greater owensboro chamber of commerce
Vol 19/Issue 2
CHAMBER MATTERS 2021 DAVIESS COUNTY FARM BUREAU + COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE
TO CO-SPONSOR FEBRUARY ROOSTER BOOSTER
Over the last year, we have seen and experienced many changes in how we live and operate in our community, state and country. We don’t drive to meetings in the mornings, we ZOOM instead. We don’t drop the kids off at school, we log them in. We have lost many Kentuckians and loved ones due to COVID-19 and prayers are with those families daily. All the changes and disappointments in 2020 made us realize that we are “Stronger Together” and in 2021 we will find that “Together We Grow.” “Together We Grow” is our new slogan and the Daviess County Farm Bureau will continue to grow and support our community by sponsoring our local 4-H clubs, FFA Chapters, teachers educating students about agriculture in the classroom, the FarmCity Breakfast, the Annual Ag Expo, and providing six academic scholarships for our members’ students, as well as promoting many other local initiatives involving agriculture and education. Membership in Kentucky Farm Bureau/Daviess County has outstanding benefits, and we’re not just talking about supporting Kentucky agriculture or getting a great deal on an insurance policy. Members enjoy state and local discounts from many of Farm Bureau’s participating retailers and partners. The Daviess County Farm Bureau now has four offices to better serve our membership and our community. To learn more about the benefits of being a Farm Bureau member, please visit kyfb.com and daviess.kyfb.com.
The Daviess County Cooperative Ex tension Ser vice provides our communit y with science -based education relevant to people of all backgrounds in the areas of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Family and Consumer Sciences, Horticulture, and 4-H Youth Development. We provide soil testing and diagnostic services for plant diseases, insects, weeds, and management recommendations. The Supplemental Nutrition Education Program (SNAP-Ed) is federally funded and conducted by UK Cooperative Extension. SNAP-Ed provides nutrition education, cooking tips, recipes, and money-saving ideas to limited-resource families. 4-H offers many programs to youth ages 5-19. Youth ages 9-15 are provided with a unique opportunity to experience the best week of summer at West Kentucky 4-H Camp! Youth attending 4-H Camp have the chance to interact with other Daviess County youth, as well as campers from surrounding West Kentucky counties, to gain independence skills and enjoy the outdoors. This 4-day, 3-night event provides everything from crafts and cooking to canoeing and swimming. Teens 16-17 can join us in mentoring these campers to gain valuable leadership experience for future resumes! Adult volunteers are also imperative to make this camping experience possible. For more information, call the Daviess County Cooperative Extension Office at 270-685-8480!
FEB.
Join us! There is no cost to attend the Remote Rooster Booster on February 4 at 7:30 a.m., which will be streamed on Facebook Live and Zoom.
Join us via Facebook Live @gochamber To register for the event via Zoom, fill out a registration form on www.chamber.owensboro.com.
Ambassador Kelly Craft, U.S. Representative to the United Nations, to speak Ambassador Kelly Craft was nominated by President Donald J. Trump to the position of Representative of the United States of America to the United Nations on February 22, 2019 and was confirmed to that position by the United States Senate on July 31, 2019. She was formally sworn in by Vice President Mike Pence on September 10, 2019. Ambassador Craft served as the United States Ambassador to Canada from October 2017 until assumption of her USUN role in 2019. During her time as Ambassador, Kelly Craft she worked through the complex revisiting of the Ambassador NAFTA treaty, known as the United States-MexicoCanada Agreement or USMCA. Ambassador Kelly Craft is a leader, entrepreneur and philanthropist who has made community service and improving education the cornerstone of her career. As a third-generation Kentuckian, Ambassador Craft served her community by assuming several leadership roles with the Salvation Army of Lexington and the Center for Rural Development, a non-profit dedicated to the economic development of rural Kentucky. She also served in similar roles in the cultural leadership of her state, working with the Kentucky Arts Council and the United Way of the Bluegrass. With a deep commitment to education, Ambassador Craft has served on the University of Kentucky Board of Trustees and cofounded the Morehead State University Craft Academy for Excellence in Science and Mathematics. In 2007, President George W. Bush appointed Ambassador Craft as an alternate delegate to the United Nations General Assembly. In the private sector, Craft founded a successful marketing and business advisory firm providing leadership advice to businesses across the country. Ambassador Craft is a graduate of the University of Kentucky and holds an Honorary Doctorate from Morehead State University. She and her husband, Joe Craft, who is also native Kentuckian, share six children and eleven grandchildren.
Celebrating agriculture Clockwise from top: Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture Ryan Quarles addresses the crowd during the 2019 Farm City Breakfast; Chamber President and CEO Candance Castlen Brake takes a drive at Hill View Farms; Daniel Hayden of Hayden Farms (right) leads our Rooster Booster host Chad Benefield (left) on a tour of their sustainable poultry facilities.
In February, the Chamber highlights the rich tradition of collaboration and cooperation for success in the agricultural sector in Daviess County. Our agricultural leaders make our community vibrant, innovative and entrepreneurial. They drive our economic growth and improve our quality of life. Every day, the influence of agriculture in the Greater Owensboro region remains with us, from rural fields to cities; in business, in politics; in public service and in the food on our tables. We are grateful for their hard work and leadership, and the Chamber could not continue without their support.