Womensnewsletter 1q2014 by Arkansas Farm Bureau

arkansas

farm

bureau

committee comments

he new State Women’s Committee met for the first time February 13. We have three new members: Donna Bemis, Sonya Harrell, and Roberta Golman. Also, since Sherry Felts has become a State Board member we have a new vicechairwoman, Peggy Miller. We celebrated Food Check-Out week, which is now known as “Our Food Link,” with a tour and donation of $4,000 to Ronald McDonald House at Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock. Arkansas Farm Bureau has partnered with the Arkansas Ronald McDonJanice Marsh ald House and chairwoman celebrated our safe affordable foods for 17 years. Our Food Link is a year-round program for county volunteers to conduct activities that will effectively reach consumers with information about today’s agriculture. Check with your county Farm Bureau to get this informational toolkit. Our state committee conducted an enjoyable and informative Statewide Women’s Conference March 7th and 8th at the Embassy Suites in Little Rock. We highlighted the “Million Heart’s” Program with the Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care and UA Division of Agriculture Health Specialists. Workshops featured sessions

KEITH SUTTON photo

ArFB’s State Women’s Committee members posed for a photo during the Women’s Conference in Little Rock March 7. Attending were (l to r) Roberta Golmon, Norfork; Donna Bemis, Little Rock; Robin Williams, Forrest City; Sue Billiot, Smithville; Sara Loe, Hot Springs; Angela Jones, Mansfield; Dana Stewart, Judsonia; and chairwoman Janice Marsh, McCrory.

county activities The following activity summaries were submitted by the county Farm Bureau Women’s Committees:

Arkansas: The committee donated

to Acres of Help, which sponsors the backpack program at the DeWitt and Gillett schools. The committee also planned a safety session on texting and driving at Stuttgart High School for March.

Baxter: Committee members read story

books to students at Norfork elementary school. The committee also bought poster board for

continued on page 6

First Quarter 2014 ®

the safety poster contest and delivered it to the schools, along with the essay and poster contest rules. A committee member picked up the poster and essay contest entries and the committee judged them. The committee purchased razorback items for a basket to take to State Convention for the silent auction.

Benton: The committee donated $300 to Decatur Public Schools to purchase art supplies. The committee also conducted an Ag in the Classroom coloring contest. continued on page 2

2014

county activities

arfb state

women’s committee

s your state women’s committee, we are here to be a resource and assist you in your ag promotion activities. Please feel free to contact us at any time. JANICE MARSH chairwoman Woodruff County, District 2 870-731-5660 rmarsh@centurytel.net PEGGY MILLER vice chairwoman Chicot County, District 7 870-265-5151 peggymiller2@gmail.com SUE BILLIOT ex-officio Sharp County, District 2 870-528-3617 kajunsue@centurytel.net ROBIN C. WILLIAMS St. Francis County, District 1 870-633-8783 creses528@yahoo.com DANA D. STEWART White County, District 2 501-278-9132 danadianestewart@gmail.com ROBERTA GOLMON Baxter County, District 3 870-499-3130 robertafoxtrot@gmail.com

Boone: The committee worked with the local

extension office and Chamber of Commerce to have a speaker from Farm Bureau attend the Youth Leadership Class in March who would educate them about all area commodities and their value to the economy. The committee also met with local elementary teachers and encouraged them to pick up sample lesson plans integrating agriculture into their curriculums. The plans focused on forestry and poultry. The committee

thanked all who helped and assisted with the annual Farm Safety Day for all area 4th graders.

Calhoun: The committee conducted a

county Ag in the Classroom coloring and poster contest and decorated the county office for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Chicot: Members of the committee visited Lakeside Elementary School and read the book, “Who Grew My Soup” to the Pre-K class. The students learned how vegetables are grown on the farm and then delivered to grocery stores to be sold.

ANGELA K. JONES Sebastian County, District 4 479-462-3369 akjones31@gmail.com

Clay: The committee conducted an Ag in the

SARA N. LOE Garland County, District 5 501-545-1572 snwasl143@aol.com

Cleburne: Two members of the committee attended the winter commodity division meeting in North Little Rock in January. The committee also presented 60 shirts to the Junior Master Gardeners from the 5th and 6th grades at West Side Greers Ferry school.

