Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

Emergencies involving large animals can occur at any time in any community.

Who do we call when we need help?

Agencies that deal with public safety.

Last week  the Benton County Farm Bureau Women's Committee,

Benton County Cooperative Extension, Farmer's Cooperative and Purina 

were  involved in organizing a training event  for our emergency workers

to learn how to handle large animals in emergency situations.

Experts in animal handling provided hands on training to 

men and women who work

for our community fire departments, police departments,

 and county sheriff''s office.

                                   
                                           I'm thankful for the sponsors of this event and the
                                                   men and women who took advantage of
                                              specialized training for large animal rescue.
                             

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

Sitting in the petting zoo last Saturday watching the kids and adults holding 

the chicks and milking the cow, I thought a lot about the evolution 

of the Benton County Farm Bureau Petting Zoo.

Benton County Farm Bureau has sponsored a free petting zoo 

at the Benton County Fair since the 1990's.

Janice Shofner, our Women's Committee Chair at the time,

had the great idea of providing a petting zoo to educate kids and adults about

Benton County agriculture.

Our first zoo was in a tent under the big old tree at the

 fairgrounds in downtown Bentonville. 

Our current petting zoo at the Benton County Fair is under

 a tall red-iron structure with plenty of room for chicks,

calves,pigs, a couple of cows

 and a lot of kids!

I'm thankful for dedicated Farm Bureau members

 that continue to  see the value of the petting zoo in educating 

kids and adults about agriculture.

                                                     Even our Benton County Fair Queen
                                                                      loves  the chicks!

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

"Many Farms,One Voice" 

was the theme for the 2018 Arkansas Farm Bureau  Women's

 Leadership Conference in Little Rock  last weekend.

Farm Bureau women from across the state gathered to learn more about

 how to use our collective voices in promoting agriculture and educating

 others how we work everyday on the farm to ensure we have plenty

 of food,fiber and fuel for all of our families.

I'm thankful for these women and my friends from across the state 

that choose to spend their time and talents to share their passion about 

agriculture and speak with one voice

about a subject that impacts each of us everyday.

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

We kicked off our Benton County Farm Bureau membership drive this week  with the 

signing of a proclamation by Benton County Judge Barry Moerhing to declare

 February 5-9 Farm Bureau Week.

I'm thankful to serve in an organization  that 

promotes and educates about agriculture 

and 

works for all citizens through legislative activities that impact

 our everyday lives in the city, the county 

or

                                                                down on the dairy farm.

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

Benton County Judge Barry Moehring signed the official

 proclamation declaring this week as Benton County Farm Bureau Week.

This event is the kick-off to our county membership drive.

                                   
                                I'm thankful to be a member of an organization that advocates
                        the interests of agriculture in the public arena,disseminates information
                        concerning the value and importance of agriculture and provides products
                            and services which improve the quality of life for all our members.

Not everyone can be a farmer,

but everyone can be a Farm Bureau member!

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

Would you know how to create a recipe from a list of food ingredients 

and explain everything about your prepared dish that included

 nutrient content, nutritional value,cost and food safety?

Ten teams of Benton County 4-H members rose to the occasion of participating

 in the first Benton County 4-H Food Challenge contest last weekend.

As one of the judges representing Benton County Farm Bureau,

 I can say first hand that it was a blast watching kids

 from age 9 to 19 work together for learning and competition.

I'm thankful for the many youth activities supported 

by Benton County Farm Bureau and for the members

 and leaders of Benton County 4-H.

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

Policy making time at Farm Bureau is serious business.

 It's our policy framework that guides the work of our organization. 

As stated in a recent  membership brochure-- 

"Farm Bureau policy, because it is crafted by individuals, 

reflects a wide range of needs and interests. Issues are as far-ranging as

 soil testing,production research,public education, taxes,

 roads, trespassing,health and safety."

Resolutions for policy  are presented at the county annual meeting. 

Every member who chooses to do so can have a say in our policies and programs.

It's the grassroots process of policy development that sets us apart from other organization.

Last week the State Resolutions Committee, met in Little Rock 

to discuss the presented changes or additions to the 

policy adopted at the county level.

Discussion of each issue that is presented is interesting,enlightening and

 although we may not all agree, majority rules. 

The final step in policy development will be the presentation of these 

policy changes to the Delegates at the Arkansas Farm Bureau 

Annual Meeting in December.

