Farm & Ranch
April 15th, 2013
Seguin man among individuals honored for educating others on Agriculture
(Washington) -- A local man is getting national attention for helping to educate others about the world of agriculture. The American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture recently recognized eight teachers and two volunteer educators for their exceptional efforts to encourage agricultural literacy.
Honored as a volunteer from Seguin was Mel Grones. The educators will each receive $1,500 scholarships to attend the National Agriculture in the Classroom Conference in Minneapolis, Minn., in June.
The Foundation, through the White-Reinhardt Fund for Education, sponsors the scholarships in cooperation with the American Farm Bureau's Women's Leadership Committee.
This year's teacher recipients are: Cathy Britts Axen, Central Middle School, North Aurora, Ill.; Cathy Carr, Banford Elementary School, Canton, N.Y.; Sarah Glenn, Huntsville Intermediate School, Elkins, Ark.; Shirley Lettkeman, Watonga Elementary School, Watonga, Okla.; Missy Locke, Richland Elementary School, Lynnville, Tenn.; Raymond Dennis Peavy, Lake Joy Elementary, Perry, Ga.; Andrea Jones Seagraves, Crawford County Eagle's Nest, Musella, Ga.; and Debra Templin, Prosperity-Rikard Elementary School, Prosperity, S.C.
Joining Grones as a volunteer recipient was Martha Cripe of Vandalia, Ill.
Educators nationwide attend the conference to learn how to incorporate real-life agricultural applications into science, social studies, language arts, math and nutrition lessons.
Scholarship recipients were judged on past use of innovative programs to educate students about agriculture as well as future plans to implement information gained at the AITC conference in their own lesson plans and share the information with other educators.
The AITC conference joins a diverse group of organizations and speakers to address how to improve agricultural education and literacy, showcase successful programs and offer educational materials. The Agriculture Department coordinates the AITC program with the goal of helping students gain a greater awareness of the role of agriculture in the economy and society.
The American Farm Bureau Federation and state Farm Bureaus also support and participate in the program's efforts.
The White-Reinhardt Fund for Education honors two former American Farm Bureau Women's Leadership Committee chairwomen, Berta White and Linda Reinhardt, who were leaders in early national efforts to educate about agriculture and improve agricultural literacy.
January 28th, 2013
Top 10 reasons Texas farmers and ranchers drive pickups
By Mike Barnett, Director of Publications at the Texas Farm Bureau
Texas farmers and ranchers love pickups. Doesn’t matter what brand or color, everyone has one. They carry our dust on the outside and mud on the inside. They’re decorated with dings and scratches from errant fence posts and angry cows. Pickups haul range cubes, firewood and kids to school. Look in the back of a pickup and you’ll likely find welders, torches and the tools of agriculture’s trade.
Why exactly do Texas farmers and ranchers love their pickups? Here are the top 10 reasons:
10) To carry a toolbox so your cow dog will have a place to sit when you drive to town.
9) The bed serves as a depository for aluminum cans.
8) It’s hard to feed cubes out of a trunk.
7) To pull morons driving anything else out of mud holes.
6) Pickups lined up outside a cafe like cows at a feed trough indicate the best place to eat in small towns.
5) The dashboard is a handy place to file receipts until tax time.
4) Trucks have sex appeal, and we’re hoping some will rub off on us.
3) A horse trailer pulled behind a Toyota Camry just ain’t right.
2) The gap between cab and bed is a dandy place for mud boots.
1) Our vehicle is a reflection of ourselves. Who wants to look like a Nissan Cube?
Courtesy of Texas Farm Bureau