Currents-July 2019

JULY 2019

Suwannee Valley

CURRENTS

INSIDE: FARM LIFE

Richard Bennett has a passion for working the land

MEET YOUR TRUSTEE

Learn about District 4 Trustee Tyler Putnal

AROUND THE COMMUNITY

SVEC awards $10,000 in scholarships

CEO’S MESSAGE

Suwannee Valley

CURRENTS July 2019

Michael S. McWaters Executive V.P./CEO

Suwannee Valley Currents is a monthly newsletter published by Suwannee Valley Electric Cooperative, © 2019. It is distributed without charge to all consumermembers of the cooperative.

Getting the job done Those of us who have dedicated our careers to the cooperative system know a thing or two about working hard to bring essential services to our neighbors. From the very beginning, the cooperative mission has been about members of our community coming together to do what the private power companies wouldn’t: bring electricity to rural areas.

We don’t always think about the work that goes into that process. It includes the time and effort it takes for Seminole Electric Cooperative, our wholesale power provider, to generate and transmit electricity to our system. There is also the dedication it takes for SVEC crews to diligently maintain our system and to make the necessary repairs, even on the hottest days of summer or in the pouring rain.

Despite all it takes to provide safe, affordable and reliable electricity, it has become an easy thing to take for granted. When we flip on a light switch or turn on the TV, we have grown used to electric power being there instantly at our convenience. Many people today probably don’t even know where electricity comes from — save for the plug in the wall.

In that way, cooperative employees share a solidarity with farmers in our community. There is no job I can think of that requires so many hours of backbreaking work just to break even. And there are few jobs more important to the health and prosperity of our country than growing the food we eat.

Sadly, many of us are as oblivious to what goes into farming as we are to how electricity is provided. I’ve even heard people wonder why we need to farm food when we can just buy it at the grocery store.

That’s why we are spotlighting a farmer in this month’s newsletter. Richard Bennett is the third generation of his family to work his land in Hamilton County. Familyowned farming operations like his are unfortunately becoming a rarity throughout the country, so I hope you’ll take a moment to read through his story. You may even learn something new about the important work farmers like him are doing for all of us.

You can also get to know Tyler Putnal, who represents District 4 on the SVEC board of trustees. Mr. Putnal has been a valuable member of the board these last several years, and he is a strong representative for our members in western Suwannee County and northern Lafayette County.

Finally, you can learn more about the work SVEC is doing in our community, like awarding scholarships to some of our most deserving students and taking part in the Live Oak Quilt Trail. These are just a few of the things we’re proud to do in order to make the Suwannee Valley a better place for us all to live. 

Sign up for SmartHub today!

SmartHub is a web and mobile app that lets you conveniently manage your SVEC account. You can track your payment history, pay your bill, monitor your electricity use and much more. To access, simply scan the QR code to the right with your device.

2 | July 2019

WE BELONG TO THOSE WE SERVE Business Office: 800-447-4509 11340 100th St. Live Oak, FL 32060 Lobby Hours: 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Monday-Friday Drive-thru Kiosk Open 24 Hours 24/7 Power Outage Reporting 800-752-0025 svec-coop.com facebook.com/sveccoop @SVEC_COOP_FL SVEC is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

On the cover: SVEC member Richard Bennett is the third generation of his family to work their land in Hamilton County.

Learn more about his family farm on Page 4.

Suwannee Valley Currents

BLUE WATERMELON WALNUT SALAD

By Anne P. Braly, Chattanooga, TN

Outta the woods TAKING A HUNTER SAFETY COURSE IS ABOUT SAFETY AND MORE

By Tony Young, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Taking a hunter safety class is one of the best things someone can do to have a safe and enjoyable time hunting, says Bill Cline, hunter safety and public shooting range section leader for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

“Hunter safety courses are designed to equip hunters with techniques to keep themselves and others safe outdoors,” Cline says. “Even the most experienced hunters will learn something, which will help them become better, safer hunters and mentors.”

FWC offers traditional classroom courses in hunter safety at no cost.

