerships and relationships.”
Rodgers said, “Delaware Farm Bureau has partnered with Delaware 4-H to benefit youth in a
Presidents ...
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The following farmers have served as presidents in the 21st Century:
Robert Baker of New Castle County, 1998-2006.
L. Edward Jestice Jr. of Sussex County, 2006-2010.
Gary Warren of New Castle County, 2010-2014.
Katherine Holtz of Kent County, the first woman president for DFB, 2014-2018.
Richard Wilkins of Kent County, 2018-present.
myriad of ways. From ensuring that the Mobile Ag Lab is available for 4-H camps up and down the state, to meeting STEM education needs to offering clubs fundraising opportunities in its ever-popular food booth at the Delaware State Fair, the Delaware Farm Bureau understands the value of hands-on work.
“At the end of the day, perhaps the largest impact has been through its vital role as a steady and reliable pipeline for youth and volunteer membership. This unique partnership has been mutually beneficial for both organizations as longtime Delaware Farm Bureau families have made for generations of active Delaware 4-H club members
— working their way through the program from youth club members to adult volunteers.”
Other recipients were: MidAtlantic Farm Credit; Delaware Center for Horticulture; Ed Gootzait, a Master Financial Management volunteer; Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and Audrey Scott-Hynson.
Ernie Lopez (far left), Doug Crouse (second from right) and Michelle Rodgers (far right) present a Friends of Extension award to Joseph Poppiti, Laura Hill and Richard Wilkins of Delaware Farm Bureau.
Delaware Ag Secretary Michael Scuse, left, and Gov. John Carney helped Delaware Farm Bureau present a Book Barn to the library of Jennie E. Smith Elementary School in Newark on Oct. 29. Gov. Carney read one of the "ag correct" books to a group of students. A USDA grant administered by Delaware Department of Agriculture help pay for barn construction and the purchase of books on specialty crops.
Got your tickets for the 75th anniversary celebration?
Second tranche of MFP payments available before Thanksgiving
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced on Nov. 15 the second tranche of 2019 Market Facilitation Program (MFP) payments aimed at assisting farmers suffering from damage due to unjustified trade retaliation by foreign nations. The payments will begin before Thanksgiving. Producers of MFP-eligible commodities will now be eligible to receive 25 percent of the total payment expected, in addition to the 50 percent they have already received from the 2019 MFP.
President Donald J. Trump directed Secretary Perdue to craft a second relief strategy to support American agricultural producers while the Administration continues to work on free, fair and reciprocal trade deals to open more markets to help American farmers compete globally. Specifically, the President authorized the USDA to provide up to $16 billion in programs, which is in line with the estimated impacts of unjustified retaliatory tariffs on U.S. agricultural goods and other trade disruptions.
MFP signup at local FSA offices will run through Friday, Dec. 6, 2019.
Payments will be made by the Farm Service Agency under the authority of the Commodity Credit Corporation Charter Act to producers of a number of non-specialty crops, based on a single county payment rate multiplied by a farm’s total plantings of MFP-eligible crops in aggregate in 2019.
Those per-acre payments are not dependent on which of these crops are planted in 2019. A producer’s total payment-eligible plantings cannot exceed total 2018 plantings. County payment rates range from $15 to $150 per acre, depending on the impact of unjustified trade retaliation in that county.
Dairy producers who were in business as of June 1, 2019, will receive a per hundredweight payment on Dairy Margin Coverage production history. Hog producers will receive a payment based on the number of live hogs owned on a day selected by the producer between April 1 and May 15, 2019.
MFP payments will also be made to producers of specialty crops including fruit or nut bearing plants. Acreage of non-specialty crops and cover crops had to be planted by Aug. 1, 2019, to be considered eligible for MFP payments.
Per-acre non-specialty crop county payment rates, specialty crop payment rates, and livestock payment rates are all currently available on farmers.gov.
The third tranche of MFP payments will be evaluated as market conditions and trade opportunities dictate. If conditions warrant, the third tranche will be made in January 2020.
Kali Voshell, Delaware Farm Bureau Program and Foundation Coordinator, helps students prepare for planting a radish seed during a visit by the Ag Lab to Frederick Douglass Elementary School in Seaford.
