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 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.” z z

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.

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. •