Students also can complete the classroom portion by taking an FWCapproved online course, including one that’s free. After the online classroom portion is complete, students Suwannee Valley Currents

must sign up and attend a free field day. This no-cost training is available thanks to certified volunteer instructors and funding from the Wildlife Restoration program.

People born after May 31, 1975, are required to complete a state-certified hunter safety class before they can buy the type of hunting license that allows them to legally hunt unsupervised in Florida. Even exempt hunters born before that date are encouraged to take the course to learn valuable information about wildlife conservation and hunter ethics.

Summer is the perfect time to sign up for the state’s hunter safety course requirement, either by going to MyFWC.com/HunterSafety or by contacting your nearest FWC regional office. 

1 cup walnut pieces 1/4 cup sugar 1 teaspoon soy sauce 2 cups balsamic vinegar 1 cup sugar 1 sprig fresh rosemary 4 ounces fresh baby greens 2 seedless oranges, peeled and sectioned 4 cups seedless watermelon cubes 2 cups seedless grapes, halved 2 cups fresh, trimmed and sliced strawberries 1 cup crumbled blue cheese Heat the walnuts in a seasoned wok or heavy nonstick saute pan over medium heat for a minute, then stir in 1/4 cup sugar and soy sauce. Adjust heat to prevent burning while constantly stirring the nuts until the sugar melts. Continue to stir and cook until the nuts begin to stick and the entire mixture is getting sticky.

Spread the nuts over a sheet of waxed or parchment paper and cool. Break apart into small pieces and crumble. Set aside.

Heat the vinegar in a heavy noncorrosive saucepan over medium heat and stir in a cup of sugar. Continue to stir and adjust heat to bring the mixture to a simmer.

Add the rosemary sprig to the pan.

Continue to simmer until the contents of the pan reduce by half their original volume. Set aside.

Divide the greens among 6-8 salad plates and arrange the orange sections, watermelon, grapes and strawberries over the greens. Drizzle the balsamic syrup over the fruit, and sprinkle the cheese crumbles over that. Top with the candied walnut pieces and serve. Makes 6-8 servings.

July 2019 | 3

Brown top millet is used for bird seed.

Love of the land

Richard Bennett tackles farming challenges with passion Most kids skip school to get out of doing work, but Richard Bennett used to duck out of class early so he could get to work. Every chance he had, he would help out on the 40 acres behind the house of his grandfather, Roscoe Bennett.

“I just always wanted to farm. I would work there every day, scattering seeds, picking up crops, turning the land,” he says. “I would do anything he would let me. I started driving the tractor in the tobacco fields when I was 5 years old.

Once they figured out I could drive, I never got off of it.”

Bennett is the third generation of his family to farm that land, following in the footsteps of his grandfather as well as his father, Glenwood Bennett, who grew up there. For most of that time, the family grew tobacco. But when the government began buying out tobacco farmers in the early 2000s, they were forced to diversify.

It was a reminder for Richard Bennett about the importance of thinking ahead.

“People say you work for yourself on the farm, but you have to be disciplined.

You’ve got to do your planning,” he says.

4 | July 2019

“I get up every morning at 5 a.m. even when I don’t have anything to do — and there aren’t many days I don’t have anything to do.”

Today, the Bennett farm consists of 400 acres of millet, oats and rye, as well as 800 acres of iron clay peas on leased land. The transition from tobacco made it possible for Richard Bennett to continue to make a living off the land despite the growing challenges facing family farms.

“We didn’t have much growing up, so I’ve been blessed. I make a better living than my father did, but I couldn’t if I was still in that business,” he says of farming tobacco.

SEED MONEY

Bennett’s change of crops made the farm more sustainable and opened up the opportunity for a new side business.

“Back then, I was growing peas, but there wasn’t a seed processing plant anywhere in the county,” he says. “We had to haul it out of the county to get it processed. So I saw an opportunity to fix that.”

In 2001, he started Bennett Seed with the help of a government program designed to support farmers in the wake of the tobacco buyout. Although the seed business only runs for a few months a year, it keeps the family busy when it does.

Bennett estimates that they processed 60,000 bags of seed last year, primarily for other local farmers. While the farming community in North Florida has dwindled over time, he is proud to serve those that remain.

