march-april 2011

A Publication of Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation • MSFB.org

FARMM I S S I S S I P P I

COUNTRYMARCH/APRIL 2011

VOLUME 87 NO. 2

MississippiCorn

in

Growing

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3MISSISSIPPI FARM COUNTRY

CONTENTS

Features88 MISSISSIPPI CORNMississippi’s corn industrygenerates thousands of jobs andcontributes to the economies ofcounties and communities.

1122 FIDDLIN’ ROOSTERCome with us as we visit aYalobusha Countyagritourism business thatteaches school kids andothers to appreciateagriculture.

2200 RURAL LIVINGAnnie Carter bakes French Camp’srenowned bread. Magnolia HoneyCompany makes and sells a varietyof honey-based products. Comewith us as we learn more.

Departments44 President’s Message66 Commodity Update:

Peanuts77 Commodity Update:

Poultry1188 Counsel’s Corner

About the coverMikes Graves and his family grow corn near Ripley in Tippah County.Mike is pictured with his sons Tyler and Allen and his father Hines.Read about this family inside.

“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.”

MARCH/APRIL

MMIISSSSIISSSSIIPPPPII FFAARRMM CCOOUUNNTTRRYYVolume 87 Number 2March/April 2011

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

Mississippi Farm Bureau® Federation.

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

EEDDIITTOORR - Glynda Phillips

AADDVVEERRTTIISSIINNGGNational - Paul Hurst - 1-800-397-8908Southeastern U.S. – Angela 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 DDIIRREECCTTOORRSSDr. Jim Perkins, IukaMike Graves, Ripley

B.A. Teague, New AlbanyBill Ryan Tabb, Cleveland

Coley L. Bailey, Jr., CoffeevilleNeal Huskison, PontotocJeffrey R. Tabb, WalthallBobby Moody, Louisville

Wanda Hill, IsolaJames Foy, Canton

William Jones, MeridianJames Brewer, ShubutaStanley Williams, Mt. OliveLonnie Fortner, Port GibsonMoody Davis, Brookhaven

Mike McCormick, Union ChurchD. P. O’Quinn, PurvisGerald Moore, Petal

Clifton Hicks, LeakesvilleKen Mallette, VancleaveBetty Mills, Winona

Noble Guedon, Natchez

HHOONNOORRAARRYY VVIICCEE--PPRREESSIIDDEENNTTSSLouis Breaux, David H. Bennett

Warren Oakley

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

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 – thisincludes statements in articles or advertisements that couldlead 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/APRILMISSISSIPPI FARM COUNTRY4

AsIbegin serving as your president, I find myself caughtup in a whirlwind of activity. It is an exciting time for meand a great opportunity to give back to an organization

that has meant so much to me and my family through the years.I believe strongly in Farm Bureau and all that it accomplishes onbehalf of Mississippi farmers. I’m sure that you feel the same way,but let me ask you something. How well do you really know yourorganization?Did you know that Farm Bureau was organized some 90 years

ago to assist farmers in purchasing seed and fertilizer and in mar-keting a surplus of farm commodities following World War I? Inthe 1930s, reorganization efforts saw theMississippi Farm BureauFederation taking on the legislative responsibilities of the farmcommunity while the Mississippi Federated Cooperative (MFC)specialized in cooperative purchasing and marketing as a separateand independent organization. MFC has since closed.From those humble but hopeful beginnings, Farm Bureau has

grown so that its strength and influence are now evident in somany different areas and aspects of farm and rural life across ourstate and nation. Our programs and services are diverse, impor-tant and far-reaching, and when you pay your membershipdues each year, you gain access to them all.

One of our better-known programs is insurance.While I can’tsay enough about what these folks accomplish for all of us on adaily basis, Farm Bureau offers many other programs of equal im-portance such as Safety, the Women’s and Young Farmers andRanchers programs, the Commodity Program, Ag in the Class-room, the Farm Families of Mississippi campaign, and Public Pol-icy, to name a few.Today, I want to talk about four of these programs.Our Commodity Program helps farmers surface and address is-

sues that affect their farming operations. This is so important.Working with eight regional managers who are assigned respon-sibilities for specific agricultural commodities, farmers can rest as-sured that their voices will be heard on all fronts.You will notice that this issue of our magazine focuses onMis-

sissippi’s corn industry. Each year, our state corn industry providesthousands of jobs and contributes to the economies of many com-munities. It is important that the corn industry remains strong, andthat’s where Farm Bureau comes in. We truly do represent the in-terests of all Mississippi farmers.

Agriculture in the Classroom (AITC) is another importantFarm Bureau program.AITC does a great job of teaching the pub-lic to appreciate agriculture from an early age. Through this pro-gram, Mississippi teachers are able to include facts about agri-culture in the curriculum for K-12 students across the state. In thecoming year, our Ag in the Classroom program will take to theroad in a mobile ag unit that will give students a hands-on op-portunity to learn about our industry. I can’t think of a better wayto make sure that the leaders of tomorrow become strong advo-cates for agriculture. Can you?Our Growing Mississippi-Farm Families of Mississippi cam-

paign will gear up again in February in the central and southernareas of the state. In 2010, this program was a resounding success,with survey results reflecting that our initial efforts in the Jack-son area, through television commercials, billboards, radio spotsand special events, definitely made a difference in the attitudes andperceptions that consumers hold toward Mississippi agriculture.I’m excited to be working with this campaign in support of Mis-sissippi agriculture.A final program that I want to talk about is Public Policy.Work-

ing with the policy development and implementation process, thisprogram takes the wishes of our grassroots membership from thecounty level all the way to the state and national capitols. In 2011,Farm Bureau will address a number of important issues in the Leg-islature and U.S. Congress. I will be there, along with staff mem-bers and volunteer leaders.We will also continue our involvementwith the Farm Bill process as leaders gather the informationneeded to craft a bill that will address the needs of every Missis-sippi producer.I want to encourage you to participate in our second annualAg