I'm thankful to be involved in an organization 

where membership does really matter!

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

While working to promote Farm Bureau membership this week in our county, 

I've been thinking about all the fun I've had  in a variety of settings with consumers of all ages. 

I consider the Farm Bureau Cow part of my family!

                                        I'm thankful to be a Farm Bureau member and  for the
                                                 opportunities I've had to share our dairy story.

Marketing Farming

Benton County Farm Bureau provided a little bit of fun and information about Benton County agriculture to   hundreds of people at the Bentonville Farmer's Market this past Saturday. 

Basically, we were marketing farming.

Consumers of all ages enjoyed the beauty of this antique tractor and a lot of 

tractor talking from Benton County farmer Bob Shofner,

milking the cow that never goes dry,

and

petting the  chicks.

It's not a hard job to market farming because 

we have a great story to communicate at every opportunity.

 It's obvious that the look of the family farm and the technologies

have changed but we have the same values of caring for the land 

and the animals to provide safe,healthy food for America's consumers.

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

What's not fun about milking a cow or planting a seed?

The students at Grace Hill Elementary learned about Arkansas agriculture from members of the Benton County Farm Bureau Women's Committee and our friends from Arkansas Farm Bureau this week. 

I'm thankful for all of my friends who generously give of their time each year to tell the the great  story of agriculture!

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

As we kick off our Benton County Farm Bureau Membership Campaign with a proclamation from Benton County Judge Bob Clinard recognizing the importance of agriculture in our community, I am thankful for the opportunity to serve my community through the volunteer activities of Benton County Farm Bureau.

                                                        Happy Farm Bureau Week!

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

I'm thankful for Farm Bureau leaders like our Benton County Farm Bureau President Bob Shofner,

For the women I serve with on activities to educate children and adults about agriculture,

the youth activities that are supported by our county and Arkansas Farm Bureau,

and for the blessings I have received as a Farm Bureau member and volunteer.

The mission of Arkansas Farm Bureau is to:

1. Advocate the interests of agriculture in the public arena.

2. Disseminate information concerning the value and importance of agriculture, and 

3. Provide products and services which improve the quality of life for our members.

Farmers in the Zoo

Next week, you won't find the farmers in the dell, but you can see them working  at the  new Benton County Farm Bureau Petting Zoo  when the Benton County Fair kicks off it's 109th year!  

Benton County Farm Bureau has sponsored the Petting Zoo at the Benton County Fair for more than twenty years to give children and adults an opportunity to learn a little about animals and  Arkansas agriculture.

 In the beginning, the zoo was a big tractor tire filled with baby chicks covered with a tent for protection from the rain that seemed to be a normal part of the fair.  We graduated to a carport awning structure that we actually moved to the new fairground facility. It was obvious after last year's fair, that our petting zoo would probably not stand up to another season of stormy,windy weather.    I'm so  thankful and excited to see this new structure that will serve not only as a petting zoo, but will be large enough for other events on the fairgrounds  during the year.

 I invite you to visit our Farmers in the Zoo   next week at the Benton County Fair, August 12-16.

Pigs and Chickens, and Farmers--oh my! 

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

 

Benton County Farm Bureau Women's Committee brought Farm Expo to Russell Jones Elementary in Rogers on Monday.  Students rotated through stations to learn about Arkansas agriculture  from  farmers, University of Arkansas  extension agents, Arkansas Farm Bureau and Arkansas Beef Council staff.

I'm thankful for the students and teachers who allowed us to share about...

 

how seeds germinate and farmers raise crops,

 

the life cycle of a water drop and the importance to agriculture,

 

 

how farmers raise healthy chickens that included

 

 

 poultry terminology bingo,

 

 

how dairy farmers work to provide high-quality milk,

 

the benefits of beef and beef by-products we use every day,

 

safe food handling,

 

cotton farming and ginning,

 

 

rice production,

 

 

including milling the rice.

 

It was a win-win day for students and volunteers---

the students had a fun learning experience and the volunteers passionately  shared how agriculture  impacts our everyday lives!

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

 

Last week I was presented with a plaque from  Benton County Farm Bureau for my volunteer service as the Chairwoman of the Benton County Farm Bureau  Women's Committee. I've been blessed to work with the greatest volunteers, who I call my friends,  and with  the support and help of my family. I'm thankful for the opportunity I have had to help educate others about agriculture in a variety of activities!