Farm Bureau celebrates Farm-City week Nov. 18 to 24
With the holiday season approaching, many Georgians are making plans to gather and celebrate their freedoms, their families, their lifestyles and more. Whatever they’re celebrating, it’s a safe bet that the rites of celebration will include food.
The food itself is cause for celebration. Americans enjoy one of the most abundant food supplies on the planet, and through a partnership between farmers and a variety of related businesses in both rural and metropolitan areas that abundance is sustained.
While you’re planning your holiday celebrations, Polk County Farm Bureau invites you to join in another: Farm-City Week Nov. 18-24.
Farm-City Week highlights the relationship between the state’s farmers and their partners in urban areas who prepare, transport, market and retail the food and fiber farmers grow for the American consumer.
Kiwanis International began Farm-City Week in 1955 to increase the understanding of the partnership between urban and rural residents. Farm days at schools, farm tours, banquets and mayoral proclamations are just a few of the activities that will be held in communities across Georgia to mark this annual event.
To celebrate Farm-City Week, the Polk County Farm Bureau is attending the City Commissioners meeting on November 14, 2016 at 6 p.m. for signing of Farm City Week Proclamation. We also are working with teachers to send out thank you letters to farmers for what they do each day to help supply food and clothing for families. “Without Farmers We Can’t Grow”.
“It takes a team effort to produce crops and move them to our consumers’ plates,” said Polk County Farm Bureau President James I. Casey. “Our farmers are proud to do their part, and we’re equally proud to support the other businesses – processors, shipping companies, marketers and others – who complete the journey between our fields and those who depend on us to feed them. We’re committed to making those food products the best they can be.”
According to the University of Georgia Center for Agribusiness and Economic Development (CAED), food and fiber production and related processing directly and indirectly generated a total economic impact of $74.3 billion, accounting for 8 percent of the state’s economy. In addition, agriculture and related occupations supplied more than 411,500 jobs in 2014.
Georgia farmers led the nation in producing blueberries, broilers, peanuts, pecans, rye and spring onions, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) statistics show. Georgia was also in the top three production states for seven other commodities. In 2014, the top ten commodities grown in Georgia were broilers, beef, cotton, eggs, timber, peanuts, dairy, blueberries, horses and pecans.
Georgia agriculture also helps our nation have a positive agriculture trade balance, which means we export more agricultural products than we import. In 2015, Georgia companies exported $2.9 billion worth of farm products, according to the USDA, part of the $133 billion worth of American agricultural products exported around the globe according to the USDA’s Economic Research Service.
Farm-City Week is a great time to discuss how the economy impacts farmers and consumers. When you look at the price of groceries, note that farmers receive on average 16.7 cents out of every dollar spent on food at home and away from home, USDA statistics show. The rest of the food cost covers the expenses of wages and materials for food preparation, marketing, transportation and distribution, all of which have increased in price, too.
Farm Bureau seeks entries for middle school essay contest
The Polk County Farm Bureau encourages 6th, 7th and 8th grade students to enter the 2017 Georgia Farm Bureau Middle School Essay Contest. The contest is open to students attending public and private schools and homeschooled children. Students may enter in the county in which they live or attend school but not both.
Students should address the topic “The Importance of Georgia’s Specialty Crops.” The winner of the Polk County Farm Bureau Essay Contest will receive $50 and 2nd and 3rd place winners will receive $25.
“Georgia’s specialty crops include a wide range of fruits and vegetables including blueberries, pecans, peaches, onions, watermelon, bell peppers, sweet corn, cabbage and cucumbers,” said James I. Casey, Polk County Farm Bureau president. “The purpose of the Farm Bureau Essay Contest is to encourage students to study Georgia agriculture and learn how their food is grown and the contributions farming makes to our lives every day. Students who participate in our contest will not only learn how farmers grow these crops but also about the nutritional value of each crop and why the USDA recommends we eat five servings of fruits and vegetables a day.”
Farm Bureau has developed curriculum information for teachers that outlines how the writing activity meets state educational standards for each grade level.
Students participating in the contest will also be asked to complete a short survey indicating which fruit and vegetable crops they have eaten, their
taste preference for the crops from favorite to least favorite and which crop they may not have tasted that they are willing to try.
