February 2016 YOUNG FARMERS TAKE TOP HONORS

February 2016
YOUNG FARMERS TAKE TOP HONORS: Mississippi took center stage at the 97th
American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) Annual Convention in January when William and
Cala Tabb of Webster County won the AFBF Young Farmers & Ranchers (YF&R) Achievement
Award, besting a group of outstanding young farmers from across the nation. The Tabbs will
receive either a 2016 Chevrolet Silverado or a 2016 GMC Sierra, courtesy of Chevrolet, and a
paid registration to attend the 2016 YF&R Leadership Conference in Kansas City, Missouri, in
February. Also at national convention, J. Tedrick Ratcliff Jr. of Rankin County made it into the
Sweet Sixteen semifinals in Discussion Meet competition. Tedrick is executive vice president of
the Mississippi Forestry Association. Matthew and Gaea Hock of Starkville also well represented
Mississippi in the national Excellence in Agriculture competition. Gaea is an assistant professor
of agricultural information science at Mississippi State University (MSU), where Matthew is
working on his Ph.D. in agronomy. Mississippi is home to some of the best and brightest young
farmer leaders in the nation. Read about this program in the March/April issue of our
membership publication.
MCCORMICK RE-ELECTED TO AFBF BOARD: In other national convention activities,
Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation President Mike McCormick was re-elected to serve a
second term on the American Farm Bureau Federation Board of Directors. Mike will represent
the Southern Region.
AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE: Each year, all 50 state Farm Bureaus participate in the
American Farm Bureau Federation Awards for Excellence competition. This contest judges each
state in several categories and rewards them if they reach certain predetermined goals.
Mississippi’s recipients were announced at national convention and include Education and
Outreach; Member Services; Policy Development and Implementation; and Public Relations and
Communications.
NEW AFBF PRESIDENT: National convention delegates elected Vincent “Zippy” Duvall to
serve as president and Scott VanderWal as vice president of the American Farm Bureau
Federation. Zippy is a poultry, cattle and hay producer from Greene County, Georgia, who
served as president of the Georgia Farm Bureau for nine years. He has held numerous leadership
positions in Farm Bureau and his local community. He is the 12th president of the American
Farm Bureau Federation. Scott VanderWal is a third-generation family farmer from Volga, South
Dakota. He has been president of the South Dakota Farm Bureau since 2004.
STATE MEMBERSHIP QUOTA: State membership quota has been reached as of January 14.
We congratulate those county Farm Bureaus who have met their membership goals and express
our appreciation to staff members and volunteer leaders for their hard work in ensuring that we
have a strong and vital organization. This is a promising way to begin the year.
AG DAY AT THE CAPITOL LUNCHEON: The annual Ag Day at the Capitol Luncheon is
set for March 1. This year’s luncheon will be held at Galloway United Methodist Church. We
will meet at the Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation (MFBF) Building and depart for the Capitol
at 10 a.m. Participants will visit with their legislators then depart for Galloway at 11:30 a.m. A
guest speaker will address the luncheon, and lunch with the legislators will follow at noon. We
should arrive back at the MFBF Building at 1:15 p.m.
OUR FOOD LINK: The annual Our Food Link Day celebration (formerly known as Food
Check-Out Day) will be held February 29 with presentations of supplies, food and money to the
Ronald McDonald House in Jackson. Our Food Link is a program designed to effectively reach
consumers of all ages and backgrounds with information about today’s agriculture. This outreach
is more important than ever because the average American is now at least three generations
removed from the farm. In fact, farm and ranch families make up less than 2 percent of the U.S.
population. We encourage one and all to participate in this most worthy celebration. Our Food
Link is a program administered by the State Women’s Leadership Committee.
DIXIE NATIONAL LIVESTOCK SHOW & RODEO: The Mississippi Farm Bureau
Federation Ambassador will participate in the Dixie National Rodeo Parade on Feb. 13 in
Jackson. The livestock show is Jan. 20-Feb.23, and the rodeo is Feb. 11-17. The Dixie National
Rodeo is the largest professional rodeo east of the Mississippi River and has been nominated as
one of the top-five large indoor rodeos of the year for the past five years. This award is voted on
by the cowboys in the Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association (PRCA).
YOUNG FARMERS & RANCHERS LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE: The 2016
Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation Young Farmers & Ranchers (YF&R) Leadership
Conference will be held March 4-6, 2016, in Memphis, Tennessee, at the historic Peabody Hotel.
