CATAWBA COUNTY FARM BUREAU Board of Director’s Member Lucas Richard received the Outstanding Contributor to Agriculture Award for 2009. The award is presented each year as part of the Farm City Banquet Program, which was held Nov. 24 at the Hickory American Legion Meeting Hall.

CLAY COUNTY FARM BUREAU Members participated in the county’s Tractor Parade on Sept. 19. The parade, sponsored by the Clay County Tractor Club, stretched almost two miles and included about 80 entries, from a 1940 Farmall to the latest farm equipment. The event raised $3,000 for the Dwight Smith Scholarship Fund, created in honor of a local resident killed in a farming accident. The money will be awarded to a student studying for a career in agriculture, farming or forestry.

COLUMBUS COUNTY FARM BUREAU Member Garland McCullen was among the first 100 inductees to the North Carolina 4-H Hall of Fame in summer 2009. McCullen was Agriculture Extension Agent and Extension Service County Director.

CUMBERLAND COUNTY FARM BUREAU honored Justin Kyle Smith as its Young Farmer of the Year during its annual meeting. Smith, 23, is a 2007 graduate of North Carolina State University with a degree in agricultural business management. He currently produces 700 acres of cotton, 350 acres of soybeans and 25 acres of tobacco with his father on their family farm.

CUMBERLAND COUNTY FARM BUREAU awarded Bill Tew with its Outstanding Service Award. Tew is a Member of NCFB’s Board of Directors, as well as the county Vice President.
Tew is a shining example of outstanding achievement and public service. Among Tew’s many achievements, are the following highlights:
Served as a Cumberland County Farm Bureau Board Member for 37 years.
Served as a North Carolina Farm Bureau State Board Member for 17 years.
Served on the USDA Farm Service Agency Community Committee for 15 years.
Served on Agricultural Advisory Boards.

DAVIE COUNTY FARM BUREAU presented retiring Board Member Charles Phillips a plaque honoring him for 46 years of service. Fellow Board Member Edwin Boger presented Phillips with the recognition during the county Annual Meeting.

DUPLIN COUNTY FARM BUREAU Women’s Committee recently presented 37 one-gallon bags of drink tabs, which were collected for the Ronald McDonald House. Also, they presented a check for $50 to the Kenansville Fire Department.

DUPLIN COUNTY FARM BUREAU held its county Annual Meeting on Oct. 15, with guests Ben Parrish and Josh Smith from the Sheriff’s Department Gang Enforcement Unit. They presented a gang awareness program to about 220 members during the annual meeting.

FRANKLIN COUNTY FARM BUREAU recently participated in the third North Carolina Goat & Sheep Producers Roundup at the Guilford County Cooperative Extension Center in Greensboro. Franklin County Farm Bureau’s Board of Directors sponsored the “NC Chefs Cook-off of Lamb and Chevon,” which included a $2,000 prize for the winning chefs. Catawba Farm Bureau Member and goat producer Susan Proctor was one of three judges in the competition. The two-day event drew more than 135 goat and sheep producers from North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. It also included educational sessions and a training session for youth.

HAYWOOD COUNTY FARM BUREAU honored dairy farmer Wade Francis during its Annual Meeting for 48 years of dedicated service to the organization. Francis served 19 years as county President and 28 years on the state Board of Directors. During his service as President, Francis was instrumental in moving Haywood County Farm Bureau from rented property to its own property and a new state-of-the-art building to serve the membership. Francis worked diligently to address the concerns of county and state farmers on issues concerning production agriculture, and was an outstanding spokesman for vocational education, farm land-use tax, farmland preservation, agriculture research and environmental issues. Haywood County’s 4,500 members are appreciative of the 48 years of leadership Francis gave the organization.

HAYWOOD COUNTY FARM BUREAU was recognized for its support for NCFB’s Agriculture in the Classroom Program. The county paid the salary of nine substitute teachers and provided breakfast and lunch for workshop participants. Attendees included Anne Garrett, Superintendant of Schools; Terry Rogers, Haywood County Farm Bureau President; Sandy Caldwell, Elementary Supervisor; and Chuck Francis, School Board Chairman.

IREDELL COUNTY FARM BUREAU recently presented financial aid to the county’s five Future Farmers of America chapters. County President David Sides, fourth from left, presented representatives from the five chapters with the donations.