Day at the Capitol in March. This event gives members an op-portunity to let their lawmakers know what they expect from themin the coming year. It is also a great way to express appreciationto them for their efforts on our behalf.In conclusion, I’d like to thank you for your words of encour-

agement and support. Your faith in me means more than I can everexpress. I look forward to working with you to further grow andstrengthen our Farm Bureau organization so that it continues theimportant legacy begun by that group of farmers so long ago.Don’t forget that my door is always open. Come see me.

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Randy Knight, PresidentMississippi Farm Bureau Federation

My Door isAlways Open


5MISSISSIPPI FARM COUNTRYMARCH/APRIL

AG NEWS

Agribusiness Enterprise Loan ProgramThe Agribusiness Enterprise Loan Pro-

gram (ABE) provides a percentage of low-cost state financing that is combined with aprivate financial lending institution’s loan pro-ceeds or the issuance of letters of credit to en-courage loans to agribusinesses in the stateofMississippi. Job creation and growth of theagricultural industry is the main goal of thisloan program, which is administered by theMississippi DevelopmentAuthority (MDA).Through the program, MDAprovides inter-est-free loans to qualified borrowers engagedin the production, manufacturing and pro-cessing of agribusiness-related goods andservices.

To qualify for the program, the businessmust be an agribusiness, defined as anyaquacultural-, horticultural- or agricultural-related industrial, manufacturing, researchand development or processing enterpriselocated in the state and owned by a residentof the state. The agribusiness must be cred-itworthy and demonstrate the ability to re-pay the loan, and it cannot have defaulted onany previous loan from the state or federalgovernment.

An eligible financial institution mustoriginate the ABE loan application for anagribusiness per the guidelines and regula-

tions required by MDA. The financial insti-tution may charge an agribusiness a servic-ing fee which may not exceed 1 percent ofthe ABE loan amount. The fee will be aone-time charge allocated when the ABEloan is closed. The financial institution is re-sponsible for servicing theABE loan, whichwill include all repayments to MDA.

ABE loan proceeds may be used to fi-nance buildings and equipment. Loan pro-ceeds may also be used for costs associatedwith the purchase of land (appraisals, titlesearches, eligible improvements, etc.). How-ever, proceeds cannot be used to purchaseland. Loan proceeds may not be used to payoff any existing debt for loan consolidationpurposes; to finance the acquisition, con-struction, improvement or operation of realproperty that is primarily for sale or invest-ment; to provide or free funds for specula-tion in any kind of property or as a loan toowners; or to provide working capital.

The amount of a loan to any singleagribusiness shall not exceed 20 percent ofthe total cost of the project or $200,000,whichever is less. Upgrades for the retro-fitting of poultry houses shall not exceed 30percent of the total cost of the project or$200,000, whichever is less. Land purchases

will not be considered in the total cost of theproject when determining anABE loan. Nointerest will be charged on an ABE loan.Only the amount actually loaned to anagribusiness will be required to be repaid tothe state. The term of the ABE loan willmatch the term of the financial institution’sloan, up to the maximum maturity of 15years.

In closing, the key points to rememberinclude:

� TheABE loan program can provide upto a maximum of $200,000 in interest-freemoney to qualified borrowers.

� ABE loan proceeds can be used for theeligible purchase of and construction of im-provements such as poultry houses, catfishponds, grain bins, etc. The purchase of landis not an eligible purpose and must be de-ducted from the purchase or constructionof eligible improvements when land is beingpurchased.

� ABE loans can qualify for both SBAand FSA guarantees.

To learn more about the program, pleasecontact MDA’s Financial Resources Divi-sion at (601) 359-3552, or email [email protected].

SURE Program Sign-Up UnderwayAgriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack reminds eligible producers

that the sign-up period for the 2009 crop year Supplemental Rev-enueAssistance Payments (SURE) program is underway. SURE isone of five disaster programs included in the Food, Conservation,and Energy Act of 2008 (Farm Bill) that provides assistance tofarmers and ranchers who have suffered losses due to natural dis-asters.

“SURE is part of the safety net that assists farmers and ranch-ers who provide food and fiber toAmerica and the world,” Vilsacksaid. “Any eligible producer who suffered losses during the 2009crop year is encouraged to visit a local FSA office to learn moreabout the SURE program and how to apply.”

To be eligible for SURE, a farm or ranch must have:�At least a 10 percent production loss on a crop of economic

significance;�A policy or plan of insurance under the Federal Crop Insur-

ance Act or the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program(NAP) for all economically significant crops;

� Been physically located in a county that was declared a pri-mary disaster county or contiguous county by the AgricultureSecretary under a Secretarial Disaster Designation.Without a Sec-retarial Disaster Designation, individual producers may be eligibleif the actual production on the farm is less than 50 percent of thenormal production on the farm due to a natural disaster.

Producers considered socially disadvantaged, a beginningfarmer or rancher, or a limited resource farmer may be eligible forSURE without a policy or plan of insurance or NAP coverage.

Farmers and ranchers interested in signing up must do so beforeJuly 29, 2011.