Conference speakers include Allyson Perry, senior project manager with the Center for Food
Integrity; Amanda Radke, Beef Daily Blog-Beef Magazine; Jim Wiesemeyer, senior vice
president with the Washington Bureau of Informa Economics; Cody Lyon, director of the
advocacy and political affairs program with American Farm Bureau Federation; Dexter Muller,
senior advisor with community development for the Greater Memphis Chamber of Commerce;
and U.S. Congressman Trent Kelly (MS-1). Tours will highlight Memphis’ significance to
transporting goods and products around the country. For more information, contact YF&R
Coordinator Samantha Laird at (601) 573-7913 or slaird@msfb.org.
FARM BUREAU SECRETARIES’ CONFERENCE: The 2016 Farm Bureau Secretaries’
Conference will be held April 26-27, 2016, at Table 100 in Flowood. The theme of this year’s
conference is “Happy and Healthy.” Happy and healthy people are productive people. For more
information, contact Merlene Partridge at (601) 977-4233.
WOMEN’S AG TOUR: The popular Women’s Ag Tour will be held in October, with
participants visiting agricultural operations in Central and Southwest Mississippi. At presstime,
the exact tour stops and dates had not been determined. More information will run in the next
issue of Grassroots Leader newsletter.
ANDY BROWN IS REGION ONE REGIONAL MANAGER: Mississippi Farm Bureau
Federation is pleased to announce that Andy Brown is serving as regional manager for Region
One. Andy is a graduate of Starkville High School and Mississippi State University, where he
earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Ag Economics and a Master of Science degree in
Agronomy. Before coming to Mississippi Farm Bureau, Andy worked as the assistant to the
soybean specialist at Mississippi State University and as a field services director with Louisiana
Farm Bureau, where he serviced seven parishes in North Louisiana. Andy’s counties are Bolivar,
Coahoma, DeSoto, Panola, Quitman, Sunflower, Tate, Tallahatchie and Tunica. He lives near
Senatobia.
NEW MEMBER BENEFIT-CAT® MACHINES: Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation
members are eligible for a range of purchase incentives on Cat® machines. To see the list of
incentives and to obtain the Farm Bureau membership incentive certificate, visit
www.fbadvantage.com/cat and enter your 6-digit member number and zip code. Certificates
expire, but there is no limit to the number of certificates you can print, as long as your
membership is valid. Print the certificate and present it to your local Cat® dealer to get the
member discount. The certificate must be presented to the dealership at the time of purchase or
lease quote. It cannot be applied after an equipment purchase. Negotiate your best deal with
your Cat® dealer then add the Farm Bureau member incentive to the bottom line. To find a local
dealer, visit www.cat.com/dealer-locator.
NEW MEMBER BENEFIT-GRASSHOPPER MOWERS: Mississippi Farm Bureau
Federation has partnered with Grasshopper Mowers to offer a 15% discount off MSRP on any
model Grasshopper mower. Discounts are also available on accessories and implements that are
purchased with the mower. To take advantage of the offer, show the Grasshopper dealer your
membership card or proof of membership at the time of purchase. In addition to the discount,
members can finance the mower with the Farm Bureau Bank, allowing them to use two benefits
of their membership at once.
BEEF AND PORK RAFFLE: Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation has traditionally purchased
animals in the Dixie National Sale of Junior Champions in support of the youth in our state. Last
year, we held a raffle for four prize packages of assorted cuts of meat from these animals. In
2015, with the cooperative efforts of the county Farm Bureaus and state staff, we raised a little
over $17,000 to benefit the Farm Families of Mississippi® advertising campaign. Because of that
success, we are continuing the program this year. We are challenging all county Farm Bureaus
to buy or sell at least two books of raffle tickets. There are 25 tickets per book, and they sell for
$5 each. That’s a total of $250 from each county. If all counties reach this goal, we will raise at
least $20,500. Each county that reaches its goal of selling at least two raffle ticket books will be
recognized in the County Recognition Program at state convention and in Grassroots Leader
newsletter so that everyone will know that you have done your part in this fundraiser. There will
be four raffle winners selected in a statewide random drawing. Each winner will receive assorted
cuts of ¼ of a market steer and ¼ of a market hog. These prize packages will be delivered to the
winners at no charge. Three books of raffle tickets are being sent to the secretaries. All money
and tickets must be received by Angela Ellis in the state office no later than end of business on
April 1. The drawing will take place on April 4.
