Mississippi Farm Country

A Publication of Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation • MSFB.org

MARCH/APRIL 2012

VOLUME 88 NO. 2

3MISSISSIPPI FARM COUNTRY

CONTENTS

Features88 AGRICULTURE’S FUTUREYoung farmers are agriculture’s future.Come with us as we meet the 2011 Young Farmers & Ranchers StateAchievement Award and Discussion Meet winners

1166 SOLVE THE MYSTERY Which Humphreys County town islocated near Sky Lake Boardwalk? Readabout the boardwalk and make yourguess.

2288 MFBF ANNUAL MEETINGThe 90th Annual Meeting of theMississippi Farm Bureau Federation washeld in December in Jackson. We lookback at this event through photos andarticles

Departments44 President’s Message66 Commodity Update: Cotton77 Commodity Update: Beef 1122 Public Policy Notes1188 Counsel’s Corner2200 Member Benefits Spotlight

About the coverVardaman sweet potato farmers Brad and Carla Spencer are the 2011 Mississippi Farm BureauFederation Young Farmers & Ranchers State Achievement Award winners. Brad is shown at theSpencer & Son Potato Shed.

“Our mission is to create an environmentin which Mississippi farmers, ranchers,and Farm Bureau members can have a

better life and make a better living.”

MMIISSSSIISSSSIIPPPPII FFAARRMM CCOOUUNNTTRRYYVolume 88 Number 2March/April 2012

MMiissssiissssiippppii FFaarrmm CCoouunnttrryy(ISSN 1529-9600) magazine ispublished bimonthly by the

Mississippi Farm Bureau® Federation.

Farm Bureau members receive this publication as part of their membership benefit. Periodicals postageis paid at Jackson, MS and at additional mailing offices.

Postmaster: Send address changes toP. O. Box 1972, Jackson, MS 39215

EDITORIAL and BUSINESS OFFICES6311 Ridgewood Road Jackson, MS 39211601-977-4153

EEDDIITTOORR - Glynda Phillips

AADDVVEERRTTIISSIINNGGAngela Thompson

1-800-227-8244 ext. 4242

FFAARRMM BBUURREEAAUU OOFFFFIICCEERRSSPresident – Randy Knight

Vice President – Donald GantVice President – Ted KendallVice President – Reggie Magee

Treasurer – Billy DavisCorporate Secretary – Ilene Sumrall

FFAARRMM BBUURREEAAUU DDIIRREECCTTOORRSSCarla Taylor, BoonevilleMike Graves, Ripley

Ronald Jones, Holly Springs Bill Ryan Tabb, ClevelandRandle Wright, VardamanNeal Huskison, PontotocMike Langley, HoustonBobby Moody, Louisville

Wanda Hill, IsolaJames Foy, Canton

Fred Stokes, PortervilleJames Brewer, ShubutaDavid Boyd, Sandhill

Lonnie Fortner, Port GibsonJeff Mullins, Meadville

Mike McCormick, Union ChurchLyle Hubbard, Mt. OliveGerald Moore, PetalJ. B. Brown, PerkinstonKen Mallette, VancleaveBetty Mills, WinonaJason Hill, Woodland

HHOONNOORRAARRYY VVIICCEE--PPRREESSIIDDEENNTTSSLouis Breaux, David H. Bennett

Warren Oakley

Material in this publication is based on what the editorbelieves to be reliable information. Neither Mississippi FarmBureau Federation nor those individuals or organizationscontributing to the MFBF publication assume any liabilityfor errors that might go undetected in the publication —this includes statements in articles or advertisements thatcould lead to erroneous personal or business managementdecisions.

FARM BUREAU®, FB® and all Farm Bureau logos used inthis magazine are registered service marks owned by theAmerican Farm Bureau Federation. They may not be usedin any commercial manner without the prior written consentof the American Farm Bureau Federation.

Design: Coopwood Communications, Inc.

MARCH/APRIL

MARCH/APRILMISSISSIPPI FARM COUNTRY4

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Randy Knight, PresidentMississippi Farm Bureau Federation

Our Volunteer LeadersMake a Difference

State convention always brings a sense of closure to the year. Thecrops are in, colder weather has set in, and the holiday season is uponus, with Thanksgiving behind us and Christmas just ahead.

During annual meeting – our 90th this year – we are able to visit withfriends, talk about important issues, and approve the policies that willguide our organization in the coming year. We also get to honor thosevolunteer leaders who have made a difference in the lives of others – notonly during the past year, but quite often, over the course of a lifetime.

In 2011, in addition to our outstanding county Farm Bureau programs,we recognized an especially noteworthy group of leaders – from retireddairy farmer and longtime volunteer leader Warren Oakley, to retiredYalobusha County Extension Director Steve Cummings, to outstandingyoung farmers Brad and Carla Spencer and television meteorologist Bar-bie Bassett.

Who has the time to volunteer these days? Farm Bureau membersmake the time. We believe in giving back because we have been givenso much. Our volunteer leaders are often involved in church and com-munity activities, and they are always the cream of the crop.

This issue of our magazine features state convention activities andthose volunteer leaders, including the young farmer contest winners, whoare making a difference in the lives of others. I have said this before, butit certainly bears repeating, our Young Farmers & Ranchers Program iswithout equal. Agriculture’s future is definitely in capable hands. Readthis issue, and see if you don’t agree.

And speaking of making a difference, I want to focus my column thistime on the Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation (MFBF) Women’sProgram. The old saying is certainly true: “If you want a job done well,just ask a woman.” Our women volunteer leaders aren’t afraid of hardwork. They roll up their sleeves and jump right in.

The MFBF Women’s Program, which is a part of our Member Serv-ices Department, works with a variety of important efforts each year. Vol-unteer leaders raise funds and collect household items for the Ronald Mc-Donald House in Jackson. They raise funds for a college scholarship thatis presented to four deserving young women annually. They collectMississippi Pennies, which are distributed to charitable organizations andother worthwhile projects around the state. This year, Mississippi Pen-nies donations were presented to Smithdale High School in MonroeCounty to help rebuild the library destroyed by a tornado.

Our women volunteer leaders are dedicated to making sure thatevery Mississippi student learns about agriculture. Through our Ag in theClassroom program, they take curriculum materials for grades K-12 intoclassrooms across the state. They also actively support agricultural ed-ucation efforts at the Mississippi Children’s Museum in Jackson.

If you haven’t visited the Mississippi Children’s Museum, I encour-age you to do so. All of the exhibits are great, but the ones devoted to

agriculture are especially meaningful to farmers. An education special-ist that Farm Bureau helps to fund serves as an advisor for the agricul-tural exhibits and coordinates special ag-related events and projectseach week, using materials from the our Ag in the Classroom program.

For the past two years, our women volunteer leaders were an essen-tial part of our eminent domain campaign, helping to gather the signa-tures that would ensure that Initiative 31 was placed on the ballot andmaking sure the public understood the importance of voting “yes” on themeasure in the general election. They spent many hours handing out ma-terials at county and state fairs and at other special events across the state.

If you are unfamiliar with our women’s program, here is how it isstructured. Every county Farm Bureau has a women’s committee, witha chair and a vice chair. Every region has a women’s committee com-prised of the county chairs.

The State Women’s Committee consists of those women who areelected to chair the regional committees plus two more women who areelected to serve as state chair and vice chair. State Women’s Committeemembers include: Deniese Swindoll of DeSoto County, Region 1; KayPerkins of Tishomingo County, Region 2; Peggy McKey of HindsCounty, Region 3; Jody Bailey of Yalobusha County, Region 4; Betty Ed-wards of Amite County, Region 5; Joan Thompson of Neshoba County,Region 6; Carolyn Turner of Jones County, Region 7; and Wanda Hillof Humphreys County, Region 8. Chairing the state committee is BettyMills of Montgomery County. Shelby Williams of Covington Countyserves as vice chair. All of these women have farming backgrounds, andmany of them actively farm.

Make a point of expressing your appreciation to our women volun-teer leaders for their hard work on behalf of Farm Bureau and Missis-sippi agriculture. For more information about this program, contactWomen’s Program Coordinator Clara Bilbo at (601) 977-4245.

By the time you read this, spring will have arrived. But as I write mycolumn, it is January and we are still talking about the passage of Ini-tiative 31 for eminent domain reform. Farm Bureau is an effectivegrassroots organization because of our statewide network of informedand involved volunteer leaders. People listen when we support an issuebecause they know that we have the best interests of our state and na-tion at heart.

In conclusion, I want to leave you with this thought: Even as thewinds of change blow hard across this great nation of ours, threateningto erode the very foundation upon which our country was established,Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation remains true to those democraticprinciples set forth by our founding fathers. We are a conservativegrassroots organization whose members value God, family and country.Always.

It is just that simple, and it is just that powerful.

Farm Bureau members from across thestate gathered in Jackson on Dec. 3-5 toparticipate in the 90th Annual Meeting

of the Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation.Here is a recap of the highlights.