DONNA BEMIS Pulaski County, District 6 501-897-4931 donna@bemistreefarm.com SONYA HARRELL Calhoun County, District 7 870-798-4821

sonya.harrell@ymail.com 2

GREGG PATTERSON photo

Pulaski Co. FB donated groceries worth $600 to the Dorcas House women’s shelter Feb. 12 as part of Food Check-Out Month. Among those attending were Pulaski Co. FB Women’s Committee Chair Betty Oliver (left), Union Rescue Mission associate Cathy Doty (second from left); Pulaski Co. FB VP Fred Nickerson (center-left); Pulaski Co. FB board member Debbie Moreland (center-right); and State Women’s Committee member Donna Bemis (third from right).

Classroom poster contest at Piggott Elementary school and awarded prizes to the top three winners.

CHRIS WILSON photo

Peggy Miller of Lake Village has been named vice chairwoman of the Arkansas Farm Bureau State Women’s Committee. Miller has served on the committee since January 2013 and is filling the post that was vacated when Sherry Felts of Joiner was elected to the ArFB board of directors in December.

Conway: The committee donated $300

worth of art supplies to the Morrilton Elementary School Art program. Through our donation, students have taken part in various projects such as scrapbooking and general arts and craft lessons. The committee continued on page 4

Poinsett (Ag in the Classroom)

Washington Co (Baked items for public servants)

C O U N T Y C L O S E - U P S

Independence (3rd grade reading)

Monroe (Poster contest winners)

Clark (Community Health Screening)

Lonoke (Food donation) 3

county activities also conducted an Ag in the Classroom coloring, poster, and essay contest in addition to visiting area schools to promote Arkansas agriculture to elementary students. Committee members hosted a popcorn party for each class that took part in the contest. The committee also conducted Ag in the Classroom programs at Sacred Heart, Nemo Vista, and Wonderview Schools.

Craighead: The committee judged the “Thank a Farmer” poster, coloring book and essay contest. 1st Place winners were awarded cash and ribbons. Four different schools participated. Bay, Westside, Visual and Performing Arts and Brookland. Committee member Debbie DeRossitte worked with EAST Lab of Brookland to provide healthy snack recipes to the students. The non-profit EAST® Initiative works with schools and institutions across the country to establish and implement local EAST programs, equipping classrooms, training facilitators and providing technical training for students. Debbie DeRossitte also wrote a feature article for the Jonesboro Sun newspaper about the 4-H Cook-off including the recipes and photos. This article was an introduction for local Culinary Clubs. Crawford: The committee conducted a luncheon for new committee members and 10 ladies attended. Six ladies attended the Winter Commodity Division meeting in North Little Rock. Mulberry 4th grade students learned about the American flag and the committee ordered 30 pamphlets that were given to the students as part of the program. The students also participated in a program about cotton. Members of the committee passed around samples of cotton and products made of cotton to see if the students could guess what these items were made of.

grade students. The committee also conducted an Arkansas Agriculture Day featuring live farm animals at Lakeside Intermediate School. This was the first year for the committee’s new mentoring program. It currently has seven students who are interested in a career in agriculture and want to be mentored by one of the committee members. The students had dinner with the committee and the county board where they had the opportunity to ask questions of the board members. This allowed the students to work on their public speaking skills.

Cross: Miss Cross County Rice attended the

Greene: The committee conducted a coloring

Faulkner: Two committee members partici-

Howard: The committee sponsored two contestants in the state Sew with Cotton Contest. Lauren Ince placed 3rd in her division and Chelsea Trombley placed 5th.

Christmas parade in surrounding cities. She also attended the Farm Family Day Luncheon and 4-H Congress. Members of the committee presented a program on the food pyramid at county schools.

pated in a forestry education program at the Conway Arbor Day Celebration with more than 750 in attendance. The committee also conducted programs at Wooster and Greenbrier Eastside Elementary Schools where students learned about fruits and vegetables grown in Arkansas. The students made Grinch smoothies as part of the program. They also learned about transplanting and taught how to make homemade jiffy pots.

Garland: The committee conducted a

program at Gardner Magnet school called “Rice to the Table.” Committee members explained how rice is grown and how it gets from the farm to the table. The program reached approximately 75 2nd and 3rd

GREGG PATTERSON photo

Loys Rutledge of Newport, visited with guests who stopped by the Arkansas Farm Bureau booth during the trade show at the American Farm Bureau Federation convention in San Antonio in January.

book contest for local students and had the overall winner in the statewide contest.

Independence: In conjunction with the County Extension office the committee conducted a “Farm to You” program and information on where our food comes from. Approximately 500 students participated. The committee also provided healthy snacks of water, peanut butter and cheese crackers, and bananas to the 30 speakers. The committee also read the book “How Did That Grow in My Soup” to two 3rd grade classes totaling 50 students. The cafeteria served vegetable soup that day. The committee also donated a food basket of healthy snacks, fruits, veggies, whole grains, and nuts to the local hospital ICU waiting room.