To enter the contest, students should contact the Polk County Farm Bureau for an official title sheet and contest rules. All entries must be received at the Polk County Farm Bureau office by February 24, 2016 to give our county time to select a winner and submit it to the GFB office by Friday, March 10, 2017.
“This contest is a wonderful way for teachers and home-school parents to encourage their students to learn more about Georgia agriculture, while meeting curriculum objectives,” said Joan Mitchell, Polk County Farm Bureau Women’s Committee chairman. “The topic encourages students to explore the career opportunities agriculture has to offer.”
The Polk County Farm Bureau Essay Contest winner will be entered in the Georgia Farm Bureau Third District competition. The district winner will receive a cash prize of $100. The ten GFB district winners will compete for the state prize of $150 cash. Previous state winners are not eligible.
This contest is sponsored by Georgia Farm Bureau and coordinated by the Georgia Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee. For more information, contact the Polk County Farm Bureau office at 770748-5641.
You may also download more information about the contest by visiting http://www.gfb.org/programs/aic. All essay entries must be officially submitted by the Polk County Farm Bureau to the Georgia Farm Bureau home office.
Scholarships offered up
The Georgia Farm Bureau ( GFB) Foundation for Agriculture is offer- ing up to $60,500 in scholarships to Georgia students pursuing a degree related to agriculture, veterinary medicine, family and consumer sciences or a related field, James I. Casey, Polk County Farm Bureau president, recently announced.
Since 1959, GFB has awarded scholarships to students entering college with plans to pursue a career in agriculture or family and consumer sciences. In 2016, the GFB Foundation expanded the scholarship program to offer scholarships to rising college juniors and seniors, technical college students and veterinary college students. In 2017 GFB will award scholarships in the following four categories.
Scholarship for Agriculture – This scholarship is for high school students who plan to enter a college that is part of the University System of Georgia, Berry College or Emmanuel College during the 2017-2018 academic year to pursue an undergraduate degree in agricultural and environmental sciences, family and consumer sciences or a related agricultural field. The GFB Foundation will award five scholarships of $3,000 each and seven scholarships of $1,500 each. Application has to be filled out and brought to the county Farm Bureau office January 20, 2017.
Technical College Scholarship for Agriculture – This scholarship is for high school students who plan to enroll in a Georgia accredited technical college who will be majoring in an area of agriculture or agriculturally related field of study. The GFB Foundation will award 10 scholarships of $1,000 each.
Rising College Junior/ Senior Scholarship for Agriculture – This scholarship is for college students who have at least two semesters of college work remaining to receive an undergraduate degree from a unit of
The University System of Georgia, Berry College or Emmanuel College and are majoring in agriculture and environmental sciences, family and consumer sciences or a related agriculture field. The GFB Foundation will award 10 scholarships of $2,000 each.
Georgia Farm Bureau foundation for agriculture offers $60,500 in AG scholarships
UGA College of Veterinary Medicine Scholarship - This scholarship is for students currently enrolled in the UGA Veterinary Medicine program specializing in large animal/food animal practice.
The GFB Foundation will award two scholarships of $2,500 each.
“I encourage all students who qualify for one of the Georgia Farm Bureau scholarships to apply,” said Casey. “Agriculture offers many exciting career opportunities. Both farmers and consumers depend on the many jobs agriculture creates from Cooperative Extension agents to food quality control managers who inspect our food to make sure it’s safe.”
The deadline to apply for all of the scholarships is Feb. 3, 2017. Applications and scholarship eligibility requirements may be obtained from Polk County Farm Bureau office or downloaded at the GFB Foundation for Agriculture website at www.gfbfoundation.org.
The scholarship recipients will be announced in spring 2017, and the scholarships will be distributed in the summer of 2017.
Georgia Farm Bureau is the state’s largest general farm orga- nization. Its volunteer members actively participate in local, district and state activities that promote agriculture awareness to their non-farming neighbors. GFB also has 20 commodity advisory committees that give the organization input on issues pertinent to the major commodities grown in Georgia.
The GFB Foundation for Agriculture is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) corporation. Donations are tax-exempt. GFB is using the foundation to finance activities and educational materials designed to increase the agricultural literacy of Georgia residents.
Donations may be made on the foundation website at http://www. gfbfoundation.org or checks made payable to the GFB Foundation for Agriculture may be mailed to the GFB Foundation care of Katie Gazda at P.O. Box 7068 Macon, Ga. 31209.