Poultry companies get safety awards ...
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health programs.
The council consists of members from the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, National Chicken Council and National Turkey Federation. Collectively, the three organizations represent companies that produce 95 percent of the nation’s poultry products and directly employ more than 350,000 workers.
Award consideration was based on injury statistics over three years and an evaluation of written
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applications by academia and other safety experts.
Most Delaware awards were for the highest level of recognition, “Award of Distinction.” They went to: Allen Harim LLC’s Seaford Hatchery; Mountaire Farms Inc.’s Selbyville and Millsboro processing plants and the feed mill in Millsboro; and Perdue Farms’ harvest facilities in Georgetown and Milford.
Awards of Honor went to Allen Harim’s Dagsboro hatchery and Seaford feed mill.
Now you can support Delaware Farm Bureau Foundation while shopping on Amazon! Choose the Foundation on your Amazon Smile account and every purchase will give us a donation!
Use this link and follow the instruction to set your account to the Foundation: https://smile.amazon.com/ ch/46-2414373
Kali Voshell, left, Delaware Farm Bureau Program and Foundation Coordinator; DFB President Richard Wilkins; and DFB Executive Director Joseph Poppiti, far right, present a check for $5,856 to Chad Robinson, community relations director of the Food Bank of Delaware in Milford. The check represents part of the proceeds from the Foundation’s annual 5K Milk Run/Walk which was held this year at Buffalo Wild Wings in Dover. The funds will be used to help support the Food Bank’s “Delaware Backpack Program” which provides food for at-risk children on days when federal school meal programs are not available. Since its inception, the Milk Run has provided $73,000 to provide milk for needy kids.
DFB's photo contest doubled its entries this year with 39 entries compared to less than 20 in 2018. Photos will be displayed at the 2019 DFB Annual Meeting and 75th Anniversary Celebration.
Joe Hengel, of Milton, DE, won first place for his photo in the 2019 Delaware Farm Bureau Photo Contest. Second place was awarded to Stewart Ramsey, of Wlimington, for his photo of hay harvesting and third place was awarded to Joseph Dawkins, of Centreville, MD, for his photo of a cow in the snow.
Meet your farmer: Mary Bea Gooden
Mary Bea Gooden, who farms in Woodside, Del., takes after her parents.
“Mom and Dad were ‘goers.’ Mom’s mom was a goer. It’s in our blood,” she said. Gooden herself has been going strong since she was a child.
Her parents, Olin and Bea Gooden, started farming in Woodside and purchased the next farm up. Gooden, who took back her maiden name after a divorce, has taken care of one farm since her parents passed away; her brother farms the other.
Gooden definitely takes after her father, whom she called “Mr. Farm Bureau.” Olin was president of the Kent County Farm Bureau; Bea was secretary/treasurer, as well as Delaware Farm Bureau Women’s Committee Chair at one time, and State Women’s Chair in the Grange.
Gooden herself is a Kent County Farm Bureau director, State Board director, Executive Board director and state Farm Bureau Women’s Committee Chair. “Farm Bureau has been my life and Mom and Dad’s life forever,” she said.
She went to the first Women’s Committee meeting after she was named chair directly after a day on a tractor, still full of grease, she admitted. Some of the ladies were surprised.
In high school, her father had been captain of the football team; her mother had played basketball and was second in her class.
Gooden outdid them both. She played five sports in high school: field hockey, basketball, track, tennis and softball. For many years she was captain of the softball and hockey teams. She was all-conference hockey player. “I had a blown-out knee in high school, but I still played,” she said.
With so many sports and membership in activities such as the Latin Club, she earned enough points to get a school letter.
Her father told her once, “Don’t you follow. You lead. Get up and go. Drive yourself to go.”
She listened.
“Dad was one of three or four people who started the Mid-Atlantic Soybean Association. He started the Caesar Rodney Ruritan. He was on the conservation committee. The list goes on and
on,” Gooden said.
“Mom was trustee of Woodside United Methodist for years. We were big in church,” she added. “She also was secretary to the head of education; she quit when she got pregnant, then helped Dad on the farm. We had nary a penny to pinch between our fingers growing up, but we made it,” Gooden recalled her mother saying.