Newly-elected or reelected directors fromodd-numbered districts include: District 1 –Carla Taylor, Prentiss County; District 3 –Ronald Jones, Marshall County; District 5 –Randle Wright, Calhoun County; District 7 –Mike Langley, Chickasaw County; District 9– Wanda Hill, Humphreys County; District 11– Fred Stokes, Kemper County; District 13 –David Boyd, Rankin County; District 15 –Jeff Mullins, Franklin County; District 17 –Lyle Hubbard, Jeff Davis County; and Dis-trict 19 – J. B. Brown, Stone County.

Betty Mills of Montgomery County wasreelected to chair the State Women’s Com-mittee, and Shelby Williams of CovingtonCounty will again serve as the committee’svice chair. Prior to convention, Jason Hill ofChickasaw County was elected to serve aschair of the Young Farmers & Ranchers StateCommittee.

Newly-elected or reelected regionalwomen’s chairs from even-numbered regionsinclude: Region 2 – Kay Perkins ofTishomingo County; Region 4 – Jody Baileyof Yalobusha County; Region 6 – JoanThompson of Neshoba County; and Region 8– Wanda Hill of Humphreys County.

Outstanding county Farm Bureau pro-grams include: Region 1 – DeSoto County;Region 2 – Yalobusha County; Region 3 –Humphreys County; Region 4 – MonroeCounty; Region 5 – Simpson County; Re-gion 6 – Jefferson Davis County; Region 7 –Walthall County; and Region 8 – JacksonCounty. Walthall County received the Presi-dent’s Award as the best overall county pro-gram in the state.

George County Farm Bureau was pre-sented the J. K. Simpson Award for highestnumerical membership gain in the previousyear. Perry County Farm Bureau andLafayette County Farm Bureau received theGary Chittom Membership Award, which ispresented to the county Farm Bureau in eachmembership category that achieves member-ship quota first.

Vardaman sweet potato farmers Brad andCarla Spencer received the 2011 YoungFarmers & Ranchers State AchievementAward. Sunflower County row-crop farmerClint Russell won the State Young Farmers &Ranchers Discussion Meet.

Retired Yalobusha County Extension Di-rector Steve Cummings received the 2011Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation Distin-guished Service Award. Retired dairy farmerand longtime volunteer leader Warren Oakleyof Starkville was presented the 2011 Missis-sippi Farm Bureau Federation Excellence inLeadership Award.

Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation pre-sented its 2011 Friend of Agriculture Awardto Gov. Phil Bryant of Rankin County, Rep.Frank Hamilton, House District 109, of Jack-son County, and Rep. Tom Mayhall, HouseDistrict 40, of DeSoto County. WLBT-TVChief Meteorologist Barbie Bassett of Madi-son received the Mississippi Farm BureauFederation Ag Ambassador Award for 2011.

Alan Smith of Pearl River County wasnamed Farm Bureau Ambassador for 2012.Kelsey Unruh of Noxubee County was se-lected alternate. Both are students at Missis-sippi State University.

The 2011Women’s Program Awards ofExcellence recipients in each of eight regionsinclude: Region 1 – Bolivar County; Region2 – Pontotoc County; Region 3 – ScottCounty; Region 4 – Choctaw County; Re-gion 5 – Lawrence County; Region 6 – LeakeCounty; Region 7 – Stone County; and Re-gion 8 – Sunflower County. Receiving theWomen’s Program Outstanding AchievementAwards for 2011 are Montgomery Countyfor Information, Organization and Govern-ment Relations; Marion County forYouth/Safety; Yalobusha County for Agri-culture in the Classroom; and Jackson County

for Community Service.County Farm Bureaus achieving quota by

state convention include Coahoma, George,Humphreys, Lafayette, Leake, Lee, Newton,Perry, Pontotoc, Sharkey and Webster.

5MISSISSIPPI FARM COUNTRYMARCH/APRIL

90th MFBF Annual Meeting Highlights

2012 Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation Board of Directors

In 2011, the U.S. cotton crop faced one of the most dev-astating droughts in recent history. Texas, the nation’s largestcotton-producing state, which typically accounts for overhalf the nation’s acres, produced well under half of normalproduction. The span of time from October 2010 to August2011 was the driest 11-month period of time in Texas sincethe National Weather Service began keeping records in1895.

Texas economists predict that the 2011 drought cost thestate more than $5 billion in agricultural losses, an estimated$1.8 billion alone in cotton crop loss. According to theUSDA’s latest December crop production report, Texas har-vested only 3.2 million acres of cotton of the 7.5 millionacres planted in the state, and the U.S. crop was predicted at15.8 million bales, a reduction of 3 million bales from the2010 crop.

Despite this substantial news on the U.S. crop, the worldeconomic situation still remains the dominant factor in theworld cotton market. Analysts agree that 2012 is definitelyfull of uncertainty and will indeed be a year hard to call forthe cotton market. Many bearish experts point to worldeconomy indicators as factors in their assumptions.

Countries whose economies drove world demand andeconomic development through the past two decades arenow only slightly above recession levels. World and U.S.economic growth is positive, but only by a small percent.World unemployment is high, impacting buyer demand andfrequency. World cotton consumption has been down the lasttwo years. In addition, world ending stocks are expected to

increase to 58 million bales, compared to 46 million balesin 2010-11.

Yet, some cotton market analysts remain bullish aboutmarket prices due to the lack of pre-plant moisture andcontinued risk of drought in the Southwest United States,which many climatologists indicate will continue forsome time and even spread to the Mid-South and South-east. World planting is expected to be down a good bit,and some experts feel like U.S. planting will be down to11.4 to 12.0 million acres. Some predict cotton priceswill continue to follow the prices of grains/oilseeds andfood prices, holding prices upward.

Only time will tell how the 2012 marketing year willshape up.


COMMODITY UPDATE: COTTON

Clint Tindall, MFBF Cotton Advisory Committee ChairJustin Ferguson, MFBF Commodity Coordinator for Cotton

FergusonTindall

Cotton Market in 2012: Hard To Call

Important NoticeThe Federal Motor Carrier

Safety Administration’s (FM-CSA) ban on hand-held cellularphones went into effect Jan. 3,2012.

Drivers operating a Commer-cial Motor Vehicle (CMV) in in-terstate commerce who violatethe restriction will face federal

civil penalties of up to $2,750 foreach offense and disqualificationfrom operating a CMV for multi-ple offenses. Also, states will sus-pend a driver’s Commercial Dri-ver’s License (CDL) after two ormore serious traffic violations.

Farmers are not exempt fromthis rule.

The January 1 cattle inventory estimateis currently being compiled by USDA andwill be released on January 27. Expecta-tions are that it will show a continued de-cline in beef cow numbers. If it does, thatwill mark the sixth consecutive year of de-clining beef cow inventory. Beef cow num-bers last notched year-over-year increasesin 2005 and 2006. That brief and modestherd expansion was cut short by rapidlyrising production costs along with weatherproblems in some parts of the country.

Beef cow numbers are now at about thesame level as the early 1960s. Of course, itis a much more productive herd than it was40 years ago. While cow numbers are his-torically low, beef production in 2011, at26.3 billion pounds, was only about 3 per-cent below the record level established in2002. Still, with record export demand anda steadily growing domestic population,per capita beef supplies have been histori-cally tight.

The tight supply situation in 2011 has helped to provide verystrong support for beef and cattle prices. Retail beef prices reachedrecord levels in 2011, and the same was true for wholesale beefprices as well as cattle prices at every level of the industry. In fact,the economic incentive for beef industry expansion in 2011 was ar-guably as strong as it has ever been – certainly as strong as it hasbeen in many years.

So, why does everyone expect a further decline in inventorynumbers to start out the year? One of the main reasons is that thedrought that devastated the Southern Plains region in 2011 forcedcattle liquidation on a massive scale. David Anderson with TexasAgriLife Extension has estimated that Texas cow numbers de-clined by 600,000 head in 2011 due to the drought. That’s a figureequal to roughly 2 percent of the entire nation’s beef cow herd.That is not to say that all of those cows are gone forever. It is dif-ficult to get a reliable read on how many of those cattle went toslaughter and how many were moved out of state to places withmore favorable pasture conditions. That will be one of the big ques-tions that we look to the January 1 inventory report to answer.

High cull cow prices in 2011 were also a factor in keeping herdliquidation going another year. With relatively tight meat suppliesglobally, a weak dollar that made lean trim imports expensive, and

strong demand for hamburger, cull cow prices in 2011 were noth-ing short of spectacular. For example, Sioux Falls regional break-ing cow prices averaged just over $73 per hundredweight (cwt)through the first 11 months of 2011. (Complete December data isnot yet available.) This was a 23 percent increase over the 2010 av-erage price and a whopping 47 percent increase over the 2009 av-erage price. These prices provided a strong incentive for produc-ers to cull aggressively. At the same time, high feeder calf pricesmade it harder to hold onto heifers for replacement.