LEE COUNTY FARM BUREAU was a sponsor of the Third Annual Meat Goat Show held Sept. 16 at the Lee Regional Fair. The event included a Showmanship Competition and exhibitors from Richmond, Moore, Montgomery, Hoke, Anson and Lee counties. County Farm Bureau President John Cameron and Katherine Southard, Miss North Carolina 2009, presented ribbons to the winners of the goat show.

ROCKINGHAM COUNTY FARM BUREAU established an Agriculture Foundation endowment in honor of NCFB Senior Vice President J.M. Wright Jr. The $50,000 endowment is a scholarship for Rockingham County students planning to attend North Carolina State University, North Carolina A&T State University, or a North Carolina community college to study for a career in agriculture or agri-science. The endowment honors the commitment that Wright has demonstrated as a leader and former President of the Rockingham County Farm Bureau. Rockingham County Farm Bureau previously established an endowment at Rockingham Community College and provides three $1,000 scholarships.

SAMPSON COUNTY FARM BUREAU Women’s Committee served a pizza and Pepsi lunch to the Compensatory Education Class at Sampson Community College. About 50 people were served.

WAKE COUNTY FARM BUREAU Women’s Committee recently visited Hope Chapel preschoolers to help educate them during their farm unit of study. Sixty children milked a cow, made “moo masks,” painted pumpkins and made pumpkin pie snacks. Also, Women’s Committee Member Michelle Dupree delivered pumpkins to kindergarten and first-grade classes at Willow Springs Elementary School.

WILSON COUNTY FARM BUREAU Women’s Committee recently held a car seat safety check at Rock Ridge Elementary School, with the help of the school’s principal, the Highway Patrol, the Department of Transportation and the local EMS. Before the event, parents were notified that when they came to drop their child off at school, they could have their child’s safety seat inspected to make sure it was positioned and secured in their vehicle properly. Parents were also given pamphlets on car seat safety. The inspections were free.

COUNTY FARM BUREAU Members from Anson, Ashe, Catawba, Iredell, McDowell, Lincoln, Rowan and Yadkin counties traveled to Moultrie, Ga. in October 2009 to attend the Sunbelt Agricultural Expo. North Carolina Farm Bureau President Larry Wooten also attended this year’s event as North Carolina was the Spotlight State in 2009. NCFB, the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, North Carolina State University and The N.C. State Grange collaborated on an exhibit representing North Carolina agriculture. Henderson County sod farmer Fred Pittillo was recognized as the North Carolina Farmer of the Year.

WAKE COUNTY FARM BUREAU set up interactive agricultural displays at the Jordan Lake Heritage Day on Oct. 3. Vice President Richard Jenks showed visitors how to shell corn and loop tobacco. Michelle and Melanie Dupree offered children the chance to milk a cow, make a “moo mask,” and choose an activity book to take home. About 50 children participated.

WAYNE COUNTY FARM BUREAU Members Bryant and Debbie Worley were among the four winners nationwide of the 2009 Pork Industry Environmental Steward Award given by Pork Checkoff in conjunction with National Hog Farmer Magazine. Judges representing pork producers and environmental groups selected Bryant Worley Farms, Inc. of Princeton from among candidates who demonstrate commitment to upholding the ideal relationship between pork production and the environment. The Worley’s operate their farm with the thinking that farmers were the first environmentalists, and they were previously honored in 2005 as the North Carolina Soil and Water Association’s Outstanding Conservation Farm Family. The Worley’s also played an important role in raising the 2009 National Thanksgiving Turkey presented by the National Turkey Federation for the White House “Pardoning.” The Worley Family Farm, growers for Goldsboro Milling, Company, Inc., cared for the birds.

NORTH CAROLINA FARM BUREAU’S LEAD TEAM had its fall conference Sept. 17-19 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Asheville. The focus of this September’s conference was Communicating with the Media. Bob Wilson, of American Farm Bureau, conducted a session called “Have I Got A Story for You,” during which participants held mock interviews with each other and were critiqued. The group visited WLOS-TV’s station to learn how television programs are put together and how to prepare themselves for television interviews. They also visited the Asheville Citizen-Times newspaper, where they met with the editor and the agriculture reporter to learn ways to hone their skills for print media. The conference also included a visit to the Biltmore vineyard, a workshop on the proper way to write Thank You notes and a trip to the Asheville Farmers Market.