Her mother told the story of when Hurricane Hazel came through in October 1954. “The farm I live on had a 30-acre field on the east side of the house,” Gooden recounts.
“It was planted in corn which was almost ready to pick. After the storm came through, all 30 acres of corn was lying on the ground. My parents picked it up by bushel baskets.”
Gooden recalls times way back when her mother would take her along when she drove empty grain wagons to her father while he was combining. They would take him lunch.
“Dad would get off the combine. In the back of the truck was a 50-gallon diesel fuel tank. While Dad ate lunch, I would crank fuel into the combine. I was barely big enough to crank. When he finished his lunch, he’d crank the rest. Then we’d leave two empty wagons and hitch two full ones to the truck to drive back. We’d take them to the grain bin and unload them. Those are good memories,” she said. “When you start early, kids learn early. If you teach them while they are young, it’s in their blood.”
Gooden raised peppers for money in high school. She was president of the FFA in her sophomore and junior years and a state officer for two years. She won trips to the National FFA Convention and was an alternate delegate. Then she had to let go of all the clubs she was in so she could be student council president of the whole school her senior year. She was a state FFA officer for two years. She appreciates the opportunities FFA offered for leadership.
She was in 4-H. She said she won so many sewing contests that she made herself move on to something else — deer hunting.
The “going” continued after high school. Gooden explained, “I just have a constant list to see what can I get into next. It makes life fun. I
like helping other people.”
She married — in a wedding dress she had made herself — and had three children. Gooden said of her husband, “He knew when we married I was a farm girl.”
When the children — Karen, David and Doug — were old enough to handle a calf, she bought three little Hereford calves which they raised and showed at the fair. They also had dairy cows, sheep, hogs and horses at the fair.
“Back when the old barns were there, we slept in the barns,” Gooden said. “In the years when the kids were little, I did the clipping.”
After her divorce, she found herself raising three children almost single-handedly. She was fortunate to have both her mom and dad behind her then, she said. “I really thank them for helping all of us along.”
When she started out farming on her own, Gooden had a custom round hay baling business. She baled and wrapped the bales in plastic to look like giant white marshmallows, serving a 30-mile radius from her home. The children were older then, into things like Little League, and her mother was still alive.
She bought a baler and a bale wrapper. “I went everywhere with those. Wherever anyone needed help with hay, when the phone rang, I went. I did a lot of baling and wrapping for 10 to 12 years. I came off the road when I inherited the farm.”
Her mom was gone when Gooden was involved in the first of two bad accidents. Healing took a long time and therapy was difficult, but “you laugh out loud and you go on,” Gooden said. “I taught my kids by being a model: work, rehab, and go on. Every day is a new day. Always work. It’s fun.”
Gooden was back in the fields before she was fully healed. She couldn’t shift because of an injured shoulder, so David drove the tractor. “I just rode with him to be out on the grounds, away from four walls,” she said.
Gooden will help a friend or neighbor any time there is a need. She works ground, mows, hauls liquid manure… “whatever needs to be done, that’s how I go.”
She helped David set up his chicken houses and helps others, too. She helps move dairy heifers and even goes to a ranch in Virginia where she’s been helping process beef cattle for 15 or 20 years. “If they’re short of workers, they call me. If I’m not busy, I go.”
All three of her children help when they can.
This year Gooden baled between 2,000 and 3,000 bales. She expects to bale 5,000 or more next year. She also grows soybeans and has grown corn but finds the inputs expensive and the prices not good. She is going to try grain sorghum.
Gooden has several world and national champion miniature horses. She qualified for world championships twice, competing up and down the East Coast. Gooden and her son haul minis everywhere — to shows in New York, the Carolinas, Pennsylvania and elsewhere. They help haul to Texas and Oklahoma with the trucks and trailers of a trainer of miniature horses.
Gooden has been president of the Eastern Shore Western Horse Show Association for two years.
“It’s been a good, crazy life,” Gooden said. Barring unforeseen circumstances, she plans to go on living that life just as hard, crazy though it may be. “I’m far from being done. I’ll probably still be going, with my kids trying to keep me from the tractor, when I’m 80.”