Looking ahead, while the January 1 beef cow inventory willmost likely be lower year-over-year, beef herd expansion should be-gin in earnest in 2012. The past year’s generally favorable returnsseem to be encouraging interest in replacement females. If weatherand pasture conditions cooperate – unfortunately a pretty big ‘if’right now – that interest will grow. Of course, it takes time for herdexpansion to translate into larger beef supplies. In fact, as femalesare held off the market, the short-run effect will be to further reducebeef production. The historically tight per capita supply situationmentioned earlier will probably get even a bit tighter.

For this reason, the supply side of the market should remainquite supportive of both beef and cattle prices in 2012.


Mike McCormick, MFBF Beef Advisory Committee ChairJon Kilgore, MFBF Commodity Coordinator for Beef

COMMODITY UPDATE: BEEF

Cattle Industry Outlook for 2012

Kilgore

McCormick

Magnolia Beef andPoultry Expo

Make plans to attend the2012 Magnolia Beef and PoultryExpo to be held April 12, from 9a.m. to 5 p.m., at the SmithCounty Ag Complex in Raleigh.This event offers educationalseminars and a trade show fea-turing agricultural equipmentand other valuable informationfor beef and poultry producers.

The 2012 Magnolia Beef andPoultry Expo is sponsored by Mississippi State University Ex-tension Service: Jasper, Newton, Rankin, Scott, Simpson andSmith counties, and Community Bank.

For details, contact your local Extension office or Commu-nity Bank.

oungY


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oungAgriculture’s Future

Brad Spencer’s ancestors were members of that first groupof sweet potato farmers who migrated to the Vardaman areafrom Sheran, Tennessee, in 1915 and introduced commercialsweet potato farming to Mississippi agriculture. The area’ssandy-loam soil and climate, combined with the knowledge andvision of these hardworking men and women, gave birth to anindustry that today produces potatoes renowned worldwide fortheir sweet and delicious flavor.

Brad is proud of his heritage and the way that the sweet po-tato industry has grown and prospered through the years, but hesees even greater things on the horizon for state sweet potatoproduction. To that end, he is not afraid to work hard, dream big,and speak out on behalf of the industry.

“I think the sky is the limit as far as how big our sweet po-tato industry can grow and the types of fresh and processed mar-kets we can serve,” he said. “We are only limited by our ownfailure to dream big. I have always said that all great things be-gin with a single idea.”

VisionaryBrad grows 500 acres of sweet potatoes with his father

Keith in a partnership called Spencer & Son Farms. Beyond theplanting, harvesting and marketing aspects of his vocation,coming up with better ways to do his job is the part of farmingthat Brad enjoys most. He was honored in 2006 by the Missis-sippi Sweet Potato Council for promoting new ways of mar-keting potatoes. Brad has expanded markets for not only hisown potatoes but those of the brokers who use his packing fa-cilities.

“One of our biggest challenges in the sweet potato industryhas been figuring out how to more effectively market our crop,”he said. “We want to be able to sell to both the fresh andprocessed markets, and we want to sell the entire crop, includ-ing the culls. After investigating different marketing options, wenow use processors and canneries for our lower-grade potatoesand for other farmers’ potatoes as well.”

As another important aspect of his visionary approach tofarming, Brad enjoys cooperating with researchers in growingtest plots of sweet potatoes.

“I’ve assisted with different types of research efforts formany years,” he said. “I worked with Southern Ethanol in Col-orado to grow a very large potato that can be used by theethanol industry. I have also worked with scientists at Missis-sippi State University to come up with ways to rid the sweet po-tato industry of the insects that harm our crops. I want to con-tinue to work with researchers to improve our industry.”

Ever since he was a kid, Brad has studied the equipment thatlocal farmers use to plant, harvest, wash, grade and pack theirsweet potatoes. In recent years, he has modified quite a fewpieces of his own machinery in order to do his job more effi-ciently.

In the Spencer & Son Potato Shed, Brad added two packinglines to an existing line and designed this so that all three linesuse the same washer. A local machine shop built the equipment.By redesigning his packing line with these modifications, he hascut his time in half and increased production by 40 percent.

As another cost-saving measure, Brad modified a piece ofequipment so that it can be used for both sweet potatoes andpeanuts. It is made so that you can spray and plow with the samepiece of equipment.

Brad and his father have diversified their farming operationin recent years to include soybeans and peanuts as a way of cop-ing with the whims of Mother Nature and rising input costs.Brad also raises cattle and watermelons with his sons to teachthem responsibility and a good work ethic. Money made fromselling cows and melons goes into a fund to pay for their col-lege educations.

And finally, Brad says he is not afraid to “go back to oldschool” as a forward-thinking tactic. He has begun usingchicken litter as a fertilizer, and he says that this not only saveshim money but works as well if not better than existing com-mercial fertilizers.

By Glynda Phillips

armersF are

We are only limitedby our own failure

to dreamBIG.


2011 Young Farmers & Ranchers State Achievement Award recipients Bradand Carla Spencer received a new Ford pickup truck, compliments ofSouthern Farm Bureau Casualty Insurance Company. They are picturedwith Jack Williams. The Spencers also received $500 from Ford and $1800from MFBF toward the purchase of technology. As regional winners, theyreceived $500 from Southern AgCredit and Mississippi Land Bank and $500from Southern Farm Bureau Casualty Insurance Company.

The Spencers were overcome with emotion after learning they had beennamed recipients of the YF&R State Achievement Award. They later placedin the top ten finalists in national competition in Honolulu, Hawaii.

2011 Young Farmers & Ranchers State Achievement Award recipients Bradand Carla Spencer will receive 250 hours use of a Kubota tractor. Making thepresentation is Lee Parish of Kubota Tractor.

2011 Young Farmers & Ranchers State Achievement Award recipients Bradand Carla Spencer will receive 100 hours use of a John Deere tractor.Making the presentation is Larry Long of John Deere.

LeaderBeyond the visionary aspects of his char-

acter, Brad is a born leader. While in school, heserved as class president for nine consecutiveyears, excelled in baseball, served as studentbody president, and was inducted into his highschool’s hall of fame.

Brad and his wife Carla are active membersof the Chickasaw County Farm Bureau, wherethey sit on the board of directors and are in-volved in the Young Farmers & Ranchers(YF&R) Program. They also served a two-year term on the YF&R State Committee andwere active in a variety of state YF&R activ-ities. Brad served as vice chair of the statecommittee.

Brad has served as vice chair of the Mis-sissippi Farm Bureau Federation (MFBF)Sweet Potato Advisory Committee and hasparticipated in the Farm Families of Missis-

sippi campaign, which takes the farmer’s storyto the consuming public.

The Spencers were recently named recipi-ents of the 2011 YF&R State AchievementAward, and they placed in the top ten finalistsnationally. They were recognized for their farm-ing innovations, leadership skills and involve-ment in Farm Bureau and their community.

Brad also sits on the board of directors ofthe Mississippi Sweet Potato Council and Mis-sissippi Fruit and Vegetable Association’sSweet Potato Co-op.

The Spencers are active in their church andparticipate in a variety of community activi-ties. He coaches two baseball teams as a vol-unteer and is the volunteer pitching coach forthe local high school baseball team.

Brad and Carla have two children, Hunter,11, and Justin, 8.

Future PlansBrad’s future plans include building a new

sweet potato facility that will expand his stor-age capability and offer a cannery yard so thattrucks can be loaded indoors. The new facilitywill not only upgrade what he and his fatherhave now, but will employ more people. Histarget date for operation is Aug. 20, 2012.

Brad also plans to use a guidance system inhis fields in 2012 to more efficiently use theland. In addition, he would like to help sweetpotato farmers get a viable crop insuranceproduct in place for sweet potatoes.

Finally, Brad and Carla intend to con-tinue their involvement with Farm Bureauand state sweet potato organizations.

For more information about the Missis-sippi Farm Bureau Federation Young Farm-ers & Ranchers Program, contact YF&R Co-ordinator Kirsten Johnson at (601) 977-4277.


During the Sunday evening general ses-sion at state convention, it was announcedthat a new contest will be offered for the Mis-sissippi Farm Bureau Federation (MFBF)Young Farmers & Ranchers (YF&R) Pro-gram. The Excellence in Agriculture Contestis a national American Farm Bureau Federa-tion (AFBF) YF&R contest that recognizesmembers, ages 18-35, who are active in agri-culture but who make the majority of their in-come off of the farm.

This exciting contest recognizes individ-uals who do not qualify for the AchievementAward but who are professionals vital toeveryday agriculture.

To apply for the contest, individuals willneed to contact their regional manager foran application. The applications will be sub-mitted to the state office, and all contestantswill be required to design a PowerPoint pres-entation about their involvement in agricul-ture, Farm Bureau and their community.Judging will be based on contributions to andinvolvement in agriculture, Farm Bureau andtheir community.

The state winner of this contest will re-ceive a new zero-turn lawn mower, spon-sored by Southern Ag Credit. The state win-ner will also have the opportunity to competeat the AFBF Annual Convention, where thenational winner receives their choice of a2013 Chevy Silverado or 2013 GMC Sierra.