“The farmers who are left are great at what they do. If they weren’t, they couldn’t stick around,” Bennett says.

“There aren’t as many farms as there used to be, but we get good business from the ones who are here.”

His wife, Rosa, pitches in at Bennett Seed by marking bags and cooking for the employees. Three workers help the Bennetts with the seed house and bagging operation, while the farm is mostly a solo operation, save for one part-time employee.

“I try to do most of it myself, since these tractors mostly drive themselves,” Suwannee Valley Currents

Bennett says. “All you have to do is turn them around at the end of a row. I didn’t ever think I’d see something like that.”

ROCKY GROUND

Technology may have made some aspects of the job easier, but farming is still a hard way to make a living. And as far as Bennett can see, it’s only getting harder.

“I think most people don’t have a clue what goes into producing the food they eat,” he says. “You’re under a lot of stress.

You’ve got to worry about the weather, the insects; and if you make it through all that, you have to worry about selling it at a decent price. In many professions, you have a guaranteed income. We’re not guaranteed anything.”

Those economic pressures were the primary factor in the family’s choice to focus on growing peas and millet — a decision Bennett is grateful for.

“Some of these crops cost $1,000 per acre to grow, so you have to make an excellent crop just to get that back. It’s too big of a gamble,” he says. “I can grow peas and millet for about $200 an acre, and if I stub my toe, I’m not going to go broke.”

Now that his siblings have moved away and his kids are pursuing other interests, Bennett isn’t sure what the future holds for his family’s farm. The one thing he does know is that there is nowhere else he’d rather be.

“I’ve just got a passion for the land, I guess,” Bennett says.

“You have to do all you can and then have a lot of faith in God. I just like getting out there, getting on the tractors and watching the stuff grow.” 

Richard Bennett and his family were named Hamilton County’s Outstanding Farm Family of the Year in 2018. Bennett is a third-generation farmer.

Richard Bennett talks with his grandson Bennett Case Goolesby who wants to be a farmer when he grows up.

Richard Bennett operates Bennett Seed.

Suwannee Valley Currents

July 2019 | 5

MEET YOUR TRUSTEE

Q: What do you like most about living in the Suwannee Valley?

Q: What are you passionate about as a trustee?

Safety for our employees and economical, reliable power for our consumermembers.

The people and the spirit of community. Working in agriculture, I see people working together and helping one another every day.

Q: What do you enjoy most about serving on the board?

Q: What line of work are you in?

Being part of the team that is trying to find ways to implement new industry technologies in our area to better serve our members, while also maintaining safe and affordable electricity.

I am a fertilizer and chemical sales representative for Farmers Cooperative, and I work in the Agronomy and Precision Ag Division.

Q: What’s the most important impact SVEC has on its community?

Q: What do you like to do outside of work?

Outside of work, I enjoy church, hunting, fishing and spending time with family and friends.

I think Operation Round Up has had the most important impact. I’ve talked to some of the teachers who are benefiting from it and heard the success stories. Operation Round Up is a great way for our members to help the students in our service area.

Q: What made you want to serve on the board?

TYLER PUTNAL

When Mr. John Horton passed away, I had several people ask if I would be interested in serving. After talking with a few former SVEC board members and trustees I knew from other cooperatives, I decided that if I could help make a difference, I would.

District 4

GEORGIA Jennings

H A M I LT O N C O U N T Y Jasper

an

75

ne

1 ADAMS

Suw

3 ROBERSON Live Oak

River

7 HUNTER

e

Tyler Putnal represents District 4, which is located in western Suwannee County and the northernmost part of Lafayette County. He lives in Lafayette County and has served on the board since 2013.

White Springs

10

8

S U WA N N EE STEICHEN COUNTY Wellborn

Dowling Park

4 PUTNAL

5 LORD

McAlpin

129 Mayo

27

9 HART

2 GOFF

Lake City

C O L U M BI A COUNTY

6 WALKER

O’Brien

Branford

L A FAY ET T E COUNTY

6 | July 2019

Suwannee Valley Currents

PROTECT YOURSELF FROM SCAMS Scams continue to be a growing threat, and the people running them keep finding clever new ways to trick victims into giving up their hard-earned money. Protect yourself by staying aware of the most common strategies.