ALAMANCE COUNTY FARM BUREAU member Jane Iseley was the subject of a “tar heel people” feature in the August issue of Our State magazine. The article told the story of how Iseley left her career as a photographer for auction house Sotheby’s to carry on her family’s farm with her uncle after the passing of her father.

DAVIDSON COUNTY FARM BUREAU

GASTON COUNTY FARM BUREAU

MCDOWELL COUNTY FARM BUREAU

ROCKINGHAM COUNTY FARM BUREAU recently held its 12th annual Progressive Foundation Kids Safety Day at Wentworth Elementary School. The event featured talks and information about electric safety, animal awareness and safety, eye and skin safety, small and large equipment safety and more. Farm Bureau logo items, including Willy the Safety Squirrel coloring books and safety booklets, propane safety brochures and others, were given to the 155 students in attendance.

YADKIN COUNTY FARM BUREAU’S

WAKE COUNTY FARM BUREAU

Horticultural Hero’s Dedication Benefits Everyone

NEW HANOVER COUNTY FARM BUREAU Vice President Durwood Baggett should be thanked for his hand in developing the state’s thriving Master Gardener program, but he isn’t done educating people about horticulture.

His generosity will continue through the recently established Durwood Baggett Extension Horticultural Program Endowment for New Hanover County.

Baggett retired from Cooperative Extension in 1978 after a 30-plus year career, but his work was not finished. Even today, he is a familiar presence at the Extension Center Arboretum.

Baggett was born in 1922 on a Sampson County farm near Spivey’s Corner, and he went to work as an assistant agricultural agent at Yancey County Cooperative Extension in 1946, after serving in World War II with Patton’s Third Army in Europe, where he was awarded a Bronze Star.

In 1950, he took the New Hanover County Agent job, which would later be re-titled County Extension Director.

By 1974, New Hanover County was becoming more urban, and he found himself fielding an increasing number of non-traditional horticulture questions. During a visit to an Extension office in Florida, Baggett learned about a program that could work in his agency.

He returned to Wilmington, and following a conversation with the county manager, he visited garden clubs to look for volunteers willing to be trained to answer questions from the public. The response was strong, and North Carolina State specialists came in and trained the volunteers to work two at a time answering calls to a sort-of horticultural hotline.

Thus, the idea for the Master Gardener program was born, and Master Gardener programs are now flourishing nationwide.

In retirement, Baggett has served on the County Extension Advisory Council and helped establish a horticultural therapy program and a 4-H junior Master Gardeners program.

In addition to his involvement in Farm Bureau, Baggett served 20 years on the Soil and Water Conservation Board of Supervisors and is a long-time Lions Club member. He is the father of three children—David, Dudley and Deborah.

His family business, Gilmore Plant & Bulb Company in Julian, has sold a variety of farm products to beautify many of the memorials and other historic sites in Washington, D.C.

“I feel good about it, but I give all the credit to my sons,” Gilmore says. “They do the growing.”

Gilmore may no longer do plant production, but he is still active in marketing the company’s products. Sons Dell and Dwayne manage the production aspect of the business and grandsons Jake and Josh also work at the nursery.

Their most recent federal order was for a baker’s dozen of Leyland Cypress trees with an average height of 30 feet. They are destined to border the First Family’s swimming pool.

The Gilmore family operation covers more than 1,000 acres and includes a wide variety of ornamental plants, shrubs and trees.

“The (Bush administration) White House contacted us,” Gilmore says. “We sent photos to their staff, and they visited us to see the trees.”

When the new administration took office, the order stood, and Gilmore is shipping the trees this fall.

“We furnished all the plants for the Thomas Jefferson Memorial, and we did plantings around the Pentagon, Dulles International Airport, the U.S. Air Force Memorial, the World War Two Memorial and the Botanical Gardens,” he says. “Another job that gave me a lot of excitement and enthusiasm was furnishing plants for the National Museum of the American Indian.”

The family’s plant and bulb company, which was founded in 1912, has also furnished plants and trees for many of the state and nation’s gardens, highways and byways, but no longer produces bulbs – as times changed and demand no longer met the cost-benefit ratio.