MOBILE GRAIN BIN SIMULATOR: With grant funds from the Monsanto Company, the
Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation (MFBF) Safety Division built a Mobile Grain Bin Simulator
that is now available for county Farm Bureaus and fire departments throughout the state and in
the surrounding states of Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana and Tennessee. The goal of the unit is to
improve farm safety awareness by better educating farmers, farm workers and first responders
about the dangers of working around grain bins. The unit will also work collaboratively with the
Mississippi State Fire Academy in Pearl and their Extension program to reach rural first
responders who would be called to incidents of grain bin entrapments on the farm. The MFBF
Safety Division is responsible for the coordination and movement of the new Mobile Grain Bin
Simulator. If you would like to book it, contact Angela Ellis at (601) 977-4242. Firemen get
three CRS hours for participating in the program.
LAP THROWS: Afghan lap throws with the Ag in the Classroom artwork (the same as the Tshirts) are available for $40 from the state office. The throws are maroon and are 51 inches by 38
inches in size. For more information, contact Pam Jones at pjones@msfb.org or (601) 977-4854.
AG PRODUCTION VALUES: Neither crop yields nor prices were particularly bad in 2015,
but Mississippi’s estimated state agricultural production value still dropped to $7.2 billion, a 4.9
percent decrease from the previous year. Brian Williams, an agricultural economist with the
Mississippi State University Extension Service, said the decline in agricultural value has two
causes. “Yields are down nearly across the board from last year’s records. It’s not that the yields
were necessarily bad this year; rather, the bar was set very high last year in terms of yields,” he
said. “Additionally, most prices are at or below year-ago prices.” Government payments added
$199 million to the state’s agricultural value. When these funds are included, agriculture brought
an estimated $7.4 billion to the state, down just 4.5 percent from 2014. Poultry and forestry held
the state’s top two spots, posting values of $3.2 billion and $1.16 billion, respectively. Both saw
increases this year, with poultry rising an estimated 3.4 percent and forestry jumping an
estimated 13.5 percent.
CENTRAL PRODUCER ADVISORY COUNCIL: Central Mississippi Research and
Extension Center will host its annual producer advisory council meeting Feb. 16 in Raymond.
Agricultural producers served by the center’s 20 southwest county Extension offices and
research stations are invited to attend the program from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the McKenzie Arena.
For more information or to register, call the center at (601) 857-2284.
COASTAL COMMODITY ADVISORY COUNCIL: The annual meeting of the Coastal
Research and Extension Center Commodity Advisory Council is Feb. 23, from 9 a.m.-3 p.m., at
the Coastal Research and Extension Center in Biloxi. Visit the website at
www.coastal.msstate.edu/advisory. Please RSVP by Feb. 18 via email at
Lester.Mitchell@msstate.edu or phone (228) 546-1004.
CONFERENCE FOR FRUIT AND VEGETABLE GROWERS: Fruit and vegetable growers
can learn how to produce successful crops in north Mississippi during an upcoming conference.
Mississippi State University will host the two-day event in the Magnolia Building at Lee County
Agri-Center, which is adjacent to the North Mississippi Research and Extension Center in
Verona. The program begins at 8:30 a.m. Feb. 11 and concludes at noon Feb. 12. There is a $15
conference fee for participants. Lunch is provided the first day. For more information or
registration details, contact the local Extension office or email Jeff Wilson at
jeff.wilson@msstate.edu.
COLORING CONTEST: Each year, as part of the Ag in the Classroom program, secondgraders are encouraged to color a farm scene and win a prize. District winners receive $25, and
the state winner is awarded $50. This year’s deadline for district entries is Feb. 15, and the
deadline for state entries is March 15. Contact your county Farm Bureau office or the
Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation Women’s Programs at (601) 977-4854 for more details.
AG ART CONTEST: The Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation Ag Art Contest offers Farm
Bureau Women, through the Ag in the Classroom program, an opportunity to increase students’
awareness of the importance of agriculture in Mississippi. Titles of the contests this year are
“Down on the Farm” for grades 1-6 and “Barns, Bins and Gins” for grades 7-12. Six winners
from each of the two age divisions will receive $75 each. A state winner from each of the two
divisions will receive $100 each. Entries should be submitted to your county Farm Bureau office
by March 1. The county office will submit five winners in each division to their district chair by
March 15. Calendar winners must skip one year before resubmitting artwork for this contest.