For more information about this contest,please feel free to contact Kirsten Johnson at601-977-4277 or at [email protected].

Each year, the Mississippi Farm Bureau Feder-ation Young Farmers & Ranchers (YF&R) Pro-gram, under the guidance of the YF&R State Com-mittee, sponsors the following activities:

● Gary Langley Memorial Fundraising Event dur-ing the summer and silent and live auctions atstate convention to raise money for the YF&RScholarship Foundation

● Washington, D.C. Trip for second-year commit-tee members

● National YF&R Leadership Conference for first-year committee members

● State YF&R Leadership Conference ● Tour of College of Veterinary Medicine and var-

ious Mississippi State University research sites ● YF&R Scholarship Foundation, which awards

scholarships to students who are sophomores orhigher and are majoring in ag-related areas.

The Young Farmers & Ranchers Program alsooffers Achievement Award, Discussion Meet andExcellence in Agriculture contests. The Achieve-ment Award Contest recognizes young farmers onthe regional and state levels who excel in theirfarming endeavors and in leadership activities. TheDiscussion Meet provides participants with an op-portunity to exchange ideas and information in aneffort to solve a problem. The new Excellence inAgriculture Contest recognizes individuals whoare active in agriculture but who make the major-ity of their income off of the farm.

Winners of these contests are announced duringthe Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation AnnualMeeting in December. For more information, con-tact Young Farmers & Ranchers CoordinatorKirsten Johnson at (601) 977-4277.

Excellence inAgricultureContest

YF&R Activities

By Kirsten Johnson, MFBF Young Farmersand Ranchers Coordinator

Jason Hill will chair the 2012 Young Farmers &Ranchers (YF&R) State Committee. He and his wifeKelly farm 2,200 acres in Chickasaw County, growingcotton, corn and soybeans. He also owns and managespastureland, where his grandfather grazes cattle.

The Hills became involved in the YF&R Programwhen approached by their regional manager, SamanthaWebb. They have thoroughly enjoyed the experience andencourage others to become involved. The Hills feelyoung farmers really benefit from the leadership oppor-tunities the program offers and, also, the opportunity tobecome a positive advocate for agriculture.

Jason and Kelly have two children, Katelyn, 8, andTyler, 3.

YF&R State Committee Chair

YF&R Live Auctions

The Young Farmers & Ranchers (YF&R) Programholds live auctions during state convention to raisefunds for the YF&R Scholarship Foundation. Picturedis a John Deere Gator for children, one of the manyitems auctioned.

PUBLIC POLICY NOTES


March 1 Ag Day at the Capitol

Jackson

March 6Women’s Day at the Capitol

Jackson

March 9 – 10Women for Ag Conference

MSU

March 8 National Ag Day

March 15 Teacher Grant and RegionalColoring Contest Deadline

April 12Magnolia Beef and Poultry Expo

Raleigh

April 20 – 21Super Bulldog Weekend

MSU

April 24 – 25Secretaries’ Conference

Jackson

April 27State Women’s

Leadership ConferenceJackson

April 28-30Southern Region Presidents & Administrators Conference

Mississippi

June 4 – 7 Youth Safety SeminarTimber Creek Camp

June 12 – 14 AITC Workshops

Grenada, Jackson, Gulf Coast

June 19 – 22 National AITC Conference

Loveland, Colorado

Calendarof Events Young Farmers Visit Washington

Each year, Mississippi FarmBureau Federation takes the sec-ond-year Young Farmers &Ranchers (YF&R) State Com-mittee members to Washington,D.C. This year, we had a well-rounded group, which includedpoultry, livestock and row-cropfarmers. The group met with SenatorCochran and Senator Wicker, as well as Rep-resentative Harper, Representative Palazzoand Representative Nunnelee.

The main topic of conversation was farmprograms. We just happened to be there theweek before the Super Committee an-

nounced its failure to come to aconsensus on cutting the deficit. Itwas a great opportunity for theYF&R State Committee membersto experience what it’s like tolobby on a position, ask importantquestions, and to see Farm Bu-reau policy in the process.

The YF&R State Committeewas also able to do a little sight-

seeing. They had the option of touring theLincoln Memorial, Washington Monu-ment, and Smithsonian museums.

This trip is a good experience and onewe will continue to share with futureYoung Farmers & Ranchers State Com-mittee members.

By Samantha CawthornMFBF Public Policy Director


SMARCH/APRILMISSISSIPPI FARM COUNTRY14

Sunflower County row-crop farmer Clint Russellconsiders his speaking ability a God-given talent.Nevertheless, it took him three tries plus years spentmaturing and developing leadership skills in orderto win the Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation(MFBF) Young Farmers & Ranchers (YF&R) StateDiscussion Meet, competing with contestants fromacross the state.

“I have a real competitive spirit. I like to win,” hesaid. “I felt that I could achieve success in this con-test if I kept trying.”

Clint was also wise enough to learn from hisfirst two attempts as well as from efforts by hisfriend Shea Whitfield, who competed nationally in2010.

“I learned that you must be disciplined and stickstrictly to the rules. A discussion meet isn’t a de-bate,” he said. “You must be careful when you jump into the con-versation, and you must stay on point and make statements relevantto the conversation. I had the rules explained to me by the YF&Rcoordinator the first time I participated. After that, I learned from

each time I entered and from the people watchingme. I think I was a little too aggressive in the firsttwo meets.”

Clint, who chaired the 2010 YF&R State Com-mittee, says that this leadership experience helpedhim gain insight into how to conduct himself duringa discussion meet.

“As chair of the state committee, I was able toparticipate in state board meetings, and I soaked upthat experience,” he said. “I also credit my workingwith the state staff and with other young farmerswith helping me to grow and mature as a leader. Ilistened to them and began to understand that otherpeople have opinions, too, and that others knowmore than I know about certain topics or situations.You can’t think you have all of the answers. Youlearn from people with different backgrounds and

get their input and opinions as well.“I also learned that you lead by example, not be being aggressive

or bossy. You make sure everyone is on board and involved,” hesaid. “You learn how to deal with different personalities when you

Third Time’s the Charm For State Discussion Meet Winner

Clint Russell competed in theSweet Sixteen semi-finalsnationally.

MARCH/APRIL 15MISSISSIPPI FARM COUNTRY

participate in this program. We have farmers from every segment ofagriculture involved, and we all have different challenges that needto be addressed. We have to be careful not to get frustrated with eachother, but to work together toward a common goal.”

In his experience with the young farmers program, Clint alsoserved on the new state advisory committee, which surfaced ideasabout how to improve the program. One idea was to hire a full-timecoordinator, which has been accomplished. Another idea was toform an alumni group, which is in the beginning stages.

“We took a positive step forward with the alumni banquet at stateconvention,” he said “We had good attendance, and we hope to buildon that. I know that our opinions on the YF&R State Advisory Com-mittee have been taken seriously. Those in authority listened and un-derstood what we wanted.”

Clint says that he used a new strategy in the 2011 YF&R StateDiscussion Meet.

“A big part of this contest is effectively engaging the other com-petitors,” he said. “If I thought that someone was being passed over,I made a point of asking them questions and getting them to con-tribute to the conversation. We represented different segments ofagriculture, and I didn’t know about poultry or beef cattle operations.I wanted to learn about them, and I wanted the audience to learn, too.

“This contest is not about who is talking the most,” he added. “Itis about speaking intelligently, making clear points, and engagingyour competition.”

Clint says discussion meet competitors are aware of the topics be-forehand. He gathered material related to those topics, but he alsoused other interesting facts and figures about agriculture.

“I am doing the same thing for national competition,” he said. “Iwill try to ensure that I progress in the contest, but I want to repre-sent Mississippi Farm Bureau the best way I know how. I respectthe ideals that our organization stands for, and I want to be a goodambassador for the organization and for state agriculture. I am re-ally looking forward to this.”

Clint says he can’t say enough about the Mississippi Farm Bu-reau Federation Young Farmers & Ranchers Program.

“It has definitely made me more aware of issues of importanceto agriculture and what it means to be a Mississippi farmer,” he said.“It has given me experiences I never would have had before. It hastaught me a lot of life lessons and how to be an effective leader.”

Clint says his involvement in the young farmers program has alsodeveloped his entrepreneurial spirit.

“I want to try something different,” he said. “I may try growingvegetables. We have the soil here, the climate and the ability to dothat.”

Clint will soon age-out of the program, but he intends to remaininvolved in Farm Bureau. He hopes one day to be blessed to serveon the state level again.

“I thank Farm Bureau for the opportunities it has given me. It hasallowed me to learn from not only the Farm Bureau community butother agricultural organizations as well. We are all in this togetherto make Mississippi agriculture better.”