Gilmore says the current economic situation and the recent drought make it necessary for all farmers to evaluate their business models.

“Our company’s gone through the Great Depression and World War Two,” Gilmore says. “People don’t buy plants when they don’t build new houses, and they don’t buy plants when they’re losing their jobs or afraid they’re going to lose their jobs. It ranks as some of the toughest times.”

He says his business is surviving by adjusting its work force, stressing the quality of its products, being blessed with customer referrals and a good reputation, and finding a market niche.

“We grow a lot of material that a lot of nurseries don’t grow, particularly the larger sizes,” he says. “Recently, we shipped 14-feet-tall Red Cedars to Abraham Lincoln’s birthplace in Kentucky.”

Gilmore is a 1959 graduate of North Carolina State University and was a classmate of former N.C. Gov. Jim Hunt. Perhaps taking the lead from his popular college classmate, Gilmore has served the community in a variety of ways. He served in the North Carolina House of Representatives, on the North Carolina Board of Agriculture and in a variety of other posts.

In addition to community service, Gilmore says it’s important for farmers to belong to organizations like Farm Bureau.

“I’m proud to be a member,” he says. “During the recent drought, Farm Bureau was out front fighting for all farmers. It’s the same thing with taxation, zoning and many other problems that farmers face.”

Pittillo runs Turf Mountain Sod farm, where he grows cool season fescue, bluegrass and bentgrass turf varieties on 1,200 acres.

Pittillo grew up in the dairy industry and got into the dairy business for himself as an adult. By 1987, he realized dairy wouldn’t support his family and planted four acres of Falcon fescue sod. He expanded to 18 acres by the next year and has continued growing ever since.

For a time, he was the only sod supplier in the area, and today he produces, delivers and installs sod in North Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia and Virginia.

Pittillo also enjoys collecting old Oliver model tractors. In addition to being a member of North Carolina Farm Bureau, Pittillo supports Farm-City Day activities and has been active at Fruitland Baptist Church. For 25 years he was a member of the local Farm Service Agency. Pittillo and his wife Merle run their operation together and are in the process of turning it over to their children’s families.

In addition to being a member of North Carolina Farm Bureau, Pittillo supports Farm-City Day activities and has been active at Fruitland Baptist Church. For 25 years he was a member of the local Farm Service Agency.

Pittillo and his wife Merle run their operation together and are in the process of turning it over to their children’s families.

As the North Carolina award winner, Pittillo receives $2,500, other prizes and an expense-paid trip to the Sunbelt Ag Expo, Oct. 20-22 where the overall winner will be announced. TRANSYLVANIA COUNTY FARM BUREAU, on behalf of the Transylvania Heritage Museum, sponsored the Farm Tour of Northern Transylvania County. Board members chartered a bus and arranged a farm visit schedule to educate the public on the economic impact, diversity, innovation and challenges of agriculture in the county, while taking care not to disrupt farmers’ busy May schedules. The host farm families were hospitable and informative, and attendees say they’re already looking forward to the next farm tour. VANCE COUNTY FARM BUREAU hosted the annual Leadership Vance Agriculture Day at the Talmadge Burgess Jr. Farm on June 2. Special guests at this year’s event were U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge and NCFB President Larry Wooten. Each guest gave a brief update on important issues that will have a direct effect on farmers and agriculture. They explained where these issues were in the legislative process and encouraged Farm Bureau members to become involved by contacting their legislative representatives. WAKE COUNTY FARM BUREAU Women’s Committee members Donna Thompson, Sylvia Pearce and Shirley Burt hosted a farm activity booth at the Wake Forest Farmers’ Market on June 20. Visitors and their children were invited to milk a cow and make a “moo mask,” as well as plant seed in a miniature greenhouse. About 25 children took part in the activities and received Rudy Rooster or Food for Thought coloring books. County Farm Bureaus that have recently awarded scholarships to students include the following organizations:
Anson – Jessica Hildreth and Joshua Jarman.
Cabarrus – Jordan Safrit and Kayleigh Barnhardt.
Chatham – Derrick Andrews, Maegan Hedgecock, Will Bartee.
Davie – Jessica Foster, Karlyn Phipps, Shelby Karriker, Bethany Little, Michael Burford, Aaron Peoples.
Forsyth – Lauren Kloc, Tyler Kloc, Aaron Speaks, Lee Elliott, Clayton Eaton.
Mecklenburg – William Haigler, Robert B. “Jake” Helms IV, Claire Young.
Montgomery – Brian Thomas Elam Jr., John Almiw Mullinix, Adam Eugene Noah
Stanly – Emily Talley.
Union – Candace Helen Thompson. ]]> http://www.ncfbmagazine.org/2009/09/achievements-lifestyles-septemberoctober-09/feed/ 0 http://www.ncfbmagazine.org/2009/07/achievements-lifestyles-julyaugust-09/ http://www.ncfbmagazine.org/2009/07/achievements-lifestyles-julyaugust-09/#comments Mon, 20 Jul 2009 13:39:15 +0000 Farm Bureau http://www.ncfbmagazine.org/?p=1745 ALAMANCE COUNTY Farm Bureau is proud to sponsor the 2009 Farm Bureau Farm Experience Tour on Sept. 26 and invites everyone to travel a scenic route through northeastern Alamance County to discover some of agriculture’s hidden gems.
After visiting five farms, the tour will conclude with a dinner of locally grown foods at Martin’s Chapel Church in the Pleasant Grove community. The cost for the tour and dinner is $5 for adults and free for children under 12. For more information, call Alamance County Farm Bureau at (336) 226-2477. ANSON COUNTY Farm Bureau’s Board of Directors recently played an instrumental role in writing the county’s Voluntary and Enhanced Voluntary Agricultural District Ordinance. The board sponsored the first meeting, and directors Bobby McCollum, Kevin Martin and Robert Ross served on the steering committee that wrote the ordinance.
County commissioners officially adopted the ordinance March 3. Farm Bureau members are now working with Anson County Cooperative Extension to implement and oversee the ordinance for county landowners.