For more information on the 2009 SURE program, visit anyFSA county office or http://www.fsa.usda.gov/sure


Until recently, peanut production in Mississippi consisted of ahandful of producers, mostly in the southeastern area of the state, pro-ducing about 2,000 acres of peanuts each year. When the 2002 FarmBill eliminated the quota system for peanuts, production began to ex-pand into new areas. Growth has been slow but steady, and our statenow boasts over 50 producers with peanut production in 30 countiesacross the state.George County remains the highest pro-

ducer of peanuts, with over 4,700 acres.Holmes County is next, with over 1,800acres, and Monroe County ranks third, withover 1,500 acres. In 2010, our state had a to-tal of 18,137 acres in production, downslightly from the previous year.Peanut yields in 2010 ranged from 2,000

pounds per acre to over 7,000 pounds peracre, with an average production of 3,500pounds per acre. Extreme dry conditionsduring most of the growing season in thenorthern portion of the state and across the entire state towards the endof the season reduced yield potential significantly this season.These dry conditions were so severe in many areas that harvest op-

erations were forced to stop until it rained. The dry conditions pre-vented diggers from penetrating the soil at risk of tearing peanuts fromthe vines.Prices this season were lower than those seen in recent years, pri-

marily due to a large carryover from previous crops. Markets did be-gin to move upward toward the end of the season, based on reducedsupply caused by the drought in much of the Southeast. For the 2011crop, $550 contracts have already been offered, and many economistsare projecting even higher prices as we near planting time.The reason for the stronger prices this season is the slightly lower

production in 2010 as well as poor quality peanuts due to drought con-ditions. Another factor is other commodity prices. Peanuts competefor the same acres as cotton and corn, and as these crops continue tohave strong prices, peanuts should continue to follow the same trends.With the increased number of peanut growers and peanut acres, the

need for local peanut research also increases. In2010, Mississippi peanut pro-ducers benefited from over25 research trials con-ducted across the stateby Mississippi State andUnited States Departmentof Agriculture (USDA) re-searchers. Much of this re-search was conducted atthe peanut learning cen-ters.

Located in Lucedale and Hamilton, the peanut learning centers arededicated to small-plot peanut research. Funding for the centers is pro-vided through check-off funds from the Mississippi Peanut PromotionBoard. Research projects have included variety trials, planting date tri-als, tillage trials, disease control trials, insect control trials, and weedcontrol trials.In addition, the peanut learning centers served as a location for two

peanut field days in 2010. Growers had the opportunity to visit thecenters and see first-hand how the latest developments can affect theirmanagement decisions.The Mississippi Peanut Producers Association has also been very

active this year, promoting the benefits of peanuts and peanut butteracross the state. Radio spots were broadcast during Mississippi Statebasketball and baseball games, as well as NASCAR’s Talladega 500.The group was also a major sponsor for the Diabetes Walks, takingpart in eight walks across the state to help raise money for diabetes re-search.In November, the group participated in the Mississippi School Nu-

trition Conference by setting up a booth at the conference. This boothhelped educate participants as to the value of peanuts and peanut but-ter in the diets of school children and was judged the first-placebooth at the conference.The peanut industry has exploded in the past few years in Missis-

sippi, and this growth is expected to continue.Acreage for 2011 is ex-pected to be around 20,000 acres again, but efforts by producers inMississippi will continue to increase the awareness of peanuts throughproduction research, education of consumers, and promotion ofpeanuts and peanut butter.

This article was written by Mike Howell, area MSU Extensionagronomic crops specialist, Coastal Research and Extension Center,Southeast District Extension Office.

COMMODITY UPDATE: PEANUTS

Lonnie Fortner, MFBF PeanutAdvisory Committee Chair

John Kilgore, Interim MFBF CommodityCoordinator for Peanuts

Mississippi Peanut Production


KilgoreFortner



In the coming year, Mississippi poultrygrowers will continue to face challenges with en-vironmental regulations, energy costs and mar-keting rules. Let’s look first at the environmen-tal arena.

Environmental RegsPoultry production has a huge economic im-

pact in Mississippi, and compliance with envi-ronmental regulations is essential to the indus-try’s future growth. Because of efforts by theMississippi Department of Environmental Qual-ity (MDEQ), Mississippi has an advantage overother states in the environmental arena. Whilepoultry producers across the nation are just com-ing under permits and nutrient managementplans, our producers have been operating withthese requirements for years.Producers are urged to maintain compliance

with all aspects of their Dry Litter AFO permit,including their Nutrient Management Plan orManure Management Plan. Compliance withyour permit is basically an insurance policyagainst enforcement action or civil complaints.If you run out of forms, they can be downloadedfrom MDEQ’s Web site, or by contacting thestate Farm Bureau office. (See the sidebar on thispage for contact information.) Review your per-mit often and keep track of dates of expirationfor soil test, manure analysis and renewal dates.Mentally conduct inspections when walking

around the farm and address potential problemsas soon as possible (i.e., water leaks, puddles,drainage problems, etc.). Also, make sure thatyour stored litter is covered and contained.Avoidhaving exposed litter around barns, pads andloading areas. Keeping grass and weeds mowedor clipped around barns and manure confinementareas can also present a favorable picture for in-spectors.Farms with a fuel storage capacity of 1320

gallons or greater will need to develop and im-plement a Spill Prevention Control Counter-measures (SPCC) plan. Farms with between a1320- and 10,000-gallon storage capacity maybe able to self-certify their plans, while farmswith a fuel storage capacity of over 10,000 gal-lons must have a Professional Engineers (PE)Certified Plan.If your farm was in operation on or before