Clint is president of Sunflower County Farm Bureau. He is amember of the Mississippi Rice Council and the Drew Rotary Club(which he served as president). He is a deacon at First BaptistChurch of Cleveland and a graduate of Mississippi Delta Commu-nity College. He attended Delta State University before returning torun the farm upon the death of his father in 2001

Clint grows corn, soybeans, rice and wheat on a 3,000-acrefarm.

“I believe that you know you are a farmer from a very early age.It is just in your blood,” he said. “Farming is an awesome way oflife. I have friends with 8-to-5 jobs or sales jobs, and I don’t envythem at all. Farming gives you freedom. A farm is a great place toraise your children. You can teach them the values you learned grow-ing up on a farm, and you can hunt and fish with them on your ownland. Farming is tough at times, like in 2009 when we got so muchrain. But you can find a balance of good and bad.

“When all is said and done, I am living the dream,” he con-cluded. “I am farming, and I have a great wife and kids.”

Sunflower County row-crop farmer Clint Russell won the 2011 YoungFarmers & Ranchers State Discussion Meet. He received a 4-wheelerATV, compliments of Southern Farm Bureau Life Insurance Company.Making the presentation is Randy Johns. Clint also received cashawards from Southern AgCredit, Mississippi Land Bank, and Ford.

O


Step Back in TimeThe Sky Lake Wildlife Management Area features a treated

pine boardwalk that is almost 1,800 feet long and stretches out overa swampy tract of land near Sky Lake. Growing in the swamp areancient baldcypress trees that represent one of the largest remain-ing tracts of old-growth cypress on earth. The other sites are locatedin Arkansas, Florida, North Carolina and South Carolina. You willalso find six other species of hardwood trees, including oak, ash andTupelo gum.

The swamp’s biggest cypress is over 48 feet around. The second-biggest is over 46 feet around. It is estimated that the timber fromthe second-biggest tree, if it were sound, could build six ordinaryhouses. Inside the trunk of this tree are four rooms, hollowed out byfungi, wind and time.

Both trees are estimated to be over 1,000 years old. The knees on some of the ancient cypress trees are huge. Cypress

knees don’t bring oxygen and food to the trees. They support them.

About 78 years ago, area trees were harvested by loggers, and theland was cleared and used to grow crops. Fortunately, the trees inthe swamp weren’t destroyed. Some of the old cypress trees werecut, and new trees were planted. But in the main, most of the oldertrees still stand after thousands of years.

It is like stepping back in time.

Mark & Peggy SimmonsA local couple, Mark and Peggy Simmons, sold the swampland

as part of a 773-acre tract of land to the Mississippi Department ofWildlife, Fisheries, and Parks. In 2006, Wildlife Mississippi, througha grant from the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries,and Parks Recreational Trails Program, began the Sky Lake Board-walk Project. The Office of the Governor and the Yazoo-MississippiDelta Levee Board also helped with planning efforts.

Wildlife Mississippi conceptualized the boardwalk, raised thefunds, and oversaw the design and construction of the boardwalk

Our mystery town is located in Humphreys County and was featured in a pastSolve the Mystery. We are featuring it again, but this time, we are giving you onlyone clue. Here is the clue: This Humphreys County town is located near SkyLake Boardwalk.

Read about the boardwalk and make your guess.

Mystery?Solvethe

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and its associated amenities.The Sky Lake Boardwalk is a part of the Sky Lake Wildlife Man-

agement Area (WMA). The WMA now encompasses approximately4,273 acres. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has acquired nearly3,500 acres of former agricultural land around Sky Lake and re-stored the vegetation through reforestation of bottomland hard-woods with a variety of tree species, including water oak, willowoak and Nuttall oak.

Mark, who has served on the Humphreys County Farm BureauBoard of Directors since the late 1950s, says he is very pleased withwhat has been done with the property as well as future plans for it.Mark, 79, and his father once farmed the land near the swamp. Markhas wanted to preserve the area since he was a child.

The swampland is being preserved for the birds and wildlife, forhistorical significance, for scenic and ecological purposes, and forscientific study. All along the boardwalk, you will find signs withinformation about the swamp and the area around it. Soon, signs willbe placed on the trees, so you will be able to identify them.

Area wildlife includes deer, black bear, coyotes, mink and rac-coons. Sky Lake has been a resting place for ducks. As many as10,000 mallards have been spotted on the water during duck season.

The park is near Jaketown, a Native American archaeological sitethat is located 3.5 miles away. The area is also located near theChoctaw boundary line, drawn between the early settlers and the Na-tive Americans. This line runs through 10 states.

Other FeaturesNear the parking lot, are restrooms and a picnic pavilion. You will

also find an amphitheater that seats 150 people. The theater is builtwith flagstone from Arkansas. Near the theater, you will see hollowcypress logs that are estimated to be 1,000 to 1,500 years old.

Mark says the facilities were built with donations and grants andvery little tax money. The cost of the entire project was $716,000,of which $145,000 was private donations raised by Wildlife Mis-sissippi. The land where the boardwalk begins is owned by the Ya-zoo-Mississippi Delta Levee Board.

It is estimated that, eventually, approximately 72,000 peoplewill visit the park each year.

The Sky Lake Boardwalk was dedicated on November 3. It isopen to the public free of charge, seven days a week, from 8 a.m.until 5 p.m. The park is located off of Highway 7 and is about sixmiles north of Wister Gardens, which is also near our mysterytown.

Name the mystery town.For more information about this unique park, Mark Simmons

says you may call him at 662-836-7016.

Correct GuessesMail guesses to Solve the Mystery, Mississippi Farm Country,P. O. Box 1972, Jackson, MS 39215. You may also e-mail yourguesses to: [email protected]. Please remember to in-clude your name and address on the entry. Visit our MississippiFarm Bureau Federation Web site at: www.msfb.org. When all correct guesses have been received, we will ran-domly draw 20 names. These 20 names will receive a prize andwill be placed in the hat twice. At the end of the year, a winnerwill be drawn from all correct submissions. The winner will re-ceive a Weekend Bed and Breakfast Trip, courtesy of the Mis-sissippi Farm Bureau Federation. Families may submit onlyone entry. Federation staff members and their families are inel-igible to participate in this contest.The deadline for submitting your entry is March 30.

January/FebruaryThe correct answer for the January/February Solve the Mysteryis the town of Taylor.


Ihave been reading the history of cattle ranches in Texasand the West during the 19th century and find it fascinat-ing to learn more about what a fine line divides great hard-

ship from success in what, at least in West Texas, is arid coun-try. There today, it takes from 10 to 25 acres of ranchland tosupport one head of cattle. For that reason, there are still manyenormous cattle ranches, the best known being legends oftheir own such as King Ranch – now 825,000 acres.

As to legends, none is more American than the cowboy.Though today there are many competitors, 60 to 70 years ago,cowboys, along with baseball players, airplane pilots, shipcaptains, and railroad engineers, were seen as larger-than-lifeheroes.

Twenty-five cents would get you into the Saturday mati-nee picture show with a Coke® and popcorn. Gene Autry, RoyRogers, Hopalong Cassidy and their sidekicks held sway.When TV came along, the “Lone Ranger,” Rowdy Yates in“Rawhide,” Matt Dillon in “Gunsmoke,” and the entire castof “Bonanza” held our attention. And who can forget “RoosterCogburn” (John Wayne), Jack Palance in “Shane,” and GaryCooper in “High Noon,” plus many others?

Also in the great cowboy genre, think of FDR’s favoritesong, “Home on the Range,” “Cool, Clear Water” by theSons of the Pioneers, or Willie Nelson’s “My Heroes Have Al-ways Been Cowboys,” or “Desperado” by the Eagles. In the60s and later, rodeo cowboys also became big celebrities.

Cowboys are special – always have been, even though thereal cowboys were far different from matinee heroes. CharlesGoodknight, one of the 19th century’s great cattlemen, said:“I wish I could find words to express the trueness, the brav-ery, the hardihood, the sense of honor, the loyalty to their trustand to each other.”

Unfortunately and unfairly, in Saturday Westerns, the In-dians were not ranked much higher than bank robbers and cat-tle rustlers, but that is a story for another day.

All of this leads up to the title of this article and my friend-ship with Jack Pettit from Gustine, Comanche County, Texas.Jack’s children are fifth-generation ranchers, and he epito-mizes the qualities of American heroes, many of whom are un-sung. Jack is a tall, lanky cattleman whose eyes have gazedover many acres of ranch pastures and herds of cattle, tanks(ponds in our vernacular), and lights in another small townyou can see from ten miles away in that country with fewtrees.

In his time, he has battled drought, cattle diseases,mesquite, low prices and high costs, and he and his son arestill ranchers. Jack is not in the pasture every day as he oncewas because a few years ago, on Christmas Day, he suffereda stroke which has left him largely immobile. But with hissharp mind, great attitude and cowboy courage, he makes thebest of a tough situation for a man who has lived in the out-doors most of his life.

