Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

 

Food Check-Out Week (February 17-23) celebrates the fact that America's farmers are producing safe,affordable and abundant food for the world's population. Across Arkansas, Farm Bureau women are taking this opportunity to  educate others about the importance of food and the local farmers who grow it.  Benton County Farm Bureau's Women's Committee is donating money to the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank and with the help of Benton County 4-H members donated canned food to a local food pantry. I'm thankful to be a  dairy farmer that produces food for others and to belong to an organization like  Farm Bureau  that strives to help others in our community.

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

Delivering a check from Benton County Farm Bureau Women's Committee to the Northwest Arkansas Foodbank was a great way to celebrate Food Check-Out Week. I'm thankful for  America's farmers and ranchers who work hard everyday to  provide the safest,most affordable and healthy food supply in the world and for those who work to feed people in our communities.

Dairy Delivers Bang for Your Buck

Even in these tough economic times, Americans are still enjoying the safest, most affordable and healthy food supply in the world due to the dedication and hard work of farmers and ranchers across our great nation. Food Check-Out Week, February 19-25, is being celebrated and observed this week in recognition of this very fact in communities across the nation.  Dairy farm families are working everyday to produce safe,high quality milk that provides nutritional and economical value for you and your family. In these tough economic times, dairy delivers a bang for your buck!

Dairy foods deliver a powerhouse of nutrients that include calcium,vitamin D,riboflavin, phosphorus,
protein,potassium, vitamin A, vitamin B12, and niacin. At just about twenty five cents a glass, milk is a nutritional bargain. You can stretch your dairy dollar and get a nutritional bang for your buck  by:

• buying milk by the gallon and make it your family's mealtime beverage
• use milk instead of water when preparing eggs,oatmeal,soups, side dishes,and baked goods
• buy cheese in block form and shred it yourself to use in recipes
• cut block cheese into individual portions for a fun snack
• buy low-fat, plain yogurt by the quart and flavor it with fresh fruit,granola or nuts
• use yogurt as an ingredient for healthier dips and sauces

                You can find more information about dairy's nutritional value and great  dairy recipes at

                    http://www.dairymakessense.com/ and http://www.midwestdairy.com/.  

Snackpacks for Kids

During Food Check-Out Week when we are recognizing farmers for producing safe,abundant and affordable food, we also see the needs of many families in our community during these tough economic times.

On behalf of the Benton County Farm Bureau Women's Comittee, I presented a check this week to Shannon Green, Food Marketing Coordinator of the Samaritan House for a donation to the Snackpacks for Kids program. The Snackpack program is just one of the many programs of the Samaritan House that helps to feed and clothe families in our community.

Snackpacks for Kids provides weekend snacks to children who are most at risk for hunger on the weekends. This program reaches children in Benton,Carroll,Madison and Washington Counties. During the current school year 3300 children in sixty four elementary schools,Head Starts, and Early Childhood Centers receive a snackpack each Friday. Each pack contains eight to ten healthy weekend snacks. Food products that are routinely packed are: animal crackers,beef jerky,cereal, cheese crackers,fruit bars,fruit juice boxes,fruit snacks/roll-ups,pretzels,pudding cups and Vienna sausage. Volunteers meet weekly to prepare boxes for each school and deliver them for distribution. When they reach the school, the counselor will put designated snacks into the children's backpacks to take home for the weekend to make sure they will have food until they come back to school on Monday.

If you are interested in donating to this program you can call the Samaritan House at 479-636-4198 or reach Shannon by email sgreen@samcc.org. I can't think of a better way to celebrate Food Check-Out Week than by helping others in our community!

Food Check-Out Week 2011

Food Check-Out Week, February 20-26, brings attention to the fact that the American farmer is providing the safest,most abundant and affordable food supply in the world! Across America this week, Farm Bureau volunteers will be celebrating Food Check-Out Week in their communities by making donations to local food banks,setting up displays and sharing the message with shoppers at supermarkets and other locations. I appreciate the variety of dedicated farmers we have in America to produce our food.

As I am thinking about how to make my family food dollar go further and still choose nutritious food during these tough economic times, Food Check-Out Week is also a good time to revisit strategies to provide better nutrition with less money such as:

• knowing your food budget


• planning balanced meals,


• making a list and sticking to it


• read food labels


• take time to compare prices for different brands and sizes


• shopping at competitively priced grocery stores with high quality produce

If you are needing more information about nutrition and food choices, I suggest visiting http://www.mypyramid.gov/. You can also find helpful information about dairy nutrition,shopping tips and the added value of dairy to your diet at http://dairymakessense.com/ and http://midwestdairy.com/.

It's a great week to Thank a Farmer!