BEAUFORT COUNTY Farm Bureau Member Horace Hilton Harris passed an important milestone April 1, when he celebrated his 100th birthday. Harris is a charter member of Tyrrell County Farm Bureau and is listed as an agent on an original program for the dedication ceremony of the Tyrrell County Farm Bureau office Sept. 23, 1937. Friends and family celebrated Harris’ birthday with a party in his honor.

CAMDEN COUNTY

CRAVEN COUNTY

CRAVEN COUNTY

CRAVEN COUNTY

DUPLIN COUNTY

FRANKLIN COUNTY

HYDE COUNTY

JOHNSTON COUNTY

JONES COUNTY

MECKLENBURG COUNTY Farm Bureau recently sponsored a fundraiser at Oehler’s BBQ Barn that raised more than $15,000 for the family of William Cook, who was a longtime Farm Bureau member and dairy farmer who died in October at age 54. He left behind two
special-needs children.

PASQUOTANK COUNTY

PAMLICO COUNTY Farm Bureau Member and North Carolina Farm Bureau Vice President Scott Whitford was recently honored with a plaque for his years of dedicated service, including serving as chairman, to the N.C. Pesticide Board.

SCOTLAND COUNTY Farm Bureau has donated funds to the 4-H Health and Fitness Boot Camp, which runs June 15- August 20 at the Laurel Hill Community Center.
The camp will offer about 200 Scotland County youth to participate in activities such as Tae Bo, dancing, fitness games and more to learn the importance of healthy eating and exercise. WAKE COUNTY Farm Bureau Women’s Committee Member Shirley Burt visited with students April 18 and 19 at Sunrise United Methodist Preschool in Holly Springs. All nine classes got to hear a story about life on a farm and make greenhouses to take home. Students were also given a Rudy Rooster coloring book, and teachers were given goodie bags with Ag in the Classroom brochures. WAKE COUNTY Farm Bureau recently helped with Planting Days at the garden at Willow Springs Elementary School. Willy the Safety Squirrel was joined by Women’s Committee Member Michelle Dupree to welcome students to the garden and remind them of safety rules to follow. County Vice President Richard Jenks helped students plant seeds, and Wake County Farm Bureau donated garden tools and $1,000 toward the purchase of a greenhouse. Furthermore, the Women’s Committee provided refreshments to students and presented “The Farmer Grows A Rainbow” kit to the school. WARREN COUNTY Farm Bureau recently awarded a number of scholarships. Jacob Bender, son of Jeff and Lisa Bender of Norlina, and Erin Bender, daughter of Steve and Susan Bender of Warrenton, were selected as the 2009 recipients of Warren County Farm Bureau scholarships, which are worth $1,000 and are renewable for three years upon meeting certain criteria. Jacob, a senior at Franklin Academy in Wake Forest, plans to attend N.C. State University. Erin, a 2008 graduate of Warren County High School who has served in the National Guard, will attend St. Andrews Presbyterian College. Four Warren County High Schools seniors received one-time awards of $500. They are Marcus Hargrove of Warrenton, DeKisha Hendrick of Wise, Tyler Harmon of Norlina and Jessica Kearney. Two students from North Carolina Farm Bureau families have won $1,000 FFA scholarships to pursue agricultural studies. Joy Askew of Jamesville and Elizabeth Eastep of Yanceyville are among 50 students nationwide who earned the awards, given by the National FFA Association in conjunction with the American Farm Bureau Federation and the Dodge Division of Chrysler LLC. North Carolina Farm Bureau Member Dwayne Myers, a former NCFB director from Elkin, has been elected as the new president of the Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative. Myers has been the First Vice President of the organization for the past five years, and he farms 800 acres and milks 800 cows with his wife of 35 years, Barbara, and their family in Jonesville.
