Front Porch Q2 2023

A Community Regroups

Fo r Yo u r Ba by Be h in d the W h e e l

the world. They’ll decide where they go, how they get there, and how long it takes… Thankfully, you’ve been an exemplary driver for them to learn from

We know that life insurance isn’t just about a check it’s about so much your family and maintain their standard of living

Seasonal Recipes: Herb Roasted Lamb

Recipe & Photos by Shaylee

S

pulse until everything is thoroughly mixed.

3. Using a sharp knife, score the fat layer with a crossed pattern and rub the garlic and herb mixture to thoroughly coat the rack of lamb.

6

4. Place the rack of lamb in a large bag or container, seal it and leave it at room temperature for a max of two hours. You can also prep your lamb and marinate it overnight in the refrigerator, just be sure to allow it to reach room temperature before cooking.

5. Preheat your oven to 450˚F. Take the lamb out of the container and place it on a baking pan or large cast iron, fat side up. (Be sure to cover the exposed rib bones while cooking so they don’t burn.)

Wallace Barber

pring is here, and what better time to gather fresh ingredients for this easy meal? Lamb is often an overlooked protein, mostly because it’s not something commonly learned to cook, but with its hardy nutrients and this simple recipe it can easily become a family favorite. The key? Quality ingredients that compliment lamb, instead of overpowering it. You can also roast alongside a full head of garlic to use on bread and side dishes!6. Roast the rack of lamb for 30 minutes or until the internal temperature reads at 135˚F for mediumrare.

7. Remove the dish from the oven and loosely cover it with foil. Let it rest for 15 minutes before cutting.

8. Cut the rack of lamb and garnish with chopped parsley or your favorite herbs and serve.

• Frenched Lamb Rib Rack

• Salt

• Black Pepper

• ½ Cup of Olive Oil

• 1 Bunch of Parsley Leaves

• 2 Garlic Cloves

• 1 Bunch of Rosemary Leaves

• 1 Bunch of Thyme Leaves

• Chopped Parsley for Garnish

12 30

Cover Design: Bryan Pistole

FARM BUREAU MATTERS with Rich Hillman

ARFB PRESIDENT

BEST-KEPT SECRET

For decades Arkansas Farm Bureau has been in every county in our great state. We have Farm Bureau buildings in every county and are usually a fixture among these communities. The work of the local county boards that fill those buildings are the best-kept secret in Arkansas. The men and women, who volunteer their valuable personal time in every county, have been under the radar for decades.

In this edition of Front Porch magazine, we are focusing on the great work that these volunteers have done and are doing to help their communities. Believe me, these are just small samples of what happens in these county Farm Bureaus every day and has been for years. We wanted to bring these efforts to you, the reader, because quite frankly, we could all use more good news right now in our troubled world. Hopefully in this edition we can tell our story and capture in a small way these wonderful volunteers who do GOOD STUFF. These efforts and good deeds are growing across our Farm Bureaus during a time in our nation’s history where these actions seem to be the exception rather than the norm.

Arkansas Farm Bureau is synonymous with our best product offered to our members, and that is our insurance products. The men and women who are involved with that insurance are second to none. The service offered to our policy holders is unmatched. The recent storms, as they always do, bring out the unparalleled service that Farm Bureau offers. A special thanks to all of the men and women who provide this great service. But our footprint encompasses even more than just our great insurance services.

The volunteer county board members help define our organization. Our “grassroots” organization is our bestkept secret. They offer their time to the policy, making process that creates a large voice in rural Arkansas.

That “grassroots” involvement has served the farmers and ranchers in our state in so many ways. State and local issues, as well as national and even international issues,

have been addressed for the rural way of life. That rural way of life is not just our small communities, but I would argue all Arkansans are connected to rural Arkansas. But our leaders also are avidly involved in their communities. They offer and fund programs that feed hungry kids, impacting families all over our state. You will see how our leaders give of themselves and their resources to send many kids to college, with countless scholarships given to students to colleges all around our state. Offering the financial assistance to those students who eventually will come back to those communities and make them stronger and more productive is important. Our membership gives to the MASH camps that will help place more doctors in rural communities, improving overall health care in Arkansas. I could go on and on about the myriad of programs our county leaders are doing. I often get carried away when I talk about what our members do, that good stuff they do for their communities and our state. I repeatedly quote the late, great baseball player Dizzy Dean, who was from rural Arkansas (Logan County), who said after pitching a good game, “It ain’t bragging if you can do it.” Our folks don’t brag and really don’t want the accolades associated with their philanthropy. But they provide it quietly and effectively. They constantly step up in their communities and serve.

If by chance those of you reading this article are not a member, I would certainly invite you to become one. For $40 a year you can be part of this state-wide grassroots organization. You and your family can be part of this organization that serves the state in so many ways. Yes, the foundation of our organization is rural Arkansas are the farmers and ranchers who raise the food for millions of hungry people all over the world. But we also serve our state, in a time when that service is as important as ever, and we don’t want that to be a secret anymore. •

Front Porch

Official membership publication of Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation mailed to almost 190,000 member-families.

SUBSCRIPTIONS

Included in membership dues

A RKANSAS FARM BUREAU OFFICERS:

President • Rich Hillman, Carlisle

Vice President • Mike Freeze, Little Rock

Secretary/Treasurer • Dan Wright, Waldron

DIRECTORS:

Magen Allen, Bismarck

Jon Carroll, Moro

Terry Dabbs, Stuttgart

Brad Doyle, Weiner

Jack Evans, Lonoke

Sherry Felts, Joiner

Chase Groves, Garland City

Jason Henson, Mount Judea

Terry Laster, Strong

Caleb Plyler, Hope

Bob Shofner, Centerton

Dana Stewart, Judsonia

Joe Thrash, Houston

EX OFFICIO

Nita Cooper, Everton

Monica Paskewitz, Melbourne

Kerry Stiles, Marianna

Brad Peacock, Bald Knob

Executive Editor • Steve Eddington

Contributing Writers • Shaylee Wallace Barber, Chad Hooten

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Issue #127

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Brought to you by Beef Farmers and Ranchers and the Arkansas Beef Council

CAPITOL CONVERSATIONS with Stanley Hill

RECAPPING THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION

The 94th General Assembly – a bi-annual exercise that defines state laws and statutes – has officially wrapped up after 89 days in session. As you might expect from an agriculture advocacy organization, Arkansas Farm Bureau was an active participant in the legislative process, supporting certain policies, opposing some legislation, and working to ensure farmers and ranchers in Arkansas have the best possible environment to operate. It’s fair to say that Farm Bureau was successful on several legislative priorities, while not having everything turn out the way we would have preferred.

