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A farm was a wonderful place to grow up. There was always something to do. My brothers and I worked most of the time, but when we weren't working we were hunting, fishing, or walking through the woods, doing those things children do growing up on a farm. Of course, we also had to go to school where we were taught English, math, and history. History was the subject I struggled with the most. I never understood why it was important to know what people did 1,000, 100, or even 50 years ago. As I grew older, I discovered it was important because there are so many lessons we can learn from past experiences. We can look back today and learn something from the history of Farm Bureau, our nation, and agriculture.
Let's look at the history of our country. We are a country of abundance; a country that has always been self-sufficient, never depending on other parts of the world for our survival. But look at us today; look at how our dependency on foreign oil is strangling our economy. Even though we are still a country of abundant energy and resources, we refuse to take advantage of some of these resources, making us dependent on other countries. Energy is a national security issue because it controls so much of what we do every day.
Yes, energy is a national security issue, but I believe agriculture is more of a national security issue than anything else involved in our lives every day. After World War II, the European community decided they would never be hungry again, which is why they subsidize their farmers at the level they do. Our country was formed because people wanted to leave England to get away from taxation and find a land of plenty. When our settlers came to America they found a land of plenty, and they created a government, the most powerful government in the world. It's a government that, even today, everyone wants to come to and live under. Now we are slowly, but surely, becoming more dependent on other countries to not just fuel us, but also to feed us. We have to take this strong history lesson to heart. In Farm Bureau we have to make sure we tell our story so our country will never be dependent on other countries to feed us.
If we look at the history of agriculture, we'll discover that we're returning to our roots. The diesel engine was created so farmers could produce seed oils on their own farms to run the diesel engines in their farm equipment. Current research is proving that we, as farmers, can become self- sufficient on our farms. Recently I, along with Georgia Farm Bureau media staff, visited the USDA Agricultural Research Service National Peanut Research Laboratory in Dawson, Ga. Dr. Marshall Lamb, director of the center, and his staff showed us around the research facility where they are making biodiesel from peanut oil. They press the peanuts, take the oil and refine it into biodiesel that they use to fuel tractors used in their research fields. Peanuts grown for producing biodiesel don't have to meet the high quality standards that edible peanuts must, so they require less chemicals and production management and cost less to produce. The researchers are trying to prove that a farmer can plant 10-15% of his total crop acreage in peanuts for fuel to generate enough biodiesel to operate his own farm self-sufficiently.
This is a very interesting and cost effective project. Dr. Wilson Faircloth's research shows that a farmer could grow peanuts and produce a gallon of diesel for $2.50. That's half of what diesel is selling for at the gas station today. The researchers told us that a 1,000-acre farm could grow 100-150 acres of peanuts to produce enough biodiesel to work the farm for a year. With this research we are returning back to our agriculture roots. I have high hopes this research will enable farmers to become self- sufficient again.
Now let's look at the history our organization. Farm Bureau was created in 1939 when a group of farmers came together in Bartow County and decided agriculture needed a voice - a voice in the legislative halls, not only in Atlanta, but also in the halls of Congress in Washington. Those 50 farmers created what we now know as Farm Bureau. We still hold true to those roots. We just recently returned from Washington where we had a very successful trip discussing agriculture with Georgia's Congressional delegation. It was an exciting time as they drew closer to taking action on the new farm bill.
On the state level, Georgia Farm Bureau is heavily involved in getting our farmers appointed to the regional water councils. These water councils were created through the water plan passed by the Georgia Legislature earlier this year. It's important for agriculture to secure and maintain seats on these water boards so agriculture will have a voice in how water in Georgia will be handled in the future. We must also protect the ranking we have of agricultural water usage being second only to human consumption.
In mid-March, your voice was heard in St. Louis when I traveled with GFB board members and the chairmen of the GFB Soybean, Feedgrain and Cotton Committees to meet with Monsanto officials at their global headquarters. We discussed some of the issues surrounding their research and how it affects Georgia agriculture. History shows that working together on issues, such as these, will help secure a brighter future for farmers and our consumers. You can read more about the trip and the issues we discussed on page 22.
Farm Bureau leaders from all over the state are keeping to our roots and doing the job we were created to do (moved from last sentence to first). In March, GFB had a great Leadership Conference. The conference theme, Cultivating the Garden of Effective Communication, brought more than 200 volunteer county leaders together to improve their communication skills. Part of our mission in Farm Bureau is to tell the story of agriculture. Yes, we tell our story in the legislative arena, but we also have a responsibility to tell our story to the general public, the consumer of our product. If you were not able to attend this conference you missed a great opportunity to learn these communication skills and to enjoy fellowship with other people in our industry at a beautiful place, Callaway Gardens.
I would like to leave you with one last thought. In the Parable of the Sower, Jesus told the story of a sower who sowed his seed by the wayside, on rock, among thorns and good ground. The seed in this parable represents God's Gospel. Jesus was telling his followers that we should share his word, and that we will be blessed many times over for sharing our belief.
I think this lesson is supposed to be carried over into our work life every day. We have a responsibility to share our knowledge about agriculture and what it means to our country. Sharing this information with our consumers will give them a better understanding and appreciation of agriculture. If we do this, I believe God will return many blessings to us as farmers and to the people that live in this country.
Thank you so much for the volunteer work you do to keep our organization true to the roots we grew from. God bless you and your farms.