Two Pettit brothers came to Texas from Alabama in 1860.When they reached the Brazos River, each decided to go a dif-ferent way, and they never saw each other again. Jack’s great-grandfather, J.P. Pettit, settled in what became Gustine, Texas,not far from today’s Hamilton. He was a hard worker and agood man, and he eventually owned several thousand acres ofland and a successful cattle operation. He opened a small bankin the community and donated land for the Baptist church,which they named after him.

In the agricultural depression after WWI, the small bankfailed. Mr. J.P. didn’t take that lightly and said, “Well, thebank’s broke, but I’m not,” and proceeded to sell cattle, landand whatever else he could scrape up and paid off all the de-positors. Part of the old Pettit homestead can still be seen. Thechurch survives, and the old spirit is still alive and well in thefamily.

This helps you understand why my friend Jack is one ofthose people with a hardship, but if you call or visit to cheerhim up, you will be the one cheered up. A man who was a nat-ural on a horse still gets out of his wheelchair into a pickupwith the help of his son and wife and views the now drought-threatened ranch with the steely determination of his grand-father. His kind is the heart and soul of American farmers andranchers.

Though I have known him for only about 15 years, he isone of those with whom you feel it is forever. And you cansee, with people like that, the legacy runs in the blood.

– “Light rises in the darkness for the upright.” Psalms112:4

Sam E. Scott is general counsel for Mississippi Farm Bureau Fed-eration and practices law in the Law Firm of Samuel E. Scott, PLLC,in Jackson. The foregoing information is general in nature and is notintended as nor should be considered specific legal advice, nor to beconsidered as MFBF’s position or opinion.

The PettitLegacy

COUNSEL’S CORNER

By Sam E. Scott, MFBF General Counsel

2011 Value of Production

1. Poultry & Eggs $2.44 billion2. Forestry $1.04 billion3. Soybeans $860 million4. Cotton $599 million5. Corn $595 million6. Catfish $222 million7. Cattle/calves $155 million8. Rice $153 million9. Hay $138 million10. Wheat $127 million11. Hogs $104 million12. Horticultural Crops $94 million13. Sweet Potatoes $66 million14. Milk $42 million15. Grain Sorghum $22 million 16. Peanuts $16 million

Commodity Total $6.7 billionGovernment Payments $357 million

TOTAL $7 billion


Mississippi’s agricultural commodi-ties are predicted to reach a record-highvalue of more than $6.7 billion for 2011.

Mississippi State University Exten-sion Service economists compiled thenumbers from poultry, forestry, agro-nomic crops, catfish and livestock for theannual value estimate. If government

payments are factored in, the state’s valueof production reaches $7 billion for thefirst time in history.

Extension agricultural economist JohnMichael Riley said the record is a resultof high yields and strong market pricesfor most commodities in 2011.

“Livestock and the major row cropshad strong markets during the year,” Ri-ley said. “But farmers did not get a break

Strong prices, high yields send crop values to record highBy Linda BreazealeMSU Ag Communications

in the cost of production. Land prices, chemi-cal prices, labor costs, fuel, energy and equip-ment are all increasing each year.”

The state’s top three commodities remainpoultry and eggs ($2.44 billion), forestry ($1.04billion) and soybeans ($860 million). Theirvalues changed little from 2010.


Member benefits that can save you moneySpring is just around the corner, and if you are like

me, you are ready to get out of the house and havesome fun away from home. When you leave home,though, your property is at greater risk of being taken

or destroyed in a fire. Farm Bu-reau’s Member Benefits Programcan help protect your propertywhen you aren’t there.

ADT Home SecuritySouthern Security Services, a

Mississippi-based company, isoffering an ADT Basic Home Se-

curity System installed at no charge (36-month mon-itoring contract required) to members of Farm Bureau.Basic, hard-wired alarm system will include the fol-lowing: (1) Three contacted doors; (2) One insidesiren; (3) One motion detector; (4) One control panelwith a backup battery; (5) One keypad; (6) Onesmoke/heat detector; (7) 90-day warranty on system;and (8) $29.99 + tax per month.

This is a basic, hard-wired, non-wireless package.Some restrictions may apply. Residential accountsonly.

Theft RewardMembers can offer a $500 reward for information

leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone com-mitting theft, arson or vandalism against their property.In order for the reward to be payable, the individualmust provide information that leads to the arrest andconviction of anyone committing the theft.

The Farm Bureau member must have the rewardsign posted in a conspicuous location at or near the en-trance to the property. Persons providing the informa-tion cannot be someone with a direct interest in theproperty, a law enforcement officer, or an employee ofFarm Bureau or affiliate companies.

The maximum amount payable is $500. If morethan one person provides the information, the $500will be divided among the eligible parties.

Any information should be presented to the ClaimsDepartment for further investigation.

ScholarshipsFarm Bureau offers several scholarships each year

to Farm Bureau-member students already studying inan agricultural area. These are designed to provide op-portunities to those students showing need for finan-cial assistance as well as academic ability and leader-ship qualities. Applicants must have already completedtheir college freshman year in an agricultural major atany Mississippi university or community college.

The deadline for applications to be received is June 1of each year. For more information on all of the differentscholarships, see our Web site at www.msfb.org/Mem-ber_Benefits/scholarships.aspx.

By Greg Gibson, MFBF Member Services Director

MEMBER BENEFITS SPOTLIGHT

Child Safety SeatThis is one of our most-used bene-

fits. Farm Bureau offers its membersthe ability to purchase a child safetyseat for only $25 or a child booster seatfor only $15.

According to Mississippi law, allchildren under the age of four must beprotected by a child passenger restraintdevice or system.

All children between the ages of 4and 7 who are less than 4 feet 9 inchestall or weigh less than 65 pounds mustbe protected by properly using a belt-po-sitioning booster seat system.

For more information on these andall of the other member benefits avail-able to you as a Farm Bureau member,check out our Web site, www.msfb.org,call your county Farm Bureau office, orcall Member Benefits Coordinator De-dra Luke at 601-977-4169.


Herman Cockrell, 86, hasspent a lifetime growing pro-duce. For more than half a cen-

tury, his Smith County vegetables havebeen much in demand by loyal customersaround the state and many areas of theSoutheast.

He sells the vegetables at his booth atthe Old Farmers Mar ket in Jackson. Hisdaughter, Brenda Langham, manages thebooth, which has been in operation for 54years.

“People come and ask for Daddy’s Veg-etables. By that, they mean the vegetablesgrown by my father,” she said. “Some cus-tomers don’t know my father personally,but I have said ‘daddy’ so much, peopleask for his produce like that.”

Herman grows tomatoes, watermelon,cantaloupe, squash, turnips, corn, peas,beans, onions, mustard, collards, broccoliand cabbage, just to name a few. Favoritesamong his customers are tomatoes, water-melon, white sweet (field) corn, andsquash. Since sometime in the 1970s, Her-man has been called the Watermelon Kingby customers who come to buy his water-melons. If you are recognized for yourwatermelons in Smith County, you knowyou are good. Herman’s produce is alsosold at the Neshoba County Fair.

“We have a customer from Georgiawho brings a freezer on the back of atrailer each year and buys seven bushels ofvegetables, which he takes home and putsup,” Brenda said.

“Anybody can be good at this if theywork at it,” Herman said. “You can’t put itin the ground and forget about it. You haveto be there when the plants need you. Thisis a seven-day-a-week job, from beforesunup until well after sundown. You musthave total devotion, and you must loveit.”

VegetablesDaddy’s

Back when he was starting out, Hermansays he learned from the old-timers andthrough trial and error. But he claims that alot of it is just plain common horse sense. Hesays you tend the crops when they need it,and you don’t put it off.

“A lot of people will lose a crop by wait-ing,” he said. “When they finally get aroundto doing what needs to be done, it’s too lateand the crop is gone.”

Herman buys his seed from Kelly SeedCompany and Magee Co-op. Bowing tomore modern times, he buys hybrid and re-sistant varieties. He finally put in irrigation in2011. Herman now has a John Deere 5520tractor with a front-end loader and air con-ditioning and heat. But mainly, he sticks withthe old tried-and-true tools he started outwith as a boy. He claims they work much bet-ter than some of the newer ones.

“Let me show you my walking cultiva-tor,” he said one crisp autumn morning inearly November. “I got it when I was 18 or19, and we pulled it with a pair of bull year-lings. Today, I pull it with a Kubota tractor,and it works just fine.”

Herman also favors an antique Farmall140 that runs like a charm. He uses it toplow, and says it makes the cleanest gardenin the whole world. He uses an old Interna-tional 140 (an industrial version of the Far-mall 140) to plant and put out liquid fertilizer.

“I like to say that I plant it and the goodLord raises it,” he said. “Used to, I didn’thave irrigation so I took whatever the Lordsent me. One year, I needed rain bad. All

around me, people were getting rain, but myfarm was dry. Well, one day, it started rain-ing late and was still raining in the morning.That rain saved me.”

Herman says he tries to grow as natural ashe can. Sometimes, if the weather doesn’t co-operate, he will replant. Sometimes, he re-plants more than once.

