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/2009/07/county-annual-meetings-%e2%80%93-2009/ http://www.ncfbmagazine.org/2009/07/county-annual-meetings-%e2%80%93-2009/#comments Fri, 17 Jul 2009 19:44:50 +0000 Farm Bureau http://www.ncfbmagazine.org/dev/?p=1826 County Annual Meetings – 2009

BLADEN COUNTY Farm Bureau Board Member Danny McDuffie (center) and his son Dan (right) received this year’s Peanut Yield Champions Award from Bob Sutter with the N.C. Peanut Growers Association. In addition to winning on the county level, the McDuffies were also awarded the North Carolina State Yield Award. The McDuffie’s average yield for the 2007 growing season was 5,700 pounds per acre, which is an accolade to their farming and production practices.

In other activity…The Bladen County Farm Bureau Women’s Committee donated photosynthesis promenade kits to county schools. Denise White, left, is shown here teaching her class using the kit. Students enjoyed the kits and learned about agriculture.

CARTERET COUNTY Farm Bureau awarded two scholarships of $500 each to Amber Nead and Hannah Mical.

In other activity…Carteret County Farm Bureau recently hosted a two-day meeting of the N.C. Department of Public Instruction. The county provided refreshments for breakfast, afternoon snacks, and the use of its county board meeting room in the Beaufort office.

CARTERET COUNTY Farm Bureau President Mickey Simmons was awarded a plaque “in recognition, appreciation and support for reading in the schools of North Carolina.”

CASWELL COUNTY Farm Bureau member Von “Mac” Baldwin, a beef and poultry farmer from Yanceyville, was recently named the 2008 North Carolina winner of the Swisher Sweets/Sunbelt Expo Southeastern Farmer of the Year award. He is one of 10 finalists for the Southeastern Farmer of the Year Award, which will be announced Oct. 14 at the Sunbelt Ag Expo farm show in Moultrie, Ga.

Baldwin has more than 400 grass-fed Charolais cows, which he sells through his Web site, www.baldwinbeef.com, at Whole Foods stores in North and South Carolina and at the Carrboro Farmers Market. Caswell County Farm Bureau President Hester Vernon nominated Baldwin for the award because of his active participation in Farm Bureau and other agricultural activities.

In other activity…Caswell County Farm Bureau participated in “Aging with Gusto,” a seminar for senior citizens held June 11 at the Caswell County Civic Center. Farm Bureau representatives handed out 120 bags containing information about member services to the more than 100 seniors and other vendors in attendance.

CHOWAN COUNTY Farm Bureau members recently took part in a Farm Safety Day at the Chowan County Recreation Department in Tyner. About 300 third-through-fifth-graders from D.F. Walker Elementary School attended the event. The schoolchildren visited a variety of booths and learned ways to stay safe when dealing with combines and tractors, lawn mowers, fire, RVs, chemicals, bad weather and water. Willy the Safety Squirrel was on hand to greet the children as they arrived and passed out coloring books, crayons, safety tattoos and stickers.

CUMBERLAND COUNTY Farm Bureau held a water quality meeting June 3 at the Charlie Rose Center. Twenty-six people from several counties attended. Cumberland County Farm Bureau’s YF&R Committee sponsored the meeting.

DARE COUNTYFarm Bureau’s Board of Directors and special guests feasted on a fresh seafood dinner, which included soft shell crabs that were hauled in by veteran board member Edward Etheridge earlier in the day. The group gathered to congratulate Thomas Pratt-Lozupone on receiving a $1,000 scholarship from the county Farm Bureau to be used toward his expenses at N.C. State University.

EDGECOMBE COUNTY Farm Bureau awarded five $1,000 scholarships to local high school students. The scholarship recipients were: Matthew Drake, son of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Drake of Pinetops; Caroline Pilgreen, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James T. Pilgreen of Whitakers; Jacob Pearce, son of Mr. and Mrs. James Pearce of Tarboro; Eric Parker, son of Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Parker of Rocky Mount; and Michele Smith, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Kent Smith of Rocky Mount. Drake, Pilgreen, Pearce and Smith all plan to attend N.C. State University in the fall. Parker will attend N.C. A & T State University.