Mary Bea Gooden
Olin Gooden on a combine.
Wade and Kirsten McAfee are Farm Bureau members who manage a grain farm in its sixth generation. They know that there are many things you can’t control when growing crops and raising livestock.
“As farmers, we do everything we possibly can to grow good crops or raise healthy animals, and sometimes mother nature is hard on us and we have no control over that,” Wade said.
While there’s no controlling mother nature, Wade and Kirsten have made sure to focus on what they can control to help prepare for the unexpected.
Therefore, after their son Braxton was born, they wanted to make sure that if anything happened to one of them, they could still care for the entire family while keeping the farm intact.
They met with their Nationwide® agent to discuss how they could protect their family and farm above and beyond the life insurance policies they already had. That’s when they learned about a long-term care policy.
“The long-term care for us with farming being a dangerous business and the risks that are involved, I wanted to make sure that should something happen to one of us we would have the care that we needed and still have the farm business operational and not have to take away from that piece of it,” said Kirsten.
Protect your legacy: Meet the McAfees
“We don’t know what our health will be like in 30 years. By looking at the long-term policy we can map out our future a little better,” said Wade McAfee.
As they know their needs may change over time, the McAfees appreciate the availability of their agent and take advantage of the annual On Your Side Review®.
“We have a yearly On Your Side Review. My agent comes out and speaks with me and we discuss anything new, anything I may have lost that I don’t need insured, or maybe I fixed up a building and I want to add more insurance to that. I really never did that before and that’s really peace of mind for me,” said Wade.
Kirsten knows that their farm is different and unique from the next and appreciates that her agent recognized that as well.
“I would tell other farmers to really look at what they do have insured. Nationwide really opened my eyes to the policy I used to have and what was not actually insured under that policy that I thought was.”
“That was one of the main reasons I gave Nationwide my business for my farm,” said Wade.
To learn more about Nationwide and how we can help you, please contact us at 855-8639636 or nationwide.com.
Testimonials are not representative of the experience of other clients, are
National FFA names VIP recipients
Three Delawareans were among 13 recipients of a VIP Citation awarded at this year’s National FFA Convention & Expo held in Indianapolis, Ind., Oct. 30 through Nov. 2. The VIP Citation is an honor that awards individuals who have dedicated 20 years of service to agricultural education.
Honorees nominated by the Delaware FFA were Dr. Richard Barczewski, chair of the Delaware State University’s Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources; Delaware Secretary of Agriculture Michael Scuse; and Dr. Richard Taylor, former University of Delaware Extension agronomist, who retired in 2016.
“The VIP Award recognizes the dedicated individuals who contribute to the FFA mission of student success through their hard work and cooperation,” said National FFA chief executive officer Mark Poeschl. "Without such strong and outstanding commitment, FFA would not be able to help build strong character in its members, who in turn become strong leaders in their families, communities and businesses.”
no guarantee of future performance or success, and are not paid endorsements. The information contained herein was prepared to support the promotion, marketing and/or sale of life insurance contracts, annuity contracts and/or other products and services provided by Nationwide Life and Annuity Insurance Company. When purchasing life insurance, be sure to choose a product that meets longterm life insurance needs, especially if personal situations change — for example, marriage, birth of a child or job promotion. Weigh the costs of the policy, and understand that life insurance has fees and charges that vary with sex, health, age and tobacco use. Riders that customize your policy to fit your individual needs usually carry additional charges, may not be available in certain states and may be known by different names. Long-term care insurance does have exclusions,
limitations, reductions of benefits, and terms under which the policy may be continued in force or discontinued. For more details on cost and coverage options, contact your insurance professional. All guarantees and benefits of the insurance policy are subject to the claims-paying ability of the issuing insurance company. Policy guarantees and benefits are not backed by the broker/dealer and/or insurance agency selling the policy, nor by any of their affiliates, and none of them makes any representation or guarantees regarding the claims-paying ability of the issuing insurance company. Products are issued by Nationwide Life and Annuity Insurance Company, Columbus, Ohio. Nationwide, the Nationwide N and Eagle and Nationwide is on your side are service marks of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company © 2019 Nationwide LAM-3228AO (06/19)