To the 135 members who stand in service in the state legislature, we offer our sincere thanks and appreciation. We may not always agree on certain topics, though your willingness to serve is to be saluted and respected. There are certainly several legislators who stood out during the session, willing to carry forward items of importance to Farm Bureau members.

Several of our legislative priorities were passed and I believe time will prove them to have a positive impact on the daily lives of Arkansas’ farmers and ranchers. Some of the legislation we supported will improve our members access to healthcare programs, where Sen. Jonathan Dismang of Beebe and Rep. Lee Johnson of Greenwood led the charge for increased access to health care for Farm Bureau members in need of affordable coverage.

Rep. Bruce Cozart of Pearcy and Sen. Kim Hammer of Benton championed legislation that allows agriculture concepts to be taught as part of elementary-age curriculum. Rep. Chad Puryear of Hindsville and Rep. Delia Haak of Centerton were committed allies to the farmers and ranchers of Arkansas. Certainly, there were many others who worked closely with Farm Bureau and our members during the session. We consider these many legislators who go above and beyond for Arkansas farmers and rancher as champions for agriculture.

Other legislative successes we enjoyed this session allow farm stores and farm cooperatives to continue

selling animal medicines, while other action provided reforms on our state’s fencing laws and streamlined driver’s license processes for authorized foreign ag workers.

Action taken late in the session, though, resulted in a move of the administration of the commodity checkoff programs from Farm Bureau to the Arkansas Department of Agriculture, ending a public-private relationship that had extended throughout the life of most of the checkoff programs, more than 50 years in some cases.

This change in administration will create opportunities to redirect our staff resources and provide additional services to our membership, as has been our history for decades. We intend to help farmers navigate the H-2A guest worker program, will work to increase community engagement in more communities across our state. And we will increase the efforts of our commodity divisions, including the launch of a new small-ruminants division, the first new commodity division in more than 20 years.

As I reflect on the successes of the 2023 General Assembly, I am reminded that Arkansas Farm Bureau is, was and always will be a champion for agriculture.

As we begin looking toward next year’s fiscal session, which will begin in January, we expect that the General Assembly is going a long look at our state’s tax structure to ensure that our state’s business climate is primed for growth and expansion. We have already begun conversations about the importance of keeping our farmers and ranchers competitive with those in surrounding states. As has been our track record, Farm Bureau will be there, doing the work that benefits our members in every part of Arkansas.

Stanley Hill serves as vice president of public affairs and government relations for Arkansas Farm Bureau. He has been with ArFB for 29 years. •

A Community Regroups

Patsy Roberts has dealt with disasters for more than half a century but nothing like the March 31 killer storm in Cross County. A ‘high EF3’ tornado with 150-160 mile per hour winds walloped Wynne, destroying its high school and smashing surrounding neighborhoods. In the Peterson Street development, designed with big lots and a lakeview for two-story rock and brick homes, the violent monster left her numb.

Standing on a concrete foundation where her living room used to be, Roberts stares at the pile of rubble on the curb. Splintered 2x4s and broken rafters are sprinkled with an assortment of shattered tiles and

twisted insulation. The home — clearly an extension of who Roberts is — now makes a 15-foot-high mound of trash to be hauled away.

“You are paralyzed mind-wise, and you’re paralyzed emotionally when it’s yours,” says Roberts, a Farm Bureau Insurance agent who started as a secretary with the company in January 1970. “You just can’t even think. People would ask ‘what can I do for you?’ and all I could say was ‘I don’t know.’ I said those three words the most. ‘I don’t know. I don’t know’ and truer words have never been spoken. Finally, I just said ‘you do what you think is best for me because I don’t know.”

Patsy Roberts stands on the foundation of what was her home with its remains on the curb behind her. Roberts’ home was destroyed by a killer tornado March 31 in Wynne.

The massive storm, which first ravaged the Little Rock and Jacksonville area, hit Wynne late on a Friday afternoon while Roberts was en route to cheer on grandsons at a baseball tournament in Fayetteville. She was told to stay away for the night but returned Saturday morning and met an adjuster at her house later that day. On Sunday, she received a check from Farm Bureau. By mid-day Monday she was back at the office where she knew exactly what to do.

“Someone else from the community can come to me after something like this and it’s completely different,” Roberts says. “Those are easy decisions for a Farm Bureau agent. ‘Here is what we are going to do. Here is what your coverage is. You’ll need to list your contents.’ All of the answers and all of the suggestions are second nature to you because helping someone else is what you’re used to doing.”

No surprise, it was someone else who had to remind Roberts, too, that she needed to file a claim.

“What the people did for me — clearing the debris, assessing the damages, getting anything out that was salvageable — just makes me so thankful and proud of our community,” she says. “I couldn’t be prouder of how our community, really all Cross County, has helped

A ‘high EF3’ tornado with 150-160 mile per hour winds walloped Wynne on March 31, destroying its high school and smashing surrounding neighborhoods.

Photos this page by Stephen Proctor.

each other. It’s been so remarkable, rallying together. Businesses and individuals.”

Roberts and others have embraced the community mantra ‘Wynne Strong’ since the storm.