Myers is also president of Dairy Cooperative Marketing Association, Southern Marketing Association, a current director and past president of Carolina Farm Credit, and a past president of the Wilkes Soil & Water Conservation District. North Carolina Farm Bureau’s WOMEN’S COMMITTEE held a silent auction that raised $3,900 for the Ag in the Classroom program. The fundraiser was part of the Women’s Conference, held March 3-4 in Raleigh. ]]> http://www.ncfbmagazine.org/2009/07/achievements-lifestyles-julyaugust-09/feed/ 1 http://www.ncfbmagazine.org/2009/05/achievements-lifestyles-mayjune-09/ http://www.ncfbmagazine.org/2009/05/achievements-lifestyles-mayjune-09/#comments Wed, 20 May 2009 14:30:32 +0000 Farm Bureau http://www.ncfbmagazine.org/dev/?p=1691

North Carolina Farm Bureau member Crystal Roberts was the winner of American Farm Bureau’s 2009 Collegiate Discussion Meet at the Young Farmer and Rancher Leadership Conference in Sacramento, Calif.
Roberts, an animal science major at N.C. State and former state FFA officer, had won the state award in November 2008 and snagged the national award after four rounds of competition. The final discussion topic was “How do land grant universities remain on the forefront of an ever-changing agricultural environment?”
Roberts, the daughter of Madison County Farm Bureau members, took home a $2,500 scholarship.

CABARRUS COUNTY Farm Bureau President Tommy Porter and his wife, Vicky, have been selected by the North Carolina Pork Council as its “Outstanding Pork Producers” for 2009. The Porters run a 580-acre operation where they have 2,200 sows, poultry and cattle. They were recognized for the care they give their animals, environmentally friendly practices and conservation-mindedness while determining the best and most efficient practices. Also, both are active advocates for agriculture and are involved in a number of community leadership roles.

CAMDEN COUNTY

CARTERET COUNTY Farm Bureau hosted Croatan High School FFA Association officers and members Joseph Mauro, Tyler Sowers, Joshua Filipovich, Keith Mentnech, Jacqueline Staab and Chelsea Lewis at a monthly board meeting in February.
The FFA members presented PowerPoints demonstrating all the various activities the Croatan FFA were involved in, including Southeast Regional Rally, State Convention, White Lake, Mega Conference and National Convention held in Indianapolis. 
In addition to Croatan, Carteret County Farm Bureau sponsored FFA students from West Carteret and East Carteret high schools who attended the National Convention. 
Also pictured are Carteret Farm Bureau officers and directors Clayton Garner, June Bryan, Herbert Page, Mickey Simmons, Mike Temple, Rusty Bryan, Ray Garner, Henry Davis, Greg Garner and AG Extension Agent Ray Harris.

DAVIDSON COUNTY Farm Bureau board member Jim Davis and his family have been awarded the Southeast Region Farm Family Environmental Excellence Award from the U.S. Poultry and Egg Association. Davis is a third-generation beef and poultry farmer, and says the environmentally friendly practices they use include fencing off all of their streams and ponds and using geotech fabric and stone in high-use areas. Also, they use a Soil and Water Conservation-designed litter shed with an incinerator for disposal.
The award was one of six given out nationwide, and the Southeast region includes North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama and Tennessee.