Aug. 16, 2002, goahead and prepare aplan now. If your farmbegan operation afterAug. 16, 2002, youhave until Nov. 10,2011, to develop andimplement the SPCC.SPCC plans containlists of fuels and oilsstored on the farm,secondary contain-

ment measures, and a description of how the op-eration will address spills and prevent them fromreaching waters. 1One of the most pressing environmental is-

sues we are facing is addressing nutrients in ourwaters and the Gulf of Mexico hypoxic zone.The Environmental ProtectionAgency (EPA) istaking serious action to address nutrient loadingin the Chesapeake Bay area and is discussingtaking similar steps in the Mississippi RiverBasin. To avoid heavy-handed EPA mandates,MDEQ is taking a proactive approach to ad-dress nutrients through voluntary, state-led nu-trient reduction strategies. These strategies arebeing developed with the help of numerousstakeholders, including producers, to make sureour nutrient reduction goals are realistic andachievable.The goal is to reduce the amount of nitrogen

and phosphorus in our waters through NaturalResources Conservation Service (NRCS) con-servation practices to address runoff, educateresidential property owners, explore alternativeuses for poultry litter, and upgrade municipalwastewater treatment. If you are thinking aboutfarm improvement or implementing conserva-tion practices on your farm, please contact yourlocal NRCS office and see what programs areavailable.

Energy ProgramsControlling costs is always a challenge, es-

pecially in the integrated poultry industry. Re-newable energy and energy efficiency are areasthat are likely to provide producers some cost-saving opportunities, provided we get the policyright.

Renewable energy programs centered on an-imal waste, such as methane digestion, need tobe flexible rather than restrictive. These pro-grams will also need to provide incentives tomake conversion economically feasible and pro-vide an opportunity to resell excess energy pro-duction.Opportunities also exist to expand the use of

solar power generation in poultry production,provided we get the incentive policy right.

GIPSA RulesThe USDA has announced that it plans to

conduct an “exhaustive” in-depth economiccost/benefit analysis of the new livestock mar-keting rules proposed June 22, 2010, by theGrain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Ad-ministration (GIPSA). During a comment pe-riod ending November 22, 2010, over 60,000comments were received, many expressing aneed for this type of analysis.By the time new regulations are written, it

will most likely be at least the fall before they gointo affect.We will keep you informed regardingthe time frame for this.For more information, contact Andy Whit-

tington, Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation(MFBF) Environmental Programs Coordinator,at 601-977- 4238, or call MFBF CommodityCoordinator for Poultry Jack Alexander at 601-573-4709.

1 For more information on SPCC plans,please contact Brian Ketchum, ECS, Inc. at 662-840-5945; David Arant, Eco-Systems, Inc. at601-936-4440; or Andy Whittington at 601-977-4238.

CONTACT INFOFor more information, contact AndyWhittington, Mississippi Farm BureauFederation Environmental ProgramsCoordinator, at 601-977-4238. Or visitthe following Web site:http://www.deq.state.ms.us/MDEQ.nsf/page/epd_AgriculturalBranchEPD?OpenDocument

Growers Continueto Face ChallengesKyle Rhodes, MFBF Poultry AdvisoryCommittee Chair

Jack Alexander, MFBF CommodityCoordinator for Poultry

COMMODITY UPDATE: POULTRY

Alexander

Rhodes



The rich bottomland along Tippah Creek grows rowcrops as well as any Delta soil, say the men and womenwhose families have farmed the land for generations. Backin the early days, cotton was the row crop of choice. Today,area farmers also grow acres upon acres of corn andsoybeans.

“My father and grandfather were farming thisland before I was born,” said Mike Graves, a formerfour-time Mississippi Farm BureauFederation District 2 YoungFarmer of the Year and the currentpresident of Tippah County FarmBureau. “Back then, my familygrew 200 acres of cotton each year.It was only in the 1960s and 1970sthat they added more farmland and be-gan growing corn and soybeans.”

Today, the Graves annually farm about4,200 acres of cotton, soybeans and corn. Theyalso grow 100 acres of wheat each year, but wheat isharder to manage because of the type of soil andweather in this area of the state.

Mike farms with his sonsAllen and Tyler, his father

Hines and his mother Dimple Ramona. He has one em-ployee, Joey, who has worked with him for 25 years.

Growing Corn“When I married in 1975, I thought that it would bewonderful to one day grow 1,000 acres of corn,” Mikesaid. “In recent years, we have grown as much as 1,500

acres of corn and 2,100 acres of cotton. Lastyear, we grew 850 acres of corn and 500

acres of cotton. It all depends on theprices.”

A lot also depends on MotherNature. Most hill farmers grow dry-land corn because they don’t haveeasy access to water. Timely summer

rains are very important.In 2009, Mike and his family had their

best corn crop ever.“We harvested 165 bushels per acre of

dryland corn, which is the most we’ve everharvested,” he said. “This past year, the heat hurt

us, and we pulled down an average of 120 bushelsan acre.”

GrowersFamily Corn

By Glynda Phillips



Mike and his family market their corn in Memphis and tothe chicken mills in Tuscumbia,Alabama. TheMemphis cornis marketed to other areas of the nation and overseas. TheGraves bought a used grain truck in 2010 for hauling theirgrain to market, and they say this will help them cut costs.Mike says our nation’s demand for ethanol has also helped

the corn industry. Mississippi has one corn ethanol plant inVicksburg.