Jackson: The committee gave goodie bags to office employees at local schools and Newport newspaper Staff which contained rice bags, mints, memo pads and flash lights. The committee also arranged a safety program for junior high students by safety coordinator Amanda Williams on distracted driving, and helped sponsor a health fair at the Tuckerman Senior Citizens Center.

Lonoke: The committee donated items to the silent auction at the state convention. The committee also donated non-perishable food items to the Open Arms Shelter in commemoration of Food Check-Out Week. Miller: A committee member spoke to members of the Blue Bonnett Garden Club and taught them about conservation. A committee member also was named to work with the advertising and promotion commission and spoke about the health and safety programs that are available through Farm Bureau. Monroe: The committee sponsored an Ag in the Classroom coloring book contest for Students in K thru 2 at Clarendon Elementary and Brinkley Partee elementary schools. The committee donated $200 for art supplies. The local newspaper featured photos of the committee with the winners and their posters. Newton: The committee packed backpacks with supplies and personally delivered them to the continued on page 5

county activities Greenfield Children’s Home in Rotan, Honduras. The committee also machine quilted for a nursing Home and cutout and made 24 fleece scarves and donated 12 quilts with pillow cases for women at Teen Challenge. The committee also donated handmade items to the EHC scholarship fund to be auctioned.

North Logan: The committee conducted a safety poster contest and delivered information to Paris, St. Joseph and Scranton elementary schools. Members of the committee also made food and helped at the CASA children’s tea party which is a benefit for Christmas gifts for foster children. Poinsett: The committee conducted an Ag in the Classroom coloring book contest in county elementary schools and delivered award certificates to the winners. A photo of the winners along with county president Joe Rennicke, and committe member Shana Reddmann was published in The Modern News newspaper. Polk: The committee conducted a county Sew With Cotton contest and sent four entries to the state competition. Pope: Members of the committee read the book

“Who made my Soup” to a kindergarten class at Pottsville. The students received farm coloring books and crayons. For a snack the students were served veggies and ranch dressing that were described in the book. They asked lots of questions as we explained the new “our plate” portion and why veggies are good for you instead of all sweets. Photos and articles were in two local newspapers. Two classes in Pottsville participated in the “My American farm” contest. With the help of the computer lab technician the students wrote essays about what they liked most about the online game at myamericanfarm.org. It is a game that lets students learn about agriculture while having fun.

Scott: Students at Waldron Elementary and Mansfield Middle School participated in the “Thank A Farmer” poster and coloring contest. The county had a first and second place winner from the two categories and the winning poster and coloring sheet were sent to Little Rock for the state contest. Searcy: The committee donated non-perishable

food items to the local food bank during Food Check-Out Week. The committee also presented gifts to a local family for the Angel Tree Program in December. The Thanksgiving Board Meeting was held at the Searcy County Extension Homemakers Building and committee members prepared the meal for the members and guests.

Sharp: The committee distributed soybean crayons to kindergarten classes at local elementary schools.

GREGG PATTERSON photo

Women attending the American Farm Bureau annual convention gathered for a photo before the Women’s Leadership Recognition Luncheon. Pictured (l to r) are Sarah Heller of Magazine, Loys Rutledge of Newport, Janice Marsh of McCrory, Sara Beth Waller of Lonoke, Heather Keenen of Farmington, Cynthia Ford of El Dorado, Sherry Felts of Joiner, Robin Williams of Forrest City and Peggy Miller of Lake Village.

The committee also donated the book of the year to the school library and conducted a safety coloring book and poster contest for students in the local schools.

South Logan: The committee conducted a food preparation and cooking program for local children. They demonstrated their skills at making cookies at the home of Ruby Jackson. They learned the proper way to mix ingredients, the importance of clean hands and utensils, and how to safely use an oven. Committee members also taught a lesson in Beth Corley’s fourth grade class in Booneville on food preparation by Indians in the 1800s compared to food preparation today. The students learned about hunting and farming strategies, techniques, and productivity. The students also compared how clothing was made in the two time periods and how today’s technology has improved clothing production. The presenters and students discussed how products grown or raised in Arkansas reach around the world and feed millions of people. South Mississippi: The committee conducted a coloring book and poster contest in local schools. Committee members presented bags promoting rice and local commodities to the winners. Photos of the winners were taken and sent to the local newspaper. St. Francis: The committee distributed booklets and crayon packets and read books to the students about Arkansas commodities. The committee also distributed information regarding the coloring book

and poster contest and purchased art supplies to donate to local schools. The committee has been very active in the schools this year trying to get the children interested in agriculture and on board for the coloring and poster contest. The committee also promoted Farm Bureau as well as local commodities and the women’s committee at the Forrest City Healthy Woman Clinic in January.