The old coffee shop warehouse in Wynne was quickly set up as a stop for anyone needing just about anything, including a plethora of cleaning supplies like brooms, mops, towels and washcloths.

Disaster relief stations started serving free food.

Wynne Baptist, First Assembly, Camp Calvary, Harmony Health Clinic and Wynne Junior High were set up as shelters.

The Odell McCallum Community Center was without power briefly but when a generator arrived it started serving hot meals daily. Most days the community could select from three different hot meals provided by area vendors. The choices included BBQ ribs and sandwiches, grilled burgers, smoked chicken, gumbo, whole hams, etc. On April 7 (a week after the storm), four hot meal flavors were offered and there were Easter baskets for children provided by Sutton Family Dentistry.

Ritter Communications provided a charging station for phones and computers. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) set up in the Sears parking lot. Legal Aid of Arkansas was available for counsel. Portable toilets were stationed at two locations.

Debbie Morris, who works at Hefty Seed in Augusta but lives in Wynne, is known for her heart for others. Looking to help, she was told to phone Leanne Lovell, an organized lady who has stepped up to be the pseudo distribution manager at what was the vacant Colony Shop warehouse. The building’s owner, Chris Bouland, loaned it to the city for use as a supply house for storm victims.

“I called Leanne and told her that I had a friend who wore smaller sized women’s clothes and wondered if she might know anyone in need,” Morris says. “Those sizes are kinda hard to find.”

Lovell quickly answered Morris with the name of Patsy Roberts. Roberts had just been to the warehouse picking up needed items but couldn’t find much to wear.

“I think Patsy felt inadequate because she was meeting with so many clients and couldn’t put on that business attire,” Lovell says.

“I’ve always looked up to her as a businesswoman,” Morris says. “I got some things together and met her that afternoon in a church parking lot. Patsy cried and

talked and cried and talked. I got to pray with Patsy.”

“If someone in this community can’t do anything else, they’ll hug you and cry with you,” Roberts says. “That’s been very important.”

And Roberts, wearing a white blouse brought to her by Morris, smiles and proudly says her extended family has shined, too. “Our agents, our adjusters, everybody.

“We have an adjuster in our office and a lot of companies are not blessed with that. We have a Farm Bureau adjuster that works here, strictly for Farm Bureau, in the community. So, they’re firsthand. It is quick, fast, fair, friendly service. Our agents and adjusters are vital. We care about the community. We love the community. We’re here to help the community. We want to take care of them as quickly as possible and it has been evident in Cross County during this disaster for every Farm Bureau insured.”

The cliché ‘nothing brings a town together like a tornado’ rings true in Wynne. Rebuilding this Cross County farming community is underway. It’s Wynne Strong. •

Leanne Lovell wears a ‘Wynne Strong’ t-shirt at the old Colony Shop warehouse. Lovell serves as pseudo manager of the warehouse where food and supplies are offered to folks affected by the tornado.

Watch Wynne resident Patsy Roberts’ account and response to the recent tornado.

VIGOROUS COMMUNITIES

Wynne Strong t-shirts continue spreading across Cross County as the rural communities’ rally together after the recent tornado. Cultivating relationships, partnerships, and support for neighbors across Arkansas doesn’t happen just after disasters, though.

In the last issue of Front Porch, we shared our partnership with Hunters Feeding the Hungry, which provide nutritious, wild-game meat sticks for children. In 2022, almost 76,000 meat sticks were distributed to schools in more than 50 counties.

We’ve highlighed some of our county Farm Bureaus for their work in conservation across Arkansas, and hope you enjoy this good news.

The BENTON COUNTY Farm Bureau contributed $2,000 to Hunters Feeding the Hungry in April and it was matched by the Farm Bureau Foundation, bringing the total gift to $4,000. “Our county board immediately made the motion and second to approve the $2,000,” says Benton County Farm Bureau President Charlie Coffelt. The Foundation matches up to an additional $25,000 of any donations made by county Farm Bureaus, individuals, and other entities.

The Benton County Farm Bureau women’s committee partners with the Ronald McDonald House Charities, which provides a home away from home for families of critically ill children being treated at local hospitals while offering programs that benefit children, to quarterly provide meals and supplies. The women’s committee prepared a baked potato and salad bar along with homemade desserts for families in January. The women’s committee’s chair Brenda Patton and Farm Bureau Insurance agent Robin Wright spearheaded efforts over Easter weekend to help those affected by recent storms in Cross County. Several vendors donated supplies and $1,000 cash which the county board matched.

During the Farm Bureau Week, a big food drive benefiting area children’s shelters was distributed by

Compassionate Chole and Benton County 4-H groups. Compassionate Chloe (Miles), granddaughter of Farm Bureau’s Bobbi McDougal, serves as a Princess of America Miss Arkansas Ambassador. The county Farm Bureau also joined the Northwest Arkansas Community Gives Day on April 6, donating to children’s shelters and pantries, including six small community box pantries in the Centerton area.

HEMPSTEAD COUNTY Farm Bureau Agency Manager Reed Camp’s staff keeps a community calendar to not miss anything, he says. There is a lot but “with so much buy-in by our staff, board members and women’s

A woven cotton basket sits up front at the Lee County Farm Bureau office, collecting denim for recycling.

committee, it’s a well-oiled machine.”

The women’s committee, 20 members strong, is the “driving force behind our education efforts because they were raised on the farm and have that love in them to share it.” It’s probably best known for an egg hatching project at every school in the county. An incubator loaded with fertilized eggs is provided to each classroom. Often, it’s set next to the classroom’s pencil sharpener so students can peer in and catch any hatching activity while sharpening. The women’s committee also provides clear plexiglass beehives so students can watch the honey-makers in action.

Hope and Spring Hill schools recently had their rodeo sponsored by Farm Bureau. The county office also cooks once a year for every FFA chapter. During teacher week, every teacher in the county gets a cookie from Farm Bureau.