Changing AgricultureTo ensure that they are utilizing all available resources, the

Graves stay on top of the latest equipment, technology andfarming practices. They use no-till cultivation, integrated pestmanagement and crop rotation, which saves them on fuelcosts, adds organic matter to the soil, cuts down on erosion,

and preserves precious topsoil. No-till also helps soil holdwater.Mike and his father bought a corn dryer 14 years ago

which speeds up efforts by letting them shell at a highermoisture level and get their corn out of the way faster. Hesays this really came in handy last year with all the rain thestate experienced.The family owns a tractor and a planter that utilize Global

Positioning System (GPS) technology. GPS is a navigationsatellite system that provides reliable location and time in-formation.“GPS saves us seed, money and time,” he said. “We also

own a spray rig that drives itself using GPS. This is all theway of the future. If cotton prices continue to rise, we willplant more cotton next season and we are looking at the new

■ Corn is the second largest rowcrop grown in Mississippi. The cornindustry generates thousands ofjobs in Mississippi and contributesto the economies of counties andcommunities.

■ Mississippi farmers planted750,000 acres of corn in 2010,about the same as they planted thetwo previous years. Farmersproduced about 98 million bushelsof corn (ties for second highest inMississippi history) with an

estimated farm value of more than$555 million.

■ In 2007, Mississippi recorded930,000 planted acres, our highestamount since 1960.

■ Corn is grown in row crop-producing regions throughout thestate. Acreage is highest in thesouth Delta, the northern andcentral hill counties, and the northDelta. Counties that produce themost corn include Yazoo,Washington and Bolivar.

■ Corn markets for centralMississippi growers are primarilylocal with the poultry industry. Thefurther north you go, the fewer localmarketing opportunities exist, andmost corn is marketed tocommercial facilities in Memphisand up and down the MississippiRiver.

■ The ethanol plant in Vicksburguses more than 7 million bushels ofcorn annually. A byproduct ofethanol production, dried distillers



grain with solubles, or DDGS, isused by the poultry and livestockindustries as a high-protein feed.

■ Corn is grown in anenvironmentally responsible mannerusing stale seedbed, minimum andno-tillage practices, integrated pestmanagement and crop rotation.

■ Producers in the Delta oftenutilize supplemental irrigation toimprove corn productivity andsustainability of cropping systems.

Drought stress is a limiting factor inhill regions where moisture isdependent upon summer rainfall.

■ Mississippi State Universityconducts numerous research andeducation programs designed toimprove the profitability andsustainability of corn production inMississippi. These efforts includethe most comprehensive, third-partyevaluation of corn hybridperformance in the industry; a CornVerification Program which

enhances management systemsand identifies production limitationswhich can be used to direct futureresearch efforts; improved weedcontrol and pest managementprograms; and aflatoxin mitigation.

This information was provided by Dr.Erick Larson, Ph.D., Grain CropsSpecialist, Mississippi StateUniversity Extension Service.

John Deere pickers that roll the cotton. We may go to that.“My sons get into this new technology quickly, but I’m

slower to adapt,” Mike said. “I can’t imagine what we’ll befarming with 10 more years down the road. I hear they aretesting equipment that operates with no one in it. We’ll seehow that goes.”

The family is gradually irrigating fields and will drawtheir water from Tippah Creek.

“In 2010, we harvested 200 bushels under the pivot on85 acres of corn,” he said. “The dryland corn next to the ir-rigated fields yielded only 100 bushels an acre. I can tellyou that we are definitely drawing circles all over this bot-tomland. Irrigation is the next thing we will add.”

Mike marvels at how much farming has changed injust the past decade.

“We used to work all day and half the night, and wefarmed one-quarter of the acres we farm now,” he said. “Wehardly ever turn on the lights now when we’re farming. Theplanters plant 300 to 400 acres a day.

“We built our first grain bin in 1979, and it had a 4,000-bushel capacity. We thought at the time that this was all wewould ever need,” Mike said. “We now have a 200,000-bushel storage capacity, and we’re saying that this is all wewill ever need. But you never know.”

Mike gladly keeps pace with change because he lovesto farm and wants to be able to do so well into the future.

“This is my heart and soul,” he said. “I’m glad it issomething that my sons enjoy, also. We all work togetherwell.”



Learning about Agriculture

on theDownFarm

By Glynda Phillips



Fiddlin’ Rooster Farm and Bakery near WaterValley offers school kids and the general public anopportunity to learn about farm life while having awhole lot of fun.

A visit to this Yalobusha County old-style farm,owned and operated by Doug and Rhonda Webb, islike stepping back in time. You will find here a re-stored 103-year-old farm house, a weathered two-story barn, a menagerie of farm animals, two pondsstocked with large-mouth bass, a fruit orchard, acorn crop, a vegetable garden and a kitchen garden,just like your grandma and grandpa used to own.

But that’s not all …Fiddlin’ Rooster Farm and Bakery also offers

learning stations with facts about Mississippi agri-culture as well as hands-on experiences with variousagricultural commodities. For example, while youlearn about the dairy industry, you can shake a con-tainer of cream to form butter. While you learn aboutthe corn industry, you can grind corn to form meal.When you are finished, you can make muffins fromthe meal and slather them with homemade butter.

Yum!In addition, you can visit a 6-acre corn maze, ride

a cow train, take a hayride, visit a pumpkin patch,shoot a corn cannon, slide down a tall slide out of ahayloft, visit a country store, eat beneath a picnicpavilion, and much, much more.

An authentic chuck wagon with antique cookingutensils is parked on the property. This unique learn-ing station represents a great way for visitors tolearn about the types of foods Mississippi pioneersate, the clothes they wore and even how they enter-tained themselves through music and dance. Dougplays the fiddle during the presentation whileRhonda calls square dance moves that you can’thelp but follow.