Union: The committee arranged for Amanda Williams to conduct an ATV Safety class to fourth, fifth, and sixth graders at Parkers Chapel Elementary. In addition a Bone Health lesson was taught to 40 parents at a local school. The committee distributed nutrition information, including Ag magazines dealing with corn, beef, bees, and dairy to 2500 students at the county’s elementary schools. A committee member taught cooking classes to 7 participants featuring poultry and vegetables. The committee supplied a meal for the John Williamson Hospice House for patients and their families. Members placed candy in the ICU waiting room at the El Dorado hospital and donated more than 100 pairs of children’s shoes to the Salvation Army. Washington: The committee was very

active during the period. Activities included: Scheduling the mobile ag experience trailer for a program at Prairie Grove Middle School and for a 4-H event; used social media to promote the garden grant and teacher curriculum resources; gathered information on the problems with backyard chickens and used social media to share it; donated food to a local food drive, gave food to continued on page 6 5

county activities a needy family and donated food to the Northwest Arkansas Hunger Relief program; promoted Farm Bureau membership by delivering member benefit brochures with baked good baskets to 15 locations including the Prairie Grove Fire Dept, Lincoln Fire Dept Prairie Grove Police Dept., West Fork Fire Dept, Washington Regional Medical Center ER nurse’s station, Greenland Police Dept., and Washington County Sheriff‘s Dept. The committee received public social media recognition from Washington County Sheriff’s Dept in a thank you post including photos.

White: A committee member has developed a

Women’s Committee Facebook site to keep the community and committee informed on activities. Within the first two days, it received over 100 “likes.” Any necessary information concerning the Women’s Committee and Extension Service activities is posted on that page. A committee member is working with Janet Reaper concerning the FBLA and their involvement in a school garden. Also, information was given to Mrs. Reaper concerning the Garden Grant program.

Woodruff: The committee was active during the period. Activities included: judging rice dishes at the state fair; presented a program to a kindergarten class on farming; attended the Sew with Cotton luncheon; collected and judged coloring book, poster and essay contest; donated a gift for the silent auction at the State Convention; cooked and served a meal for residents at Little Rock’s Ronald McDonald House; and helped judge the State Discussion meet at the State Convention.

committee comments continued from page 1

dealing with information on programs Arkansas Farm Bureau offers for schools and clubs, scholarships opportunities, a

AFBF photo

At the AFBF convention in San Antonio, ArFB State Women’s Committee chair Janice Marsh (left) of McCrory accepted a certificate recognizing the Arkansas women’s group for their involvement with Little Rock’s Ronald McDonald House. AFBF Women’s Leadership Committee chair Terry Gilbert presented the certificate.

program on how to identify different generations and learn how to work with them, and a wonderful cooking demo with Little Rock Chef Jason Knapp and the Arkansas Beef Council. The highlight of our meeting was hypnotist Jim Wand. His entertainment lifted everyone’s spirits and gave us

energy to go forward and enjoy the day. Thank you for letting me serve as your chairman. If I can help you or your committee in anyway, please let me know. Have a wonderful spring and I hope to see everyone in Springdale at the Officers and Leaders Conference in July.

staff contacts • Harry Willems, associate director of O&MP, 501-228-1247, harry.willems@arfb.com • Autumn Wood, O&MP special programs assistant, 501-228-1306, autumn.wood@arfb.com

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arfb women’s committee calendar Sun.

Mon.

Tue.

Wed.

Thu.

Fri.

Sat.

April 1

april fool’s day

Good Friday FB Offices Closed

ArFB BOARD MEETING

Easter

Statewide Measure-the-Candidates Meeting

Deadline to register to vote in primary election

May 1

Administrative Professional’s

may day

Cinco de Mayo Ntl. Day of Prayer

Second Quarter Women’s Quarterly Report Deadline

Mother’s Day

Armed Forces Day

Primary Election

26 Memorial Day FB Offices Closed

June 1

NATIONAL LEADERSHIP FORUM at Harding University in Searcy

Flag Day

Father’s Day

First Day of Summer

TEEN CHALLENGE at 4-H Center in Ferndale