CURRITUCK COUNTY Farm Bureau members recently received recognition and service awards through their local Soil & Water Conservation office. Manly M. West, Albemarle Soil & Water Conservation District Supervisor (Currituck Board) was re-elected to a three-year term (his second) on the N.C. Soil and Water Conservation Commission. Harvey Roberts (a member of the Currituck County Farm Bureau board of directors) and Tommy Grandy, Albemarle Soil & Water Conservation District Supervisors (Currituck board) each received 20-year length of service awards. Roberts was recognized by the Albemarle Resource Conservation & Development (Albemarle RC & D) for his service as a council member. Grandy received his service award from the Albemarle Conservation District (Currituck board). 

FORSYTH COUNTY Farm Bureau members Bob and Jean Cooper, owners of Meadowbrook Tree Farm in Winston-Salem, have earned a big honor: 2008 National Outstanding Tree Farmers of the Year. The American Tree Farm System chose to give the couple its top award not just for their own 118-acre farm, which they had to completely restore upon buying it in 1973, but also for their efforts on behalf of the North Carolina Tree Farm Program. The Coopers enrolled their farm in the American Tree Farm System in 1985 and host several forestry projects including the first Green Ash planting project in North Carolina. They’ve opened Meadowbrook Farm to hosting workshops and have taken on roles as active advocates for their industry.

North Carolina Farm Bureau’s 2009-10 LEAD Program recently started with a conference in Wilmington. Over the next two years, the 15 members of the leadership development program will engage in a number of activities meant to develop, foster and enhance the skills of individuals and couples (between the ages of 36 and 52) actively engaged in production agriculture.

GATES COUNTY Farm Bureau hosted a meeting about rules and regulations for farm equipment on roadways on Feb. 11. The event featured a catered lunch and was open to all farmers in the county. Highway Patrolmen from Raleigh and Troop A led the talk, which almost 70 people attended.

DUPLIN County Farm Bureau President Dexter Edwards, with his son Nicholas and Nicholas’ wife, had a booth for their business, Edwards Land and Cattle, at the Murphy-Brown Vendor Expo.

SAMPSON County Farm Bureau board member Buck Blanchard and his wife, Women’s Committee member Shelby, visit NCFB’s display at the Murphy-Brown Vendor Expo March 17 at
the Duplin Events Center in Kenansville.

UNION COUNTY Farm Bureau hosted a retirement breakfast for Jerry Simpson, Union County Cooperative Extension Director, on Jan. 26. In Simpson’s honor, Union County Farm Bureau donated $2,000 to the Union County 4-H Youth and Development Foundation. In the photo are Simpson, left, and Union County Farm Bureau President Brad Hargett.

WAKE County Farm Bureau members Richard Jenks and Jay Thompson represented Farm Bureau at Leesville Road Middle School’s Career Day on March 5. About 90 sixth-graders learned about the importance of agriculture to North Carolina’s economy and about what farm life is like today. Students pictured stayed after class to ask more questions about farming.

WARREN County Farm Bureau bought Photosynthesis Promenade books for four county schools. Pictured are, from left: Jeff Bender, Warren County Farm Bureau president; Calvin Jones, Warren County Board of Education chairman; Pat Riethmeier, Ag in the Classroom ambassador; and Dr. Ray Spain, superintendent of Warren County Schools.

More than 100 women from across the state recently attended the 2009 North Carolina Farm Bureau Women’s Conference. The event, held at the Marriott Crabtree Valley in Raleigh, included a silent auction with proceeds benefiting NCFB’s Ag in the Classroom program. The conference also included a number of educational workshops such as misconceptions about agriculture, becoming a better leader and developing leadership skills, the impact of urbanization on agriculture and how to develop active county Farm Bureaus.
A luncheon featured an update of bills being introduced in the General Assembly and how Farm Bureau is monitoring legislative activities. Michele Payn-Knoper was a featured guest at the conference, with a talk on “Celebrating Agriculture.”
The Silent Auction raised more than $3,900 for the Ag in the Classroom program.