FRANKLIN COUNTY Farm Bureau and the United Way co-sponsored the 14th Annual Ag Field Day Tuesday, Sept. 16 at Riverbend Park. Every third-grader in the county was invited to attend the event, which offered a morning of hands-on experiences with agricultural life.

Top row, from left, Farm Bureau’s Kay Sims was on hand as Franklin County Farm Bureau’s Vice-President Steve Nelms presented a contribution on behalf of Farm Bureau and United Way to event planner Martha Mobley. United Way’s Priscilla Henderson is pictured far right. On hand for the check presentation were the children of Farm Bureau members Alyssa and Matthew Dorsey, who operate Bahemah Angus Farm in Louisburg. They are, from left, Micah, Leah, Anna and Silas.

MECKLENBURG COUNTY Farm Bureau Board Members Johnny and Shelby Wallace picked up an award for Wallace Farm in Huntersville at the Charlotte Business Journal’s Green Awards. The event took place April 16 at the Charlotte Convention Center. Wallace Farm, along with Linda Construction and R.T. Dooley, was presented the Green Entrepreneurial Effort/Innovative Idea award. The program was sponsored by the Charlotte Business Journal and the Charlotte chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council.

NASH COUNTY Farm Bureau former board of director’s member Elmer Daniel received a certificate naming him an Honorary Director. County President Greg Bunn presented Daniel with the certificate and a plaque “In Appreciation and Honor” of his service during a directors’ meeting April 3 in Nashville. Daniel joined the Farm Bureau in 1947 and served on the board of directors from 1961 to 2007. He also served as a county commissioner and on the board of Nash General Hospital.

American Farm Bureau Federation’s American Farm Bureau Federation’s Foundation for Agriculture awarded North Carolina teacher Sandra Hatley with a $1,200 White-Reinhardt Fund for Education scholarship to attend the National Agriculture in the Classroom conference in Costa Mesa, CA.

Hatley was one of 10 teachers recognized for outstanding efforts to promote agricultural literacy. American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture sponsored the awards in cooperation with the AFBF Women’s Leadership Committee.

RICHMOND COUNTY Farm Bureau Board Member Myers Waddell and his wife, Earlene, participated in Washington Street School’s N.C. Heritage Day, June 6. Mrs. Waddell spoke to nine classes of fourth-graders about North Carolina agriculture and how people farmed in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The students learned about the many different commodities produced by N.C. farmers, such as chicken, turkey, cotton, tobacco and corn. Afterward, Mr. and Mrs. Waddell presented each class with donated Frisbees.

RUTHERFORD COUNTY Farm Bureau recently awarded scholarships to three students starting college this fall. Tiffany Brown, of Rutherfordton, is a graduate of Chase High School and is the daughter of Michael and Kathy Brown. She will attend N.C. State University and will receive $1,000 per semester for four years. Haley Lovelace, of Bostic, is a graduate of East Rutherford High School and is the daughter of Ronald and Debora Lovelace. She will also attend NCSU and will receive $1,000 per semester for four years. Tramell Forney, of Union Mills, is a graduate of R-S Central High School and the son of Tramell and Sandra Forney. He will attend N.C. A&T State University in Greensboro and will receive $1,000 per semester for four years.

STANLY COUNTY Farm Bureau held a Member Appreciation Day May 31 at the local Farm Bureau office.

Georgia and Michael, the children of Andrew and Ashley Burleson, milk a cow at Member Appreciation Day.

WARREN COUNTY Farm Bureau’s Board of Directors held its Second Annual Legislative Dinner recently. Among the 60 attendees at the event were four of the five county commissioners, farm advisers from the Washington, D.C. offices of U.S. Sen. Richard Burr and U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole, N.C. Rep. Michael Wray and N.C. Sen. Doug Berger.

In other activity…Women’s Committee members participated in the National Education Association’s Read Across America this spring at Mariam Boyd Elementary School in Warrenton. They served refreshments and lunch to 35 teachers at a workshop co-led by Pat Riethmier, local N.C. Teacher of the Year for Ag in the Classroom. In April, the group visited the Ronald McDonald House in Chapel Hill and donated $200 in supplies and home-based goodies. Women’s Committee members also sponsored local Relay for Life activities.

Also…The board of directors focused on community aid this year and donated $700 to the local 4-H for the spring five-county livestock show and sale. They also donated $5,000 to a Jaycees fundraiser for a local Farm Bureau member, a dairy farmer, who was involved in a farm accident.