Contact your county Farm Bureau office or the Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation Women’s
Programs at (601) 977-4854.
TEACHER OF THE YEAR PROGRAM: A Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation (MFBF)
Teacher of the Year grant was established by the MFBF Women’s Programs to enhance our Ag
in the Classroom activities. Grant monies give the winning teacher in this contest an opportunity
to take an expense-paid trip to the National Ag in the Classroom Conference in Litchfield Park,
Arizona, June 20-24, 2016. The winner will also participate in the 2017 MFBF Women’s
Leadership Conference in Jackson. The deadline for submitting Teacher of the Year essays is
March 15. For more information, contact your county Farm Bureau office or the MFBF
Women’s Programs at (601) 977-4854.
TEACHERS & VOLUNTEERS AITC WORKSHOPS: This summer’s Teachers and
Volunteers Ag in the Classroom Workshops will be held as follows: June 7 at the Forrest County
Community Shelter in Hattiesburg; June 8 at the Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation (MFBF)
Building in Jackson; and June 9 at the DeSoto County Schools Administration Building in
Hernando. The objective of the workshops is to provide information to educate students and the
general public as to the importance of agriculture. A $20 deposit is required for all participants
(to be returned at the workshop if the CEU is not requested; if the teacher receives the CEU, the
cost will be $20.) Teachers can receive .7 CEU. Registration deadline is May 15. For more
information, contact your county Farm Bureau office or the MFBF Women’s Programs at 1-800227-8244, ext. 4245 or 4854.
SCHOLARSHIP DEADLINE: Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation offers eight scholarships,
including the Berta Lee White Scholarship and seven Young Farmers & Ranchers Foundation
scholarships, to eligible college and community college students in Mississippi. Each scholarship
totals $3,000. The Berta Lee White Scholarship is for female students only. The deadline for
applying for these scholarships is June 1. For more information, contact Nancy Britt at (601)
977-4230 or Pam Jones at (601) 977-4854.
VOICES OF AGRICULTURE: Join Voices of Agriculture as we travel Mississippi, exploring
the interesting stories of agriculture in our great state. The next “Voices of Agriculture” program
airs Feb. 22 at 2:30 p.m. and Feb. 27 at 2:30 p.m., CST, on RFD-TV. You will find RFD-TV on
these channels: Channel 231 on Dish Network and Channel 345 on DirecTV. “Voices of
Agriculture” is a production of Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation.
LIFE LINE SCREENING: Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation has teamed up with Life Line
Screening to offer our members four screenings at a discounted price. Established in 1993, Life
Line Screening has since become the nation’s leading provider of preventive health screenings.
Preventive screenings enable you to understand your risk for major chronic diseases while you
and your doctor can still take preventive action. Life Line Screening is coming to your
community soon to make these valuable tests convenient for you. The non-invasive, painless
tests help people identify their risk for stroke, vascular diseases and other chronic diseases early
enough that the physician can begin preventive procedures. Call 1-844-591-7116 to schedule an
appointment, or call the state office at (601) 977-4242 for additional information.
POLARIS MEMBER DISCOUNT: Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation now offers a
member discount with Polaris. Through this program, eligible Farm Bureau members receive a
$300-per-unit discount on all Polaris utility and sport vehicles; a $200-per-unit discount on all
all-terrain vehicles; and a $300-per-unit discount on all GEM electric vehicles. Your
membership must be valid for 30 days before using the discount. To take advantage of the
Polaris discount, please visit www.fbverify.com/polaris. Eligibility will be confirmed once your
membership number and zip code are entered. A certificate will be made available online that
must be printed and taken to the dealership of choice for presentation to the salesperson.
Certificates expire after 60 days.
FARM FAMILIES OF MISSISSIPPI® VANITY CAR TAG: Show your support for the Farm
Families of Mississippi® agricultural image campaign by purchasing a Farm Families of
Mississippi vanity car tag. The additional tag fee is $31 (in addition to your annual tag fee). The
campaign receives $24 of these funds to better promote agriculture to the general public. Please
visit your local tax collector's office to order the tag.
