From the October, 2005 issue:
CHEROKEE COUNTY
The Cherokee County Farm Bureau Women’s Committee and Young Farmer Committee are raising funds for the American Legion by re-cycling old cell phones and used printer cartridges.

Through its Soldiers 4 Soldiers program, the American legion is raising funds for programs that support troops and veterans. Recycled cell phones raise $3 each and recycled printer cartridges raise $1 each.

Cherokee County Farm Bureau Agency Manager Mark Bennett is an American Legion member. He suggested that the Women’s and Young Farmer Committees participate in Soldiers 4 Soldiers to support wounded soldiers returning from Iraq.

Bennett presented the first box of recycled items to the Canton American Legion on August 30.

Pictured L-R are: Claude Pettit, Jr., Canton Post 45 Service Officer, Mark Bennett and Raymond Rollins, Canton Post 45 Commander & District Service Officer.To learn more about the Soldiers 4 Soldiers program visit www.legion.org.

CLAY COUNTY

The Clay County Women’s Committee recently gathered donations for the Hurricane Katrina relief effort.

Clay County Farm Bureau President Phil Redding and his wife, Delores Redding, are pictured delivering the donations to a relief collection point.

Mr. Redding also serves on the Georgia Farm Bureau State Board of Directors as an 8th District Director


COFFEE COUNTY
Georgia Sen. Greg Goggans was the special guest at the Coffee County Farm Bureau’s May board meeting.

Goggans discussed the process of how a bill becomes law. During the meeting, the Coffee County Farm Bureau board members expressed their appreciation to Sen. Goggans for the support he has given ag issues.

In other news, the Coffee County Farm Bureau Young Farmers Committee recently helped sponsor the Coffee County Shooting Team’s trip to a national competition.

This was the team’s second trip to the national competition.

CRAWFORD COUNTY
In August, the Crawford County Farm Bureau Women’s Committee served homemade peach ice cream to the Roberta-Crawford County Older Americans Council to celebrate National Peach Month.

Peaches are a commodity produced in Crawford County and were donated by Dickey Farms in Musella.  Pictured from right, Women’s Committee Chair Joyce Moncrief served the ice cream with the help of Crawford County High School FFA Officers Abby Williamson and Stacey Ladson.  

The CCFB Women’s Committee is working with CCHS FFA students to teach elementary students about agriculture through reading.  The FFA students read agriculture related books to elementary students weekly.

 This activity helps CCFB with our Ag in the Classroom activities, gives the younger students good role models to follow, and is a learning experience for the older students to take with them into their adult life.  

DODGE COUNTY

The Dodge County Farm Bureau Women’s Committee recently held a recipe contest for the Dodge County Middle School Cheerleading Squad.

Contest participants were asked to prepare a recipe using Georgia pecans. First place honors went to Misti Landin for her Simple Pecan Pie. Logan Woodard won second place for her recipe, The Wedding Cookie. Maura McCranie received third place for her Ice Cream Dessert.

“The Dodge County Farm Bureau Women’s Committee was pleased to partner with these middle school students to promote a Georgia grown commodity,” said Carolyn Lane, chairman of the Women’s Committee. “Hopefully, by participating in the contest, the girls learned more about Georgia’s pecan industry.”

The Dodge County Farm Bureau donated $200 to the cheerleading squad for their participation in the contest. Seventeen members of the squad participated in the contest. Ramona Giles, Liz Giffens and Cheryl Digby served as judges for the contest.

Pictured left to right, Carolyn Lane, Dodge County Farm Bureau Women’s Committee chair, congratulates Maura McCranie, Logan Woodard and Misti Landin for winning third, second and first place, respectively, in the Dodge County Farm Bureau Pecan Recipe Contest.

ELBERT COUNTY

The Elbert County Farm Bureau Women’s Committee helped the Elbert County Library with their summer reading pro-gram by hosting two story times.

Members of the Women’s Committee read stories and donated materials for both sessions. During the first session held in mid-summer, ag stories were read and the children had an opportunity to plant pumpkin seeds.

Women’s Committee members Charlotte Ware and Janet Mazurek are shown in the photo helping the children plant their seeds.

The second story time focused on preparing for school. The children decorated bags and filled them with items related to getting ready for school. The women’s committee supplied toothbrushes, crayons, erasers, rulers and other items for the children.

The women’s committee also donated prizes for the library to give children who attain designated hours of reading.


GREENE COUNTY
This summer, the Greene County Farm Bureau Women’s Committee sponsored an Ag In the Classroom Workshop, which taught teachers how to incorporate agriculture into their curriculum.

Participating teachers received continuing education credits.