And…The board of directors awarded $1,000 scholarships to high school seniors Lauren Lesas and Lindsay Varnadore. The scholarships are renewable for three years as long as the students continue to major in an agriculture-related field and maintain a specific GPA. The board awarded one-time $500 scholarships to seven other worthy students majoring in a variety of fields.

WAYNE COUNTY Farm Bureau Board of Directors sponsored a team in the 2008 Wayne County Relay For Life May 16 and 17 on the Wayne Community College campus in Goldsboro. Activities were held throughout the year to raise money for the annual American Cancer Society event.

The team’s theme for its tent at the relay was “Sowing Seeds for a Cure.” The group paid tribute to team members who were cancer survivors. They encouraged event-goers to pay tribute to loved ones who either survived or succumbed to battles with cancer by sowing a seed in a planter and writing their loved one’s name on a paper flower.

In its rookie year, the team, through its fund-raising efforts, donations and corporate sponsorships raised $6,500.

“I am so proud of all the hard work that our team members and volunteers have put in to make our first year participating in the Relay a success,” said team captain Amy Shivar. “On behalf of the Wayne County Farm Bureau Relay For Life team, I would like to thank everyone who has donated to this event.”

Some vacations are planned years in advance and planned down to the minute, and some are spontaneous and almost accidental, but both can produce equally vivid memories of happy times.
North Carolina offers a variety of vacation destinations and activities for any type of vacation the heart desires. From deep-sea fishing off the coast, to hot-air balloon tours over the mountains, to cruising Lake Norman on a pontoon boat or the Blue Ridge Parkway in the family wagon, there’s a little something for everyone. And with the rising cost of gasoline, more and more North Carolinians are forced to vacation closer to home.

Farm Bureau members Brenda Brisson, Pearl Freedman and Marie Ferguson recall some of their most unforgettable vacation moments:

Brenda Brisson
Vacations weren’t common in the Brisson household, so when Bladen County Farm Bureau member Brenda Brisson and her family decided to take a trip to Grandfather Mountain, it was sure to be a vacation to remember.

Brenda, along with her husband and son and her sister’s family, took a two-week extended vacation to Western North Carolina to experience an unfamiliar part of the state. Grandfather Mountain was one of the most memorable stops on that trip.

“Seeing Grandfather Mountain, we were really inspired by what God had created,” Brisson says. “We were all like kids in a candy store—we wanted to see anything and everything.”

When Brisson was growing up, the family took a day to go to the beach every year. “I never really knew what a vacation was,” Brisson says. “I wanted my son to see places that I was never able to see growing up.”

A trip that Pearl Freedman took with Farm Bureau to Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina stands out in her memory. “We took on the project of helping a farm lady who had lost everything,” she recalls. “We live miles apart, but our worlds were so similar.”

Freedman says she even enjoys traveling on her own. “I like to go on tours where I meet people I don’t know,” she says. “I like to see the differences in where they live and develop friendships. When I was a child, times were different and I didn’t have the opportunity to meet people from other parts of the world.”

Marie Ferguson
The best vacations were always adventures for Farm Bureau member Marie Ferguson, of Haywood County. “We like unplanned, accidental vacations,” Ferguson says.

Following a Farm Bureau meeting in Louisville, Ky., Ferguson and her family decided to take back roads on their return trip to Waynesville. They happened to drive through Bardstown, Ky., and realized as they were passing through, it was the site of My Old Kentucky Home State Park. The park, home to Federal Hill plantation, was said to have been the inspiration for songwriter Stephen Foster’s famous song “My Old Kentucky Home.” Foster was also well-known for the songs “Oh! Susanna,” “Camptown Races” and “Old Folks at Home.”

When the family stopped to visit My Old Kentucky Home, Col. Sanders (founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken) was there, and Ferguson’s children were able to have their picture taken with him.
“We really enjoyed finding a new place,” she remembers. “We still talk about that vacation. We love to get off the main drag and see what’s out there.”

Ferguson says she had a similar experience when she attended a Farm Bureau meeting in Kitty Hawk. “We realized there was so much in our own state we still haven’t seen. We enjoy getting on the back-roads and seeing what we can find.”