MEMBER DISCOUNT ON CASE IH EQUIPMENT: Farm Bureau members have an
opportunity to receive up to $500 off eligible tractors and equipment from Case IH. The
following products are eligible for this benefit: Farmall Compact tractors (A & B) - $300 per
unit; Farmall Utilities C, U & J series - $500 per unit; Maxxum Series and Farmall 100A series $500 per unit; self-propelled windrowers - $500 per unit; large square balers - $500 per unit;
round balers - $300 per unit; small square balers - $300 per unit; disc mower conditioners - $300
per unit; sickle mower conditioners - $300 per unit; and Case IH Scout - $300 per unit. Simply
go to www.fbverify.com/case and follow the prompts for the Case IH offer. Members enter their
Farm Bureau membership ID and zip code and click “submit.” A prompt to print a personalized
certificate will appear. Members should take the certificate to their dealer with a current driver's
license or state identification. The discount is stackable, meaning it can be used with other
discounts, promotions, rebates or offers that may be provided by Case IH or a Case IH
dealership. For assistance or for more information, contact Member Benefits Coordinator Angela
Ellis at (601) 977-4242.
FARM BUREAU APP FOR SMARTPHONES: A Farm Bureau app for your smartphone will
give you quick access to Farm Bureau information, including member benefits, programs, events
and more. You can pay your dues, watch the latest videos from Farm Bureau, link to our social
media sites, find directions to your county Farm Bureau office, read the latest Farm Country
magazine, even send us photos! Versions are available for Apple and Android phones. Go to the
App Store or the Android Store and search for Mississippi Farm Bureau.
AG BOOK OF THE YEAR: The 2016 Ag Book of the Year is “Millie’s Chickens” by Brenda
Williams, illustrated by Valeria Cis. The book has a rhyming text. Millie’s backyard is filled
with plants, a slide, a clothesline and happily pecking chickens. One of Millie’s hens, Silkie,
gets lost but is quickly found with a clutch of eggs. Millie is kept contentedly busy looking after
the chickens and the new baby chicks. Endpapers display an assortment of heritage breed
chickens. The book has an informative text on keeping chickens, chicken anatomy, the parts of
an egg and the life cycle of chickens as well as suggestions of different cooking methods for
eggs. “Millie’s Chickens” sells for $6 and can be ordered by calling Pam Jones at (601) 9774854. We also have a limited number of past ag books of the year, including “The Bee Man,”
“Seed, Soil, Sun” and “Who Grew My Soup?”
COUNTRY COOKING COOKBOOK: “Country Cooking - Volume V” is available in most
county offices. The cost is $20. If you order a cookbook from the state office, you will pay $20
plus postage. For more information, contact Pam Jones at pjones@msfb.org or (601) 977-4854.
AG MAGS AVAILABLE: Farm Bureau offers a children's agricultural newsletter called Ag
Mag, which features one Mississippi commodity or related topic each issue through facts,
activities, games and more. You can order copies of this newsletter for your local classroom or
ag promotion events from our Ag in the Classroom program. Dairy, corn, poultry, horticulture,
cotton, peanut, honey bee and soil editions are now available for purchase. The cost is $5 for 20
copies. To order, contact Pam Jones at pjones@msfb.org or (601) 977-4854.
AG IN THE CLASSROOM T-SHIRTS: If you have not purchased your Ag in the Classroom
T-shirt, contact Pam Jones at pjones@msfb.org or (601) 977-4854. The shirts are available in
maroon or red, sizes Youth, small through large, and Adult, small through 3XL. The cost is $15
for short sleeves and $20 for long sleeves. Flo Blue Comfort Color T-shirts are also available.
These shirts cost more but are still more affordable than if purchased somewhere else. Shortsleeve shirts are $18 and long-sleeve shirts are $23 in the same sizes as the red and maroon Tshirts.
Calendar of Events
Feb. 26-27
Mid-South Farm
& Gin Show
Memphis
Feb. 29
Our Food Link Day
Ronald McDonald House
Jackson
March 1
Ag Day at the Capitol Luncheon
Galloway UMC
Jackson
March 1
Ag Art Contest Deadline
March 4-6
YF&R Leadership Conference
Memphis
March 15
Teacher of the Year Deadline
March 15
State Coloring Contest Deadline
March 17
Women’s Day at the Capitol
April 22
State Women’s Leadership Conference
MFBF Building, Jackson
April 26-27
Secretaries’ Conference
Table 100, Flowood
May 15
Teachers & Volunteers
AITC Workshops
Registration Deadline
June 1
Scholarship Deadline
June 7,8,9
Teachers & Volunteers
AITC Workshops
Hattiesburg, Jackson, Hernando
If you have information for the April issue of Grassroots Leader newsletter, please contact
Glynda Phillips at (601)540-6868 or gphillips@msfb.org.