The county office gives away scoops of Blue Bell ice cream in June (national dairy month) and takes 170 Hope watermelons for staff at the Farm Bureau state office in August. During National Farmers Week in October, the staff cooks fried pies for anyone at the farming coop/mercantile store. “There’s just something about a fried pie in the fall,” Camp says. “It is so fun to go out and be in the community. We want to grow our business, but we also want the community to feel we are caring the banner of supporting the community while other name brand groups are doing $400 billboards. Those do nothing for the community. We are in a relationship-selling business.”

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A woven cotton basket sits up front at the LEE COUNTY Farm Bureau office, collecting denim for recycling. Women’s Leadership Committee Chair Kerry Stiles says “500-600 pair of blue jeans” have been mailed from Marianna to Chandler, Ariz, where they’re turned into insulation for Habitat for Humanity homes and projects. Cotton Incorporated created the Blue Jeans Go Green Denim Recycling program in 2006 and more than 2 million pieces of denim have been collected nationwide, resulting in 1,000-plus tons of textile waste diverted from landfills. The program strives to educate people on cotton’s natural lifecycle and creating opportunities to help those in need.

On Farm Day in May, the SCOTT COUNTY Farm Bureau takes Waldron Elementary students to one of its board members’ farms ,where different instructional stations are setup, including poultry and sheep. There are 15-minute presentations at each station as kids sit in tractors. Snacks are served and every child gets at Scott County Farm Bureau backpack. The Arkansas Game & Fish Commission normally comes to the farm that day, too.

Every volleyball coach at the recent state volleyball tournament in Mansfield received a zip-up cover for laptop computers compliments of the Scott County office. It was included in hospitality goodies for coaches.

Waldron Elementary students get to visit a nearby county board members’ farm for educational demonstrations and take home a Scott County Farm Bureau backpack.

Kids had a new wash rack for their animals last fall at the Scott County Fair. The county office contributed to building it so participants can trim and dress their animals for show. The county board and Women’s Leadership Committee also work the fair annually with the ag trailer presentations.

County agents do an ag reading in the classroom every year, aiming to educate children where their food comes from. The office also helps with middle and high school presentations on bees and milk cows.

The Blue Jeans Go Green program, turning denim into insulation to help with building efforts across America, is active in Scott County.

SEARCY COUNTY Farm Bureau Agency Manager Shane McElroy says “we’re always busy up here” and after the tornado tore through Little Rock March 31, they “took three pickup truck loads of stuff down there.” County Farm Bureau President Randy Clark and future board member Chris Reed made the 200-mile round trip from Marshall to Little Rock “to help those in need,” with food, water and toiletries, McElroy says. Reed took some clothes on his truck, too.

The county agency recently poured financial support on a pancake breakfast benefiting the Rotary Club and “anytime there is a school group or activity, our pockets are open,” McElroy says. “FFA, 4-H, dance teams or just anything with the schools we want to help.”

Farm Bureau agent Woody Methvin recently cooked hamburgers and hot dogs for the St. Joe preschool students and parents.

Mountain View Schools annually host a week of fishing at its on-campus pond for all the county’s schools. Middle-school students from Rural Special, Timbow and Mountain View are fed burgers and dogs all week by STONE COUNTY Farm Bureau agents/cooks Will Cox and Tim Wilson. Grades 5-8 from each school gets a day to picnic and fish.

In the fall, Stone County Agency Manager Shane McElroy cooks burgers and fries for all students who show livestock at the county fair. Farm Bureau also sponsors Red Ribbon Week, an alcohol, tobacco, smoking, and other drug and violence prevention awareness campaign observed annually in October. Stone County Agent Thane Huyard works hard to help bring in drunk driving simulators, etc., in addition to the agency’s financial support. •

Get the Most Out of Your Land

The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission offers wildlife management assistance for private land. If you want to get the most out of your land, one of our private lands biologists can visit your property and make recommendations based on your wildlife objectives.

Scan to learn more about Private Lands Programs available to you.

National Philanthropy Day

President Ronald Reagan signed the National Philanthropy Day proclamation Nov. 14, 1986, to celebrate the charitable work done to make a difference and create impact in their communities. Reagan defined it as “affection for mankind.”

“Our tradition of voluntarism embodies a great deal of caring, initiative, and ingenuity in solving problems and improving our communities,” Reagan said. “It is one of our greatest strengths as a people.”

Arkansas’ Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals awarded Arkansas Farm Bureau with its Outstanding Corporation Award on the nation’s most

recent National Philanthropy Day.

Arkansas Foodbank nominated Farm Bureau for the award and called it “very well deserved.” And, it noted Arkansas Farm Bureau volunteers actually served in the Foodbank’s warehouse while receiving the award.

National Philanthropy Day, organized by Douglas Freeman in the 1980s, provides an opportunity to reflect on the meaning of giving and all that it has made possible. NPD celebrates the endless daily contributions individuals and organizations across the world make to countless causes and missions. It is a form of altruism consisting of private initiatives for the public good and quality of life. •

Association of Funding Raising professionals Arkansas Chapter president Jennifer Owens Buie presents Farm Bureau Insurance Vice President Mack Wallace the “Outstanding Corporation Award” for National Philanthropy Day at the Robinson Center in Little Rock. Photo by Arkansas Foodbank.

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The C.A.S.T. for Kids Foundation enriches the lives of children with special needs, supports their families, and strengthens communities through the sport of fishing. It empowers families and communities to celebrate children with special needs.

C.A.S.T

Catch A Special Thrill Kids Foundation Program

Anna Pillow’s open-mouth smile would’ve lit up the lake’s shore at Reynolds Park in Paragould. Her legacy of bringing joy to all she was near lives on when other special needs youth make their first fish catch on a Saturday morning each May.

Mindy Tritch, Pillow’s cousin, cries talking about it.