“The customers who come to our booth

don’t realize how much time, love and effortDaddy puts into his crops each season, interms of long hours of hard work,” Brendasaid.

“I try to have the very best,” he said. “Itis so rewarding to know that through theyears I have raised enough produce to feedthousands of people who couldn’t havegrown it themselves.”

Herman says thatsometimes – and es-pecially lately – hischildren will tell him heis working too hard andneeds to slow down.

“You know what I tellthem?” he asked. “I tell themthat if the good Lord takes me whileI am out in the fields, then I will be happy.

They will know that I went the way I wantedto go. So don’t say, ‘Daddy, don’t’ to me.”

Herman has extra help when needed, andhis children, Lynda, Tommy and Brenda,help out as necessary. His wife, the lateWilma Luckey, worked beside him out inthe fields and came home and cooked break-fast, lunch and supper every day. He andWilma were married for 62 years before shepassed away in 2006.

Herman has been a member of the OakHill Masonic Lodge for 65 years, a Master ofthe Lodge for two years, and a member of theOkatoma Water Board. He has served as anelection commissioner since 1983 and servedas chairman of the Smith County ElectionCommissioners for 20 years. He is a long-time Simpson County Farm Bureau member.He was named 1997-1998 Farmer of the Yearby the Smith County Soil and Water Con-servation District.

Next time you want fresh, locally grownveggies, tell Brenda you want Daddy’s Veg-etables. See if you can’t taste a differencewhen your food is grown by a Mississippifarmer. And see if you don’t agree that Her-man Cockrell has pretty much perfected thefine art of growing produce.

MISSISSIPPI FARM COUNTRYMARCH/APRIL

I like to say that I plant it and the

good Lord raises it.”

23

Herman Cockrell, his daughters, Lynda Cooper and Brenda Langham, and his dog Snow.

MississippiMARCH/APRILMISSISSIPPI FARM COUNTRY24

is Love LetterQuiltto

Longtime Tate County quilter Sallye Gilescarried out one of her late husband Gene’smost heartfelt wishes and has reaped a wholelot of attention and many awards as a result.

What Gene wanted to do was create a quiltthat would showcase everything positiveabout his home state of Mississippi. He

wanted to include all that our state has to of-fer, not only to its own citizens but to peoplearound the nation and the world.

The Giles, who joined Tate County FarmBureau in 1962, became intrigued with the Agin the Classroom “State of Mississippi” jigsawpuzzle on display at their county Farm Bureau


office. They were also inspired by the “Mis-sissippi” quilt on display at Mississippi StateUniversity (MSU).

“Gene said those were examples of thetype of thing we needed to do, but on a muchbigger scale,’” Sallye said.

Gene and Sallye’s quilt would involve fiveyears of research, with help from MSU ex-perts, and almost two years of handwork. Theendeavor would involve a trial-and-errorprocess as Gene and Sallye tried differentideas, backed up and tried again.

When Gene became ill before the quiltwas finished, Sallye steered the course andwas able to present him with the finishedproduct before his death. The resulting quilt isa beautifully-designed love letter, not only tothe state of Mississippi but to her late husbandas well.

The QuiltThe finished quilt is 8 feet x10 feet in size

and boasts a huge Mississippi map at its cen-ter, surrounded by 56 12-inch-square blocksof information. The blocks feature pictures ofthe state bird, fish, mammal and flag (and allof the other flags that have flown over Mis-sissippi), as well as all of the state’s colleges,agricultural commodities, ship-building fa-cilities, military facilities, museums, the Nis-san plant, historical facts, the state Capitol, fa-mous Mississippi writers, musicians andactors, and many other items of interest.

The center map is a replica of the officialstate map.

“I took that map to the local FedEx officeand blew it up as big as I could,” she said.“We used it to make the templates for eachcounty. I embroidered the names of the coun-ties and all of the rivers within the counties. Iused a star to denote each county seat.

“Gene and I travelled the state, taking pho-

tos of farm commodities. We copied the pho-tos and also artwork onto pieces of fabric in-stead of paper. Sometimes, we found fabricwith designs that depicted what we needed. Ittook a lot of time and effort, but it was somuch fun.

“The hay and rice were grown near Tunica,the cotton was grown near Senatobia,” shesaid. “The wheat is a fabric design. We tookpond photos around here, but the image of thecatfish was found on a poster for a musicalgroup. We asked their permission to use it.”

Mildred Mount of Arkansas helped withsome of the handwork on the quilt. BobbyeThompson, Sallye’s sister, and Chuck Giles,Sallye’s son, lent their encouragement andsupport.

The Awards“I had sewn and quilted my whole life,

but had never entered a contest,” Sallye said.“Gene was so proud of this quilt that I decidedto try entering it.”

The quilt won Best of Category and GrandChampion at the Mississippi State Fair in2011; First Place in Category, Best of Show inCategory, and Grand Champion at the DeltaFair and Music Festival; and second place atthe Mid-South Fair.

“I’m from Texas, and you know that Tex-ans always do things on a big scale,” Sallyesaid with a laugh. “When Gene expressed aninterest in creating a state quilt because ofhis passion for Mississippi, we went all-outwith it, and this is the result.”

The quilt was signed by Governor HaleyBarbour during the Mississippi State Fair. Itwas on display at the Governor’s Mansionduring the Christmas tours this past holidayseason.

The quilt has been a huge success. GeneGiles would have been proud.

SMARCH/APRILMISSISSIPPI FARM COUNTRY26

Farm Bureau Spotlight

Some of the nicest people in the world live in the foothills of the Ap-palachian Mountains in northeastern Mississippi. The town of Iuka ishome to many of them. Iuka is also home to the new Tishomingo CountyFarm Bureau office building, one of the prettiest in the state.

Approximately 5,000 square feet in size, the structure boasts a largefoyer, offices, a boardroom, a kitchenette, and plenty of counter and deskspace for the secretaries. The building also offers a drive-through windowwith an intercom and retractable drawer. When customers don’t care tocome inside, business can be conducted from the comfort of their vehicle.

In addition, the new building boasts about 2,400 square feet of unfin-ished space that will be developed into offices to be rented.

The new Tishomingo County Farm Bureau building was designed by ar-chitect Harold Baine, with suggestions from a committee of county boardmembers, including Donald Crane, Carol Tuckier, Tommy Moody, and theirwives. It was constructed by builder Harry Oswalt.

“We had our own ideas about what we wanted and how we wanted itto look,” said Tishomingo County Farm Bureau President Dr. Jim Perkins.“We are well-pleased with how the office turned out.”

Zenobia Oaks I was able to tour the building recently and to visit with Zenobia Oaks,

a valued member of the Tishomingo County Farm Bureau family. Zenobia,who is 92 years old, has watched Farm Bureau grow and strengthenthrough the years. She says one thing has remained constant – Farm Bu-reau is like one big family.

Zenobia worked for 42 years in the Tishomingo County Farm Bureauoffice as the federation secretary. Her late husband Prentiss (Jess as he wascalled) was one of the first insurance agents in Tishomingo County.

“We had Farm Bureau long before we had the insurance program,”Zenobia said. “Back in the early years, Mississippi had a lot of what werecalled “demonstration farms” scattered around the state. All of those farm-

ers were Farm Bureau members.“Every October, we would hold a mem-

bership drive. We would go out and try to getmore farmers to join,” she said. “The personwho sold the most memberships would begiven an expense-paid trip to national con-vention. Back then, the convention was heldin Chicago. My husband and another manwere able to go one year. They were on theirway to Chicago when Pearl Harbor was at-tacked.

“I remember when we had just 300 mem-bers,” she added. “We thought that was really something.”

Now, Tishomingo County boasts approximately 3,300 members. Theentire district totals about 44,000 members. At one time, TishomingoCounty was the largest Farm Bureau in the state, and Alcorn County wasthe second-largest. Now, the district is the state’s largest, while TishomingoCounty is in the top 10 in terms of membership numbers.

“I love to hear that because Tishomingo County Farm Bureau is my fam-ily,” Zenobia said with a smile. “I am Farm Bureau 100 percent.”

“Zenobia has probably done more for Tishomingo County Farm Bureauthan anyone else,” said Perkins. “We try to let her know how much we loveher every chance we get. We held a special appreciation celebration for heron her 90th birthday.

“We’re thrilled to have this office – we think it’s one of the prettiest inthe state – but we are just as thrilled to have leaders like Mrs. Oaks. We feelthat we are truly blessed here in Tishomingo County.”

Working TogetherTishomingo County Farm Bureau was chartered in March 29, 1923. The

first president was W. W. Bingham. In those early years, the office was

Tishomingo CountyBy Glynda Phillips


housed in the county co-op building, whichburned in January 1977. Tishomingo CountyFarm Bureau built a new building and later en-larged it. When that building became too small,members began planning the current one.

“Tishomingo County Farm Bureau is madeup of good, hardworking folks,” Perkins said.“We have always been close. Whenever there is aproblem, we work together to solve it. If we havesomething to celebrate, we celebrate together.”