When you’re done for the day, you can eat a baglunch at a picnic table beneath the pavilion. TheWebbs have also been known to cook for visitors.School kids are invited to visit during the week.On the weekends, it is open to the public.

“We are also passionate about teachingthe youth of today about the importanceof agriculture to their daily lives.”



Realization of a DreamFiddlin’ Rooster Farm and Bakery is the realiza-

tion of a dream for Doug and Rhonda. In 2003,these veteran old-time string band musicians werenamed Touring Artists by the Mississippi Arts Com-mission. They have visited dozens of schools,churches, festivals and other events, entertainingand teaching people about old-time music, dance,clothing and food.

“We love people, farm life, music, dance andhistory,” Rhonda said. “We are also passionate aboutteaching the youth of today about the importance ofagriculture to their daily lives. So when we boughtthis farm, we wanted to do something special withit.”

“We called Mississippi State University, and theexperts there suggested we open an agritourism busi-ness,” Doug added. “With agritourism, all of our in-terests come together.”

The Webbs talked with Yalobusha County Ex-tension Director Steve Cummings, who referredthem to Union County Extension Director StanleyWise, whose specialty area is Agriculture & NaturalResource Enterprises and Community Resource De-velopment. Wise guided them to agritourism.

The Webbs conducted research for two years be-fore getting started, attending conferences and vis-iting other agritourism operations across the state andSoutheast.

“We learned the basics,” Doug said. “But youdon’t really realize just how much time, money andeffort goes into running one of these.”

Luckily, local farmers and others in the commu-nity have pitched in to help them get started, givingvery generously of their time, energy and expertise.

What is Agritourism?Agritourism is a business on a working farm or other agricultural

enterprise that offers an educational and fun experience for visitors

while generating supplemental income for the owner … such as U-

pick gardens, farm arts and crafts, seasonal festivals, or just about

any agricultural activity that brings income from agriculture. For more

information, visit: www.mississippiagritourism.org.



Future PlansFiddlin’ Rooster Farm and Bakery will eventually be-

come two-fold. It will open from late September throughthe first of November for the corn maze and the pumpkinpatch. It will operate year-round for tour groups and oth-ers who want to hold meetings, reunions, parties and wed-ding receptions.

Already, the Webbs have hosted countless numbers ofschool kids as well as fair number of get-togethers and barndances beneath the pavilion. And already, the Little RedHen Bakery is open for business. Using a commercialkitchen, Rhonda cooks all types of bakery items to order.She has also recently opened a cooking school.

“Fiddlin’ Rooster Farm and Bakery caters to grades Kthrough 3, but we want schools to know that we do get alot of fourth-graders and that we have educational oppor-tunities available for up to fifth and sixth grades,” Rhondasaid.

For more information, call theWebbs at 662-473-5005,or visit their Web site at www.FiddlinRoosterFarm.com.



Our mystery town has an unusual name. Read theclues and make your guess.

In the late 1800s, a Taylorsville postmaster would of-ten pass through this area on his way to the post officein Ellisville. When asked by the locals about his health,or the weather, or just about anything, he would alwaysreply “oh, it’s so-so.” That response was taken into ac-count when a post office was eventually establishedhere and the town was officially named.

Our mystery town was founded as a logging town, buta thriving cotton industry also existed in the area. TheEastman-Gardner Lumber Company logged for yellowpine, and a cotton gin or two ginned wagonloads of cot-ton. In those early days, you could also find a hotel,newspaper, train station, grist mills and several doctors.

In the 1900s, this town boasted the usual small-townbusinesses, along with Wayne Farms Feed Mill, whichproduced feed for the poultry industry, a mattress factory,a modern restaurant, a furniture store, doctors, and a den-tist.

A famous hymn writer, the late J.B. Coats, is a nativeof nearby Summerland. Among many other popularhymns, Coats wrote “Where Could I Go But To TheLord?”

Today, our Jones County mystery town has approxi-mately 500 residents and several thriving businesses.Two well-known businesses include Royals WesternStore and McLaurin Carpets. In addition, this town hasa police station, a volunteer fire department, a commu-

Mystery?Solvethe


nity center, a community football field, and a museum.“We are a close community with outstanding churches,

a low crime rate and people who genuinely care about eachother,” said Mayor Mike Moore.Our mystery town is located ten miles northwest of Lau-

rel on Highway 28. It is also located near Bay Springs andStringer on Highway 533 and Ellisville and Hattiesburg onHighway 29. Traffic through this town is quite steady.Mayor Moore says the town is planning a new water sys-

tem and is looking forward to a Dollar General locatingthere. It is already home to a Family Dollar store.The kids in this town attend West Jones schools. West

Jones High School was preparing to play in the 5A SouthState Championship at the time of my visit. This is theteam’s fifth time to do so in the last nine years.Mayor Moore and Town Clerk Jeanne Sherman invite

you to stop by and visit their town.Name this town.

CCoorrrreecctt GGuueesssseessMail guesses to Solve the Mystery, Mississippi Farm

Country, P. O. Box 1972, Jackson, MS 39215. You may alsoe-mail your guesses to [email protected]. Please remember to include your name and address on

the entry. Visit our Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation Web site

at www.msfb.org. When all correct guesses have been received, we

will randomly draw 20 names. These 20 names willreceive a prize and will be placed in the hat twice.At the end of the year, a winner will be drawn from

all correct submissions. The winner will receive a Week-end Bed and Breakfast Trip, courtesy of MississippiFarm Bureau Federation.Families may submit only one entry. Federation staff

members and their families are ineligible to participatein this contest.The deadline for submitting your entry is March 31.

