March 26, 2014
www.gfb.org
Vol. 32 No. 12
GFB PREPARES MEMBERS FOR AGRICULTURE ADVOCACY More than 250 Georgia Farm Bureau members and staff learned how to advocate for agriculture while attending the organization’s annual Educational Leadership Conference in Augusta March 21 and 22. Debbie Lyons-Blythe, the 2012 America’s Farmers Farm Mom of the Year, delivered the keynote speech at the conference. Blythe, whose family raises Angus cattle, shared how she uses her blog “Life on a Kansas Cattle Ranch” to inform consumers about farm life and how beef is raised. “We’ve got to be able to tell consumers why we do things before the media or activists give consumers their take on it,” Blythe said. While Blythe stressed the importance of farmers using social media to reach consumers, she encouraged members of the ag community who don’t feel comfortable using it to talk to consumers face-to-face by asking their local grocery store to hand out samples of their commodity when it’s on sale or by wearing a t-shirt promoting their commodity at community events. Johnna Miller, director of media and advocacy training for American Farm Bureau, echoed Blythe’s message in her workshop on social media, saying, “We can’t afford to ignore social media any more because this is where people are getting their information and where the conversations are happening.” Dennis Peavy, the 2013 recipient of GFB’s Georgia Excellence in Teaching About Agriculture Educator Award, shared activities and resources he uses in his Houston County elementary class to teach his students about agriculture while meeting state standards. GFB Women’s Leadership Committee members Angel Page and Brenda Cooley led a class on ag careers during which they shared Ag in the Classroom materials volunteers can use such as the My American Farm games and Ag Mags to teach students about the many careers agriculture offers in addition to farming. GFB Field Services Department Director Mike Copeland told attendees about the Linking Families & Food program through which GFB can promote all aspects of agriculture’s story year-round. This program replaces Farm Bureau’s Food Check-Out Week program that promoted the affordability of America’s food. GFB Women’s Leadership Committee members Angie Durham and Nichelle Stewart shared games that can be used to teach kids about nutrition or ag facts. “Agriculture is important, and we should not neglect any opportunity we have to tell our story,” said GFB President Zippy Duvall. “I encourage you to take what you’ve learned today and use it because it is extremely important to let these young people in our communities know about agriculture.”