“Anna passed away a couple of months before we got to host our first event (in 2021),” says Tritch, who started Arkansas’ first CAST (Catch A Special Thrill) for Kids Foundation program. “She loved being outside and would’ve just loved that day.”

Tritch taught and coached at Greene County Tech from 2002-2013 and was twice named Teacher of the Year. She gravitated to special-needs children there, always helping with track and field events during the Special Olympics.

Tritch’s whopper of a heart is rivaled by her servant spirit, which might be as contagious as Anna’s grins were.

Close to 200 gathered at water’s edge May 6 in Paragould for the third annual CAST. Most were volunteers, including 40 serving as ‘buddies for the day’ to 40 anxious anglers.

“For some of them, it’s their first time to go fishing,” Tritch says. “When they pull in that first fish that morning, it doesn’t matter its size, the look on their face is wonderful.”

“The thing that pulled on my heart strings was Mindy’s motivation for this event,” says Farm Bureau Insurance state sales manager Mack Wallace.

Pancake breakfast served by 4-H members launches the day, and Farm Bureau Insurance provided and cooked lunch onsite for everyone plus financial support for the program. In between, CAST aims to enrich the lives of the participating youth through fishing. Every angler receives a stocked tackle box, fishing pole/rod, t-shirt, cap, goodie bag and plaque

Close to 200 gathered May 6 in Paragould for the third annual CAST. Most are volunteers, including 40 serving as ‘buddies for the day’ to 40 anglers.

with their photo at an awards show after the fishing.

Three participants lead in prayer, pledge and national anthem before the bait casting begins. Each child gets to angle from the bank and for one hour in a boat. Tritch’s son Hudson (15) drove one of more than 10 vessels for the first time this year. His sister, Reesie (14) does arts and crafts, and brother Fisher (11) returns as a shore volunteer.

“We do this not just necessarily for the special needs kids but for our kids to learn that we are to be the hands and feet of Jesus,” Tritch says. “A lot of the area youth get to come out and see, that in God’s eyes, we are all created equal. We want to keep that growing. Maybe

one day we can have 20 boats and do two events right here.”

The program is growing. Three other CAST events will be held this year in Arkansas: June 16 at Cabot, June 17 at Sherwood and June 18 at Springdale. Farm Bureau Insurance will be at all of them, too. Tritch says a group from Tennessee will attend the event in Paragould for direction on how to start some of these special days back home.

Tasha Pillow, no relation to Anna, comes from a fish farm family and serves as co-leader of the event in Paragould. Tritch’s dad serves as emcee for the day and many Harvest Baptist Church congregates volunteer. The crowd, including the participants’ caretakers, line

Catch A Special Thrill (CAST) for Kids organizer Mindy Tritch (far right) and volunteer Jennifer Hedge anxiously watch angler Natalie Russell on May 6 at Reynolds Park in Paragould. The event, now in its third year in Arkansas and sponsored by Farm Bureau Insurance, aims to improve the lives of children with special needs.

both sides of the park’s street for participants to do a “run through,” Tritch says. “Everyone just goes wild. The kids love it.”

At a recent Bassmaster Classic event, Tritch was told Paragould’s event was a model for success. Her family attends 2-3 pro fishermen tournaments annually. CAST founder and former pro angler Jay Yelas, the 2002 Bassmaster Classic Champion and 2020 inductee to the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame, often challenges the crowds attending pro events to get involved.

“We were at an event a few years back in Florida and Jay was on stage talking about CAST,” Tritch says. “I thought, we could do that, and it could be really good. So, we visited with Jay for a while afterwards and then just came back home and ran with it.”

Pro fishing giants Hank Parker, Roland Martin, Jimmy Houston and country music star Trace Adkins endorse the program.

Yelas says: “The C.A.S.T. for Kids Foundation enriches the lives of children with special needs, supports their families, and strengthens communities through the sport of fishing. We empower families and

communities to celebrate children with special needs, making these children feel valued and loved so they can overcome limitations and be successful.” •

https://fb.watch/kzwx9uQHvc/

My family believes in the power of land to grow communities, and the Community Foundation helps bring my vision to life.

Philip Tappan, Fundholder

““

ARKANSAS LAND IS MY FOUNDATION.

Participants receive a stocked tackle box, fishing pole/rod, t-shirt, cap, goodie bag and plaque with their photo at an awards show after the fishing.

Watch CAST For Kids event highlights and recap.

Farm Families of the Year

The 76th annual Arkansas Farm Family of the Year program recently announced its 2023 County Farm Families of the Year.

The Arkansas Farm Family of the Year program helps recognize the state’s outstanding farm families with these objectives:

• To give recognition and encouragement to farm families who are doing an outstanding job on their farm and in their community;

• To recognize the importance of agriculture in the community and state; and

• To disseminate information on improved farm practices and management.

Arkansas Farm Family of the Year selection criteria includes efficiency of production, conservation of energy and resources, leadership in agricultural and community affairs, home and farm improvement, and home and farm management.

Judges visit families to select eight District Farm Families of the Year to be announced June 13. Then the

state Farm Family of the Year is named in early December at the Farm Family of the Year luncheon in Little Rock.

The state winner represents Arkansas at the Southeastern Expo Farmer of the Year in Georgia.

Two Arkansas families have claimed the Southeast Farmer of the Year honor over the past 15 years. Brian and Nan Kirksey of Clark County claimed it in 2008 and Wildy Family Farms of Mississippi County won in 2016.

Farm Bureau, the Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas and the Farm Credit Associations of Arkansas sponsor Arkansas Farm Family of the Year. Additional support comes from the Arkansas Agriculture Department, Arkansas Department of Career Education, Arkansas Press Association, University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture and the USDA’s Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service and Rural Development.

Program participation is open to all counties and is voluntary. Each year participation varies, therefore there is not always a recipient for each county.