JJaannuuaarryy//FFeebbrruuaarryyThe correct answer for the January/February Solve

the Mystery is Bruce.

MARCH/APRIL 17MISSISSIPPI FARM COUNTRY

Scenes around our mystery town include a giftshop, the historic community center, RoyalsWestern Store, the museum (plus a recreatedschoolroom in the museum) and a Baptist church.



Though many are aware of “Robert’sRules of Order,” as it has come to beknown, few could name the author

and even less know anything about him.There have been millions of copies sold andthe book has become iconic as a code of howdeliberative assemblies and vast numbers ofother organizations and societies govern theirown proceedings.

Henry Martyn Robert (1837-1923) was aU.S. army officer in engineering service andeventually became a general. He became in-terested in how organizations governed them-selves as he was transferred among militaryposts and learned that rules, if there wereany, varied greatly from place to place. Dur-ing the Civil War, he became enamored withattempting to write a brief manual of rulesthat could be adopted by societies or bodiesthat could adopt these rules in their organi-zation and proceedings with a hope onRobert’s part that they would meet with goodacceptance. Little could he imagine what thiswas to become.1

He bought the best books on the subject ofwhat was referred to as parliamentary proce-dure or parliamentary law and undertookwhat became a monumental effort and a land-mark publication. Parliamentary law takesits name from the English legislative assem-bly, Parliament, which was developed duringthe 13th and early 14th centuries. The Nor-man Conquest in 1066 brought England un-der the military control of French-speakingkings, but they left the structure of ancientAnglo-Saxon governments, such as theywere, largely in place.

They assembled councils to discuss mat-ters of state business which eventually be-came the Great Council and then evolvedinto Parliament, the term for which had beenin use to describe a meeting held for the pur-pose of discussion. This also evolved fromdiscourse with the sovereign into discussionwith each other about “the state of the realm.”Eventually, other representatives were ad-mitted from communities or “commons” andthe two separate branches of Parliament, theHouse of Lords and House of Commons,were established by 1340. Since England’sconstitution is unwritten, there were recordeddecisions made and entered in the Journal ofthe House of Commons since 1547. Not longthereafter, there was first published a vol-

ume of these decisions and practices. Othersfollowed and the American settlers broughtthis developing body of methods or law withthem in the 17th century, and it was generallyaccepted and modified as circumstances dic-tated.

It is no surprise that Thomas Jefferson au-thored the first such American authoritativebook, inspired by his presiding over the U.S.Senate while vice president under JohnAdams, our second president, from 1797-1801. His “Manual of Parliamentary Prac-tice” was published in 1801.

Over the next several decades, societies ofmany kinds came into existence and therewas a need for rules for these organizationswhich were considerably different from alegislative body. Luther S. Cushing, clerk ofthe Massachusetts House of Representatives,published his “Manual of Parliamentary Pro-cedure” in 1845. Though it was a widely-accepted standard, its concept that each or-ganization should adopt its own rules turnedout to be beyond the capability of many, if notmost, and there was a need for rules with abroader range of uses.

Here, Henry M. Robert comes into thepicture. After long study and painstakinglyhard work, he decided to publish a 16-pagetract after having been assigned to presideover a meeting. He was terrified because hedid not know how and determined that hewould never attend another meeting until helearned something about parliamentary law.

Initially unable to find a publisher, he con-tinued to expand on his manual, and by mak-ing financial concessions and contributions,his publisher placed on the cover “Robert’sRules of Order,” though that was not its actualname, and printed 4,000 copies in February1876. Robert thought this would be enough

for two years’ sales, but it sold out in fourmonths at $.75 a copy. Other revisions fol-lowed and were enthusiastically accepted,and today, it is in its 10th edition as “Robert’sRules of Order, Newly Revised” and its au-thors have always included Robert’s family.From a first edition of 176 pages, the currentone is 704 pages, and even by 1970, all edi-tions had sold 2,650,000 copies. It coverssuch basic distinctions as “assembly” (thebody of people who assemble) and “meeting”(the event of their being assembled to dobusiness) down to the rather fine point ofwhich motions are debatable but not amend-able and those amendable but not debatable.Its influence is incalculable and it containsmore than just procedural rules. GeneralRobert once stated:

“The great lesson for democracies to learnis for the majority to give to the minority afull, free opportunity to present their side ofthe case, and then for the minority, havingfailed to win a majority to their views, grace-fully to submit and to recognize the action asthat of the entire organization, and cheerfullyto assist in carrying it out, until they can se-cure its repeal.”

Has Congress or the state legislaturesmissed this and is it too late to learn now?Much could be done and General Robert de-serves greater acclaim.

1 Much of the above came from the introduction tothe 9th edition.

Sam E. Scott is general counsel for Mis-sissippi Farm Bureau Federation and prac-tices law in the law firm of Samuel E. Scott,PLLC, in Jackson. The foregoing informa-tion is general in nature and is not intendedas nor should be considered specific legaladvice nor to be considered as MFBF’s po-sition or opinion.

Who WasRobert?

COUNSEL’S CORNER

By Sam E. Scott, MFBF General Counsel



Make plans to attend the 2011 MagnoliaBeef and Poultry Expo to be held April 7from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Smith CountyAgComplex in Raleigh. This event offers edu-cational seminars and a trade show featuringagricultural equipment and other valuable in-formation for beef and poultry producers.The 2011Magnolia Beef and Poultry Expo

is sponsored by Mississippi State UniversityExtension Service, Jasper, Newton, Rankin,Scott, Simpson and Smith counties, and Com-munity Bank.For details, contact your local Extension

office or Community Bank.

