On the Local Level Fall 2013

IREDELL COUNTY Farm Bureau and Young Farmers & Ranchers Committee, along with county high school agriculture program, Cooperative Extension and the Iredell Cattlemen’s Association hosted “Wake Up to Ag” May 1-3 at the County Fairgrounds. During the three-day event, 1,500 kindergartners from 17 elementary schools saw farm animals, talked to farmers and learned about agriculture. Iredell YF&Rs gave copies of the book “The Guardian Team” to each elementary school that attended, a copy of the kindergarten Ag in the Classroom curriculum to every teacher and a Pizza Ag Mag to each child.

PENDER COUNTY Farm Bureau Young Farmers & Ranchers committee had a booth at the grand opening festival April 6 of Old River Farms. They were among more than 30 vendors at the farm, owned by Dean and Susan Lanier, and talked to visitors about the committee’s goals, service projects and agriculture promotion efforts.

GATES and HERTFORD COUNTY Farm Bureaus and area businesses sponsored Progressive Ag Safety Days for elementary school children at Gates County Public Schools, Hertford County Public Schools and Ridgecroft School in Hertford County. A total of 630 participants and volunteers attended these events, which included stations educating about tractor/large equipment safety, ATV safety, food safety, grain safety, healthy lifestyles, electrical safety, wildlife safety, Merchants Millpond Park Rangers, chemical safety, underground safety/811 and sun safety. Students were sent home with safety information.

CATAWBA COUNTY Farm Bureau made a $10,000 donation to Fred T. Foard High School for its school greenhouse project.