• Arkansas, North – Clint & Lana Roth; Roth Farms; Stuttgart

• Arkansas, South – Matthew & Casey Green; M & C Green Farm Partnership; Stuttgart

• Baxter – Tony & Susan Chamberlain, Steve & Jennifer Ellison, Jordan Ellison; Faraway Vineyard; Gamaliel

• Benton – Wes & Laura Evans; Evans Farms; Gentry

• Boone – Brian and Tammy Lemon & family; Lemon Farm; Lead Hill

• Bradley – Brad & Melissa Harrod; Brad Harrod Farms; Hermitage

• Calhoun – Joey Blann; JB Cattle; Hampton

• Carroll – William Chaney III and his wife Phylicia; Chaney Farms; Green Forest

• Chicot –Mike Myers, Steven Myers & Eric Myers; Myers Farms; Eudora

• Clark – Robert & Kristy Benight; 3B Farms; Okolona

• Clay – Brock & Fallon Russell; Piggott

• Cleburne – Shaun & Candace Mason; Shaun & Candace Mason Farm; Edgemont

• Cleveland – Jason & Debbie Young; Warren

• Columbia – Chad & Jamie Daniel; 777 Farms; Magnolia

• Conway – John Maus & family; Maus Pecan Farm; Morrilton

• Craighead – Jonathan Bobbit/Bobbitt Family; JAB Farms; Lake City

• Crawford – Jared, Jessie, Dakota & Hailey Williams; Williams Farms; Mulberry

• Crittenden – Bob & Will Gammill; Smokey Alley Farm Partnership; Crawfordsville

• Cross – Melvin, Nancy, Rusty & Kalyn Taylor; Melvin Taylor Farms; Wynne

• Dallas – Troy & Amberlee Ray; Ray 5 Farm; Carthage

• Drew – Stephen & Dustin Day; Stephen & Dustin Day Farms; McGehee

• Faulkner – Tucker family; H&D Tucker Farms; Conway

• Franklin – Austin Sampley; Sampley Farms; Charleston

• Fulton – Derek & Karen Hall family; Lick Creek Cattle; Salem

• Garland – Jeff & Traci Britt; Britt Family Farm; Royal

• Grant – D.J. & Lisa Ray; Oak Hill Farms; Sheridan

• Greene – Randy Gray & Brad Gray families; Gray Farms; Beech Grove

• Hempstead – Mark & Judy Anderson; AA Farms; Hope

• Hot Spring – Jeremy & Magen Allen; JA Farms; Bismarck

• Howard – Mark & Sarah Myers; Nashville

• Independence – Chad Treadway; Treadway Farms; Magness

• Izard – Toby Smith; CT Cattle; Melbourne

• Jackson – Bill & Carey Robertson; CWC Farm; Bradford

• Jefferson – Kyle & Andrea Sealy; K & A Sealy Farms; White Hall

• Johnson – Jeremy & Shirley Hatchett; Hatchett Family Farm; London

• Lafayette – Reid & Abby Hays; Hays Farms; Bradley

• Lawrence – Fred & Bryan Schmidt; Green Wing Farms, llc; Walnut Ridge

• Lee – Clayton Long; Longshot Farms; Moro

• Little River – Tyler Davis family; Tyler Davis Family Farm; Ashdown

• Logan – Mark & Rhonda Rhein; Paris

• Lonoke – Landon & Todd Pool; Pool Fisheries, Inc.; Lonoke

• Madison – Kenny & Megan Harris family; Huntsville

• Marion – Terry Phillips; Phillips Farm; Everton

• Mississippi – The Donner family; Blackwater Farms/ Donner Farms; Manila

• Monroe – David & Megan Dunn; Dunn’s Fish Farm; Brinkley

• Montgomery – Brandon & Heidee Jackson; BHJ Farms; Mount Ida

• Nevada – Brandon & Megan Tullis family; Prescott

• Newton – Ryan & Cristan Martin; Buckhorn Farms; Deer

• Ouachita – Jimmy & Kathy Starr; Ouachita Valley Angus; Camden

• Perry – Keith Lawson; Lawson Farms; Houston

• Phillips – Stan Lewis; SSR Farms/Lou Lane Farms; Barton

• Poinsett – Jesse Flye & Logan White; White Flye Farms; Weona

• Polk – Rodney & Samantha Sellers; Vandervoort

• Pope – Keith, April & Blake Holbrook; Holbrook Farms; Atkins

• Prairie – Thomas Joe English; English Family Farm Partnership; Des Arc

• Pulaski – Doug & Sheree Meyer; Rusty Tractor Vineyards; Little Rock

• Randolph – Hardin family; Hardin Farms; Pocahontas

• St. Francis – Drew & Kenlee Flowers; Flowers Farms Partnership; Palestine

• Saline – Wade Marshall & Deana McKinight families; Salt Box Farm; Benton

• Searcy – Sid & Lea Ann Lowrance; Lowrance Farms; Marshall

• Sebastian – Tracy & Julie Leonard; Huntington

• Sevier – Steven Wagner; DeQueen

• Sharp – Josh & Sissy Gray; Gray Livestock & Cattle/Joshua 24:15, llc; Williford

• Stone – Dayton McCarty family; Dayton McCarty Farm; Mountain View

• Union – Casey Wooten & Cindy Wooten; Strong

• Van Buren – Adam & Darla McJunkins family; Bar Mc Ranch; Dennard

• Washington – Travis, Ashley, Griffin, Owen & Evan Appel; Appel Farms; Elm Springs

• White – Brandon Cain Family; Cain Farms; Griffithville

• Woodruff – Brian & Melissa Alumbaugh; McCrory

• Yell – Nick & Jamie Taylor; Rafter T Ranch, Inc.; Havana

Farm Bureau commits $500,000 to UAMS programs

The Arkansas Farm Bureau Foundation recently pledged $500,000 to the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) to mark the 35th anniversary of the Medical Applications of Science for Health, creating the Arkansas Farm Bureau Annual Fund for Excellence.