PAY-NOW-OR-ELSE SCHEME The scammer calls to tell you your power will be cut off that day, maybe even within the hour, if you don’t pay your bill immediately. Remember that SVEC will never threaten to cut off service instantly for members who have delinquent accounts. The cooperative will send out notices well in advance, never a single warning right before disconnection.

PERSONAL INFORMATION REQUESTS Someone impersonating SVEC calls asking for your Social Security number, password, or credit card and other personal information. The cooperative will never call members to ask for this type of information.

PAY OVER THE PHONE Someone calls and asks you to pay your bill over the phone with a prepaid debit card or your personal bank card. SVEC will never demand payment over the phone and will not ask members to pay with prepaid debit cards.

IN-PERSON VISITS You receive a call or visit from someone offering a service on behalf of SVEC or asking for your personal information or payment. SVEC employees will never come to your home or call to promote a service from the cooperative. Also, remember that all SVEC employees have a cooperative photo ID card if you need to confirm someone really works for us.

FALSE NUMBERS Some scammers can even make an SVEC number appear on your caller ID. Just because a number looks local doesn’t mean the call is coming from a cooperative employee.

If you suspect you are on the phone with a scammer, or that one is at your door, hang up or close the door and call SVEC’s Member Service Department at 800447-4509.

Simplify your life with

MyChoice

Tired of surprises on your monthly electric bill or recurring late fees?

MyChoice is a pay-as-you-go option that lets you pay for the electricity you want, when you want it.

• • • • •

Eliminate monthly bills Pay for power when you need it No late charges or disconnect fees Track usage with the SmartHub app Learn how to reduce your electricity use and save money

Ready to sign up?

Visit svecmychoice.com, or call a member service representative at 800447-4509.

DO YOU HAVE MONEY WAITING TO BE CLAIMED? Search our list of members with unclaimed capital credits at svec-coop.com/member-services/capital-credits/unclaimed.

Suwannee Valley Currents

July 2019 | 7

SVEC in the

COMMUNITY SVEC AWARDS $10,000 IN SCHOLARSHIPS SVEC was pleased to award a $1,000 scholarship to each of 10 exemplary high school seniors who are dependents of SVEC members. Scholarship recipients were selected by a committee of SVEC employees who reviewed every applicant’s academic record, list of extracurricular activities, written essay and letters of recommendation.

Congratulations to this year’s recipients: Baylor Burch and Daniel Hendrick, Suwannee High School; Maura Hill and Rene Root, Branford High School; Logan Hughes and Oriana Urzua-Tlapa, Hamilton County High School; Case Jackson and Gabrielle Perry, Lafayette High School; Zachary Flugrath, Columbia High School; and Christian Rodriguez, a home-schooler.

SVEC trustee Jerry Goff presented scholarships to Branford High School’s Maura Hill and Rene Root.

Christian Rodriguez, a home-schooler, was awarded a scholarship from SVEC.

SVEC CFO Christine Moor presented a scholarship to Columbia High School’s Callahan Register.

SVEC trustees Mike Adams and Hugh Hunter presented scholarships to Hamilton High School’s Logan Hughes and Oriana Urzua-Tlapa.

SVEC trustee Tyler Putnal presented scholarships to Case Jackson and Gabrielle Perry of Lafayette High School.

SVEC trustee Sam Roberson presented a scholarship to Daniel Hendrick of Suwannee High School.

SVEC IS NOW PART OF

THE LIVE OAK QUILT TRAIL!

Created by Glinda Pennock of the Live Oak Artists Guild, SVEC’s quilt block features Willie Wiredhand and is on display at the main entrance of the cooperative’s office.

Willie Wiredhand has been a mascot of the nation’s electric cooperatives since the 1950s. The Live Oak Quilt Trail is a collection of quilt blocks featured throughout Suwannee County. The project invites visitors to explore the countryside and share the quilting tradition.

Glinda Pennock created the Live Oak Quilt Trail, which is a collection of quilt blocks featured throughout Suwannee County.