The three-day workshop was held at the Greene County Farm Bureau Office. The Women’s Committee provided lunch on two of the days and treated the class to homemade pecan pies on one day. Greene County Farm Bureau arranged for the teachers to tour local agribusinesses.

The group is pictured visiting Horizon Growers, a wholesale nursery. Tom Visser, Horizon Growers manager, talked to the group about growing plants.

The teachers also toured Quail International, a local company that handles quail from hatching to processing, and Buckhead Trading Company, a company owned by Greene County Farm Bureau member Jackie Copelan, that packages corn for squirrel feeders. During the workshop and tours the teachers learned how agriculture affects the economy in urban as well as rural areas.

HENRY COUNTY

The Henry County Farm Bureau Women’s Committee fostered Farm-City relationships in the county during a luncheon held at the Henry County Chamber of Commerce.

The Women’s Committee presented market baskets of locally grown fruits and vegetables along with Georgia pecans, peanuts and wood products to business and industry leaders in Henry County. 

Pecan pie was served for dessert to emphasize Farm Bureau’s commodity of the year.


JASPER COUNTY
This summer the Jasper County Farm Bureau hosted the county’s annual Farm Safety Camp.

This was the largest Farm Safety Camp ever held in Jasper County with 45 registered participants and numerous volunteers. McIntosh State Bank, Bank of Monticello and Barnes Glass Company sponsored the camp.

The morning started with I-DENT-A-KID presented by the Jasper County Sheriffs Department. Each child was photographed

Campers learned about handling livestock from Peyton Proctor (shown on his horse). Georgia Forestry Commission representatives discussed chainsaw and weed eater safety. James Smith, of the Georgia Hunter Education Association, discussed firearm safety. Jasper County Young Farmer Chairperson Kelly Thomason presented dog safety tips. The Tri-County EMC shared electrical safety tips with their Power Town presentation.

After lunch, local EMS personnel gave first aid instruction. Blake & Thomas Robison from Station 2 and Charles Cook from Station 1 gave fire safety tips. Ed Westbrook talked about chemical and pesticide safety. Kelly Thomason talked to the campers about ATV safety. Emory Flight landed their helicopter for the last camp session. The children then toured the helicopter.


OGLETHORPE COUNTY
Oglethorpe County Farm Bureau recently awarded three $500 scholarships to graduating seniors who plan to pursue an undergraduate degree in agricultural and environmental sciences, family and consumer sciences or a related field of study.

Pictured from left, Oglethorpe County Farm Bureau President Phil Sanders presents the scholarships to Jake Wilcox, Bryan Simmons and Megan Kennebrew during the Oglethorpe County High School Honors Night.


POLK COUNTY
On August 23, the Polk County Young Farmers hosted a Farm Extrication Safety Program for Polk County Firemen, EMTs, and Forestry workers at Lovell’s Farm in Aragon, Georgia.

Dr. Glen Rains, a biological and agricultural engineering associate professor at the UGA Tifton campus, demonstrated safety measures for different types of farm equipment and how to handle accidents related to farm equipment.

The Young Farmer and Women’s Committees furnished refreshments and lunch for the 31 people who attended the safety program. Polk County Farm Bureau leaders and staff, along with Lovell Farm staff, were there to help make the safety program a success.

The Polk County emergency workers attending the safety program were very impressed with the information they received from Dr. Rains and asked him to do another program on a weekend so that more emergency workers could attend.


TALIAFERRO COUNTY
The Taliaferro County Farm Bureau recently sponsored a Pecan Dessert Contest. Tracy Watson won first place. Delores Anderson won second place, and Patsy Watson won third place.

Pictured from left, Jane Hubert, Women’s Committee chairman, presents Patsy Watson a certificate for her scrumptious caramel pecan pie. The other contest winners were not present for the presentation.

After the judges selected the contest winners, 30 members and guests had a chance to sample the contest desserts and select their favorites.

Rising behind Hubert is the pecan tree Sandra Ingram, Taliaferro County office manager, designed to promote pecans. Ingram made the display tree out of felt and attached Velcro to real pecans so they would adhere to the tree. Ingram said the tree has served as a great prop during the county’s pecan promotions this year.


WARREN COUNTY
Warren County Farm Bureau hosted a stop on U.S. Rep. John Barrow’s tour of Georgia’s 12th U.S. Congressional District this summer.

Warren County Farm Bureau served refreshments to the 25 farmers and Barrow staff who attended the meeting.

Barrow discussed soybean research and recent funding for a University of Georgia biorefinery during the meeting.

Rep. Barrow (center) was greeted by Warren County Farm Bureau President Kenneth Ansley (left) and Vice President Curtis Smith (right).