The MASH program is a free two-week summer enrichment camp allowing high school students to learn more about health career options. Students engage in team-building exercises, go on local field trips, and attend workshops and shadow healthcare professionals. Activities include CPR training and a heart disease and suturing workshop.

Arkansas Farm Bureau Foundation’s gift is proof of is steadfast commitment to health care in Arkansas, and we are grateful that we can count on them as partners,” says Dr. Richard Turnage, vice chancellor for UAMS Regional Campuses. “I would also like to acknowledge Arkansas Farm Bureau’s longtime support of programs like MASH, which are integral pieces in the Regional Campuses’ pipeline-to-practice strategy in creating the state’s next generation of health care professionals.”

Students must own a 2.75 GPA or higher and have completed at least one biology class to be considered for the camp. Letters of recommendation, extra-curricular activities, leadership, awards, and an essay describing the student’s desire to attend the program and pursue a career in healthcare are used in selecting participants.

Hosted by one of UAMS’ Regional Campuses and/or a community partner, the summer camp introduces about 600 students entering grades 11 and 12 to health care careers, including physicians, nurses, physician assistants, medical and radiologic technologists, respiratory therapist, pharmacists, and dieticians.

“For 30 years, we have helped underwrite camps at locations throughout Arkansas, which are designed to expose students to health care professions,” says sixthgeneration farmer and Arkansas Farm Bureau president Rich Hillman. “This commitment will grow that mission further and improve rural health care, which means Arkansas’ communities are strengthened.”

MASH was piloted in Pine Bluff in 1988 and has since expanded to 34 locations across Arkansas and been replicated in other states. •

At the initial check presentation from ArFB to UAMS were (from left) Sarah Eastham, Administrative Service Director, UAMS Regional Programs; Erica Dunn, Sr. Director of Development UAMS; Robin Howell, Program Manager, UAMS Regional Programs; Dr. Richard Turnage, Vice Chancellor UAMS Regional Programs; Rich Hillman, ArFB President; Magen Allen, ArFB Board Member and Dan Wright, ArFB Secretary/Treasurer.

Pangburn’s Ramsey named Ag in the Classroom Outstanding Teacher

Susan Ramsey was at it, again, two days after receiving Arkansas Farm Bureau’s 2023 Ag in the Classroom Outstanding Teacher of the Year award. A young white silky rooster named R.J. was her donation to the Pangburn School’s ag department fundraiser. A school board member, perhaps seeking re-election, laid down $90 for the spry but unproven cockerel.

Investing personal resources like poultry and extra time exposing youngsters to unique experiences make Ramsey (57) deserving of her recent honor. She teaches language arts during the week but can’t wait for Fridays when she slips across campus with third and fourth graders for garden class at the high school.

“Mrs. Ramsey offers many learning opportunities for students to grow in the world of agriculture, exposing them to experiences that they might not have, otherwise,” says Pangburn Elementary principal Mary Rieck. “She earnestly seeks partnerships with agencies and entities to promote and support ag with students and provides support to promote ag in other classrooms.”

Brian Harris, the school’s ag teacher, nominated Ramsey for the Ag in the Classroom Outstanding Teacher of the Year award. His high school students share a greenhouse and garden with Ramsey’s students. It’s a weekly ‘school of innovation’ project and Harris likes how it introduces students to his class at an early age. Fruits of their labor this year include squash, cucumbers, and tomatoes.

COCK-A-DODDLE

DOLLARS - A young white silky rooster named R.J. was teacher Susan Ramsey’s donation to the recent Pangburn School’s ag department fundraiser. A school board member, perhaps seeking re-election, laid down $90 for the spry but unproven cockerel.

GARDEN GURU - Pangburn’s language arts teacher Susan Ramsey, who also teaches a garden class at the school, is the Arkansas Ag in the Classroom Outstanding Teacher of the Year. Arkansas Farm Bureau Director of Education Matt Jackson presented the award May 10 at the school.

“In my opinion, the best type of learning is where you can apply it to your life to better understand the importance of the skill,” Ramsey says. “I hope the teaching we do here is the beginning of a passion and understanding of the importance of agriculture in our society.”

Arkansas Farm Bureau started the Ag in the Classroom Outstanding Teacher of the Year award in 2006. It includes a $1,000 check and opportunity to attend the National Ag in the Classroom Conference in Orlando, Fla., as the state’s National Ag in the Classroom nominee.

Born in Iowa but raised in Canada and California, Ramsey fondly recalls visiting her dad in Hot Springs as a teen. “I always thought it was so beautiful, peaceful and open,” she says. At 40, Ramsey wanted something different, a “life change” and a Country Living magazine classified ad made the sale. The Boggs House, built around 1902 and on the National Register of Historic Places, was on the market –perfect for her antique collection, and it was in Arkansas.

Ramsey not only left California fast for the stately house with a variety of gables, porches and projecting sections on Austin Street but also quickly married and had a baby in her new hometown. Her husband Tommy works maintenance at the school and Rylee just completed her junior year at Pangburn High.

Ramsey wrapped up her 16th season teaching May 25 at Pangburn and 26th overall. She plans to do what she loves three more years, including the gardening class in the fall and spring. The second 9 weeks of spring are used for planting and the first quarter of fall for harvest. The school of innovation projects shift in the winter to other things like drama and “book buddies,” she says.

Most recently Ramsey was back

in action, donating fertilized eggs for hatching in the school’s incubator to help students learn about the life cycle of chickens. Things like that are just what Arkansas Farm Bureau’s 2023 Ag in the Classroom Outstanding Teacher of the Year does. •

EYE BUDS – Fourth-grade student Skylar Smith (left) and third-grader Rylee Dodd see blooms on the tomatoes they helped plant this spring in Pangburn’s school garden. Arkansas Farm Bureau’s 2023 Ag in the Classroom Outstanding Teacher of the Year Susan Ramsey instructs a garden class on Fridays at the school.