Tishomingo County Farm Bureau holds itsannual meeting in the high school cafeteria, withplenty of good food and music. Each year, themeeting grows. In 2011, some 150 to 160 mem-bers attended.

Tishomingo County Farm Bureau is active inthe community, supporting the local 4-H programand the county cattlemen’s association. It alsopartners with the county Extension office for a va-riety of efforts.

Tishomingo County Farm Bureau offers “can-didate meet and greets,” so members can get toknow their local and state lawmakers. It also holdsspecial “appreciation days” for beloved membersof the community. For the past two years,Tishomingo County Farm Bureau worked hard tomake sure that the statewide eminent domaincampaign was a great success. Volunteer leaderscollected petition signatures and spread the wordabout the need for stronger private property laws.

“We felt very strongly about this issue,”Perkins said. “We put up banners and educatedpeople about Initiative 31. We feel that the vol-unteer leaders across the state were instrumentalin getting Initiative 31 on the ballot and getting itpassed. We are very proud of our role in that.”

Excited About FutureIn addition to the office in Iuka, Tishomingo

County Farm Bureau offers a satellite office inBelmont. Board members include Jim Perkins, EdWynn, Carol Tuckier, Gary Pardue, Paul Witlock,Tommy Moody, Donald Crane and Kay Perkins.The agency manager is Billy Rainey. Secretariesare Donna McAnally (membership) and TheresaCleveland in Iuka, and Peggy Nunley in Belmont.Tishomingo County Farm Bureau has five agentsand three CSAs.

Jim served for many years on the MississippiFarm Bureau Federation Board of Directors. Kayis the county women’s chair and also chairs theRegion 2 Women’s Committee.

“Over the years, Farm Bureau has become ahousehold name that people can trust and dependon,” said Perkins. “Our people live up to their wordand responsibilities. A lot of people have respect forus, and that is so gratifying.

“Tishomingo County Farm Bureau believesdeeply in Farm Bureau and all that it stands for,” heconcluded. “We are proud of our part in its historyand very excited about our role in its future.”

Tishomingo County Farm Bureau volunteer leaders and staff

MARCH/APRIL28 MISSISSIPPI FARM COUNTRY

Farm Bureau Events

90th Annual Meeting

Rep. Tom Mayhall of DeSoto County received the 2011Friend of Agriculture Award. He represents House District 40.Mayhall is pictured with MFBF President Randy Knight.

Above: Mississippi Penniesdonations were presented toSmithville High School to helprebuilt the library, which wasdestroyed by a tornado.Pictured with State Women’sCommittee Chair Betty Mills,far left, are Nora O’Brian;Chad O’Brian, Principal ofSmithville High School; NitaJackson, Monroe CountyWomen’s Chair; ShelbyWilliams, State Women’sCommittee Vice Chair; andWomen’s ProgramCoordinator Clara Bilbo.Donations totaled $5,100.

Rep. Frank Hamilton of Jackson County received the 2011Friend of Agriculture Award. He represents House District109. Hamilton is pictured with Clyde Brown and Ken Mallette,Jackson County Farm Bureau.

Retired Yalobusha County Extension Director Steve Cummings received the 2011Distinguished Service Award. He is pictured with a few of the many outstandingyoung farmers he mentored during his career. Cummings was cited for truly makinga difference in the lives of Mississippi farmers.

Right: Gov. Phil Bryant received the 2011 Friend ofAgriculture Award. He is pictured with his wife Deborah.


Retired dairy farmer and longtime volunteer leader Warren Oakley of Starkville received the2011 Excellence in Leadership Award. He was recognized for making significant contributionsto Farm Bureau and agriculture in Mississippi. Oakley is shown with his family.

Each year at state convention, the Women’s Programoffers a general store to raise funds for the Berta LeeWhite Scholarship.

Perry County Farm Bureau received the Gary Chittom MembershipAward in the category of less than 1750 members. Making thepresentation is MFBF President Randy Knight.

The 2011Women’s Program Awards of Excellence recipients are: Region 1 – Bolivar County, Lil Gant, chair; Region 2 – Pontotoc County, Sherrie Poe,chair; Region 3 – Scott County, Anita Webb, chair; Region 5 – Lawrence County, Dori Lowe, chair; Region 6 – Leake County, Dott Arthur, vice chair,and Dian Grundy, chair; Region 7 – Stone County, Louise Brown, chair; Region 8 – Sunflower County, Helen Allison, chair. Not pictured is Region 4– Choctaw County, Frances Odom, chair.

Lafayette County Farm Bureau received the Gary Chittom Award in thecategory of more than 1750 members. Making the presentation is MFBFPresident Randy Knight.


Farm Bureau Events

90th Annual Meeting

Region 1 Women’s Chair Deniese Swindoll of DeSoto Countypresented a workshop, entitled “Talking Tools,” which gave tipsfor effective public speaking. Deniese is a graduate of theAmerican Farm Bureau Federation Women’s CommunicationsBoot Camp, which helps women in agriculture become bettercommunicators.

WLBT-TV Chief Meteorologist Barbie Bassett received the AgAmbassador Award for 2011. She was recognized for goingbeyond her normal range of activities in promoting Mississippiagriculture. Barbie, who grew up on a farm and is a formerMiss Farm Bureau-Mississippi, is pictured with his parents,Harold and Brenda Wiggs of Quitman County, and MFBFPresident Randy Knight.

Left: Entertainer Paul Ott presentedthe devotional during the closinggeneral session.

2012 Farm Bureau AmbassadorAlan Smith of Pearl River County ispictured with, from left, StateWomen’s Committee Chair BettyMills, Kelsey Unruh of NoxubeeCounty, alternate, and MFBFPresident Randy Knight. Smithreceived a $2,000 scholarship, andUnruh received a $1,000scholarship. Both are students atMSU.

The 2011 Women’s Program Outstanding Achievement Award recipients are as follows:Information, Organization and Governmental Relations, Montgomery County, GeorgiaCaffey, chair; Community Service, Jackson County, Debbie Hackler, chair; Agriculturein the Classroom, Yalobusha County, Jody Bailey, chair; and Youth/Safety, MarionCounty, Glenda Shivers, chair.

Lester Spell, who announced in 2011 that hewould be retiring as Mississippi Department ofAgriculture and Commerce Commissioner,spoke during the opening general session.


Outstanding County Award recipients for each region include: Region 1 – DeSoto County; Region 2 – Yalobusha County; Region 3 – HumphreysCounty; Region 4 – Monroe County; Region 5 – Simpson County; Region 6 – Jefferson Davis County; Region 7 – Walthall County; and Region 8 –Jackson County. Making the presentation is MFBF President Randy Knight.

George County Farm Bureau received the J.K. Simpson Memorial Award forhaving the highest numerical membership gain over the previous year. Makingthe presentation is MFBF President Randy Knight.

Walthall County Farm Bureau received the President’s Award as thebest overall county program for 2011. Accepting the award from MFBFPresident Randy Knight is Walthall County Farm Bureau President BillPigott.

The Young Farmers & Ranchers (YF&R) Programholds a silent auction during state convention toraise funds for the YF&R Scholarship Foundation.

Tishomingo, Pearl River, Neshoba, Chickasaw and Panola counties were presented the MikeBlankenship Safety Award, which recognizes outstanding safety education efforts by countyFarm Bureaus. They are pictured with MFBF President Randy Knight.


Farm Bureau Events

90th Annual Meeting

Reelected members of the State Women's Committee are, from left, Jody Bailey, Region 4;Joan Thompson, Region 6; Wanda Hill, Region 8; Betty Mills, chair; Shelby Willians, vice chair;and Kay Perkins, Region 2.

Presenting toys and gifts to Blair E. Batson Hospital are State Women’s Committee members WandaHill, Shelby Williams, Betty Mills, Carolyn Turner, Joan Thompson, Jody Bailey, Deniese Swindoll andKay Perkins. They are pictured with Dr. Tishawn Thames of Blair E. Batson Hospital. The toys andgifts were collected by volunteer leaders around the state.

Addressing the environmental program,entitled “Environmental Lawsuits and YourFarm,” was Ellen Steen, General Counseland Secretary, American Farm BureauFederation.

Addressing the safety program, entitled“Weather Safety and Preparedness,” wasJared Allen, Meteorologist, National WeatherService–Jackson.

The featured speaker during the “Farm BillUpdate” program was Dale Moore, DeputyExecutive Director, Public Policy, AmericanFarm Bureau Federation.


Right: Speakers during the “Estate Planning”program were Bob Hughes and FrankBlossman, estate planning specialists, MFBCasualty Insurance Company, and ChrisCole and Will Hobson with Hillyard Lyons. Retiring county women’s chairs with over five

years of service are Eddie Myrtle Moore,Rankin County, and, not pictured, SandraSojourner, Adams County.

Cindy Hyde-Smith, Commissioner, MississippiDepartment of Agriculture and Commerce, waskeynote speaker during the opening generalsession.



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