Taste Arkansas: Blackberry Crumble

Recipe & photos by Shaylee Wallace Barber

With the arrival of summer comes a variety of seasonal fruits. One fruit we often overlook is blackberries. While blackberries are rich in flavor and antioxidants, they often have a chance of being tart. Don’t let a tart blackberry intimidate you, instead, bake them into a delicious crumble that is sure to be a crowd pleaser!

Crumble Ingredients

• 2 Cups All-Purpose Flour

• Cup Granulated Sugar

• ¾ Teaspoon Baking Powder

• ¼ Teaspoon Salt

• 1 Teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar

• 11/2 Teaspoons of Vanilla

• 1 Large Egg

• ¾ Cup Unsalted Butter at Room Temperature, Cut into Small Cubes

Directions

1. Place rack in the center of oven and preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Whisk together all dry ingredients for crumble mixture, then cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.

3. Mix vanilla, egg and apple cider vinegar then add to flour mixture and mix into a dough (be sure your flour is fully incorporated).

4. Place half of the dough into a deep-dish pie pan or medium cast iron skillet. Spread it evenly over the bottom of the dish and press it down to form an even layer of dough.

5. Combine your blackberries, sugar and cornstarch in a bowl and mix to coat evenly. Stir in the lemon juice and lemon zest.

6. Spread the blackberry mixture evenly over the bottom crust in your baking dish.

Filling Ingredients

• 4 Cups Blackberries (Fresh or Frozen)

• Cup Granulated Sugar

• 1 Teaspoon Cornstarch

• 3 Tablespoons Lemon Juice

• 2 Teaspoons Lemon Zest

7. Sprinkle the remaining dough mixture across the top of the blackberry filling. Allow for some of the dough to remain clumped together to form varying top crust.

8. Bake for 40-45 minutes until the top is light brown and crisp.

9. Remove your crumble from the oven and allow it to cool for about 20 minutes before serving.

10. Enjoy with ice cream, coffee, whipped cream … you name it!

Find delicious local blackberries in season by scanning the QR Code

You Deserve More. You Deserve a Promise.

For over 70 years Farm Bureau® Insurance’s commitment to our customers has never wavered. In that time, local agents and adjusters have served communities all over Arkansas with home and auto insurance, and more. We believe that your family is part of our family. And protecting families has always been our pledge. Talk with your local agent to learn more about the Farm Bureau Promise.

Talya Tate Boerner, a fourth-generation Arkansas farm girl, has been published in Arkansas Review, Ponder Review, and Writer’s Digest. She blogs at Grace Grits and Gardening and is the author of three novels — The Accidental Salvation of Gracie Lee, Gene, Everywhere, and Bernice Runs Away

Spin the Bottle S

ometime in the early ‘70s, my grandparents purchased a red brick house in town and moved from the home place. Even though my sister and I still lived in the boondocks with our parents, I felt confident Nana and Papa Creecy’s move would do more for my social status than anything to date. After all, life was bound to change when full-time country mice became part-time city mice. (Never mind that the ‘city’ in this scenario had a population of less than 400 souls).

Seriously though, what a thing to happen! When Papa poured concrete for a new carport, we wrote our names in the wet cement and claimed that place with all our hearts.

My sister and I had a groovy bedroom there, complete with wall-to-wall purple shag carpet and a white canopy bed. But the attic ... It was a whole other world with builtin bookshelves, storage under the eaves, and a large closet at one end. Add the Bee Gees blasting from our cassette player and board games to play, our futures became a few shades brighter.

Soon, the attic became a hangout for our friends, both male and female. Looking back on it now, I realize the attic became one of the first steps into my romance journey.

It’s where I first played Spin the Bottle.

Yes, before driver’s licenses and dates to the Malco in Blytheville, we teens of Mississippi County learned to make our own fun. And Nana and Papa’s attic, with its narrow, steep stairs (generally avoided by adults), guaranteed the perfect private location for such a riteof-passage game.

The rules of the game were simple. A group of us, around eight or so — I can still see their faces as clearly as my own — sat in a circle on the floor (boy, girl, boy, girl) with an empty glass Coca-Cola bottle in the center. Each person took a turn giving the bottle a spin. When the bottle stopped spinning, the “winner” (whoever the bottle pointed to) won a kiss from the person doing the

spinning. If the bottle pointed to someone of the same sex, the spinner spun again.

Just imagine it! What if one of the boys sitting crosslegged within that small circle turned out to be my soul mate? Back then, I wanted to believe in the slight possibility of it; after all, my parents met as teens while attending school just a stone’s throw away.

Keith did have nice hair.

Tim’s eyes sparkled gemstone blue.

Sure, Craig could keep us all in stitches, but he was bound to be a farmer, and I had no plans to be a farmer’s wife!

Yes, life was spread before us like a starlit sky, but try as I might, I could never imagine being married (period), and certainly not to any of the boys in our circle.

Later, Spin the Bottle morphed into a game we called One Minute in Heaven. I don’t recall how we stumbled upon this expansion to the original game, but it certainly added a little something-something to the overall experience. In this enhanced game, the lucky couple spent one minute together (the minute timed by a tiny hourglass borrowed from a board game) in the dark attic closet, where Nana kept out-of-season clothing.

Oh my goodness — early on, I learned a vital life lesson. Sixty seconds could often seem like an eternity.

Now, decades later, the red brick house belongs to someone else. I drive by when I’m home on the farm and imagine the attic space, silent witness to bottle-spinning, lots of giggling, and quick kisses in the dark.

Nothing earth-shattering ever happened in the attic, at least not for me. But while the moon glowed and cotton grew in fields around our little town, our group became bound by the possibility of love and happily ever after. Yes, we were hopeful, naïve, and unaware of life’s fragility. And, for a few magical minutes, we were willing to put our fates in the spin of an empty glass bottle. That in itself truly was life-changing. •

By Talya Tate Boerner