AgNews

Magnolia Beefand Poultry Expo

The Farmers’ Sales Tax Exemption Affi-davit allows farmers to receive a reducedsales tax of 1.5 percent on tractors, farmequipment, parts and labor.Farmers will need to have the affidavit no-

tarized and give an original copy to everydealer or parts house with which they dobusiness. The farmer will be required to dothis once a year to be eligible for the reducedsales tax.To download the affidavit, visit:

http://www.msfb.org/public_policy/sales%20tax%20affidavit.aspx.For more information, contact Samantha

Cawthorn at 601-977-4020.

Sales TaxExemptionAffidavit

State Ag CommoditiesPost Record ValuesMississippi State -- At presstime, agri-

cultural economists with Mississippi StateUniversity’s (MSU) Extension Service werepredicting a record $6.9 billion productionvalue for the state’s farm enterprises for2010. The previous record of $6.4 billionwas set in 2005.Extension agricultural economist John

Michael Riley said the state’s top crops arepoultry at $2.5 billion (up 8 percent); forestryat $1.08 billion (up 25 percent); and soy-beans at $821 million (up 16 percent.) In2000, cotton was Mississippi’s No. 3 crop ata value of $481 million and soybeans was theNo. 6 crop at $164 million.“The rise of soybeans is due largely to the

work of producers and university experts,”Riley said. “The industry has benefited fromresearch and Extension efforts that have im-proved state yields from a typical 25-30bushels per acre in the late 1990s and early2000s to the current average of about 40bushels per acre.”Mississippi cotton has shifted from an

average of 1.15 million acres from 1998through 2000 to an average of 363,000 acresfrom 2008 through 2010, resulting in a muchlower value of production in recent years.JimmyAvery, Extension aquaculture pro-

fessor at MSU’s Delta Research and Exten-sion Center, said catfish is expected to postits first increase in value in four years, mostlydue to improved prices in the last quarter of2010. Economists are estimating a catfishvalue of $199 million, up 1 percent from theprevious year.Crops expected to make the biggest per-

centage improvements from 2009 were cot-ton, up 141 percent to $363 million, andsweet potatoes, up 116 percent to $56 mil-lion. Both were casualties in 2009 due toexcessive rains at harvest. Specialists esti-mated a 75 percent loss of the sweet potatocrop in 2009.Corn is expected to post a 71 percent

value increase to $555 million.Erick Larson, Extension grain crops spe-

cialist, said the market deserves most of thecredit, but corn productivity was remark-able, considering the drought in Mississippiduring the growing season. Record pricesper bushel averaged between $5.50 and$5.75, compared to $3.72 in 2009.Mississippi’s No. 2 crop, forestry, posted

a significant rebound in 2010 from the pre-vious year. The $1.1 billion value was morethan $200 million above the depressed 2009level, which was the only year since 1993that forestry did not exceed a billion dol-lars.Other crop values and their percentage

change from 2009 include rice, $224 million,up 7 percent; cattle, $169 million, up 17 per-cent; hay, $116 million, down 7 percent;hogs, $96 million, up 36 percent; horticul-tural crops, $93 million, up 3 percent; milk,$74 million, up 11 percent; wheat, $23 mil-lion, down 37 percent; peanuts, $12 million,up 17 percent; and grain sorghum, $2 mil-lion, down 11 percent.

Mississippi’s Top Commodities

2010 Value of Production

Poultry & Eggs $2.47 billionForestry $1.08 billionSoybeans $821 millionCorn $555 millionCotton $363 millionRice $224 millionCatfish $199 millionCattle $169 millionHay $116 millionHogs $96 millionHorticultural Crops $93 millionMilk $74 millionSweet Potatoes $56 millionWheat $23 millionPeanuts $12 millionGrain Sorghum $2 millionGovernment Payments $520 million

TOTAL $6.88 billion



ABread-Making

By Glynda Phillips


For18 years,Annie Carter has baked French Camp’s renownedwhite yeast bread. Her name tag says it all: “Chief BreadBaker.”

Most mornings, you will find Annie hard at work in the com-mercial kitchen at the French Camp AcademyVisitor’s Center andBakery, mixing up ingredients, kneading dough, waiting patientlyfor the dough to rise then shaping it into 22-ounce and larger loaves,which she slips into a bank of ovens. Soon enough, the aroma offreshly-baked bread fills the center and drifts outside as the door isopened and closed by employees and visitors.Annie bakes 70-plus loaves of bread a day or about 15,000

loaves a year.Approximately 4,500 loaves are distributed during themonth of December alone, when production peaks. Most of the 22-ounce loaves are shipped out to friends of French Camp Acad-emy–those people who make donations to this private, non-profitschool. But a fair number go to businesses who wish to give thebread as gifts, especially during the Christmas season.Loaves of French Camp bread may also be purchased at the vis-

itor’s center and at the Log Cabin Gift Shop located in the historicFrench Camp Village. The larger 36-ounce loaves are used by theCouncil House Cafe for sandwiches and bread pudding.“I started my career many years ago working in the kitchen at

French CampAcademy,”Annie said, taking a break from her bread-making activities on a beautiful morning in mid-November. “Theschool has been making this bread for 50 years.“When they began looking for someone to make the bread in a

bakery at the visitor’s center, I decided to try for the job,” sheadded with a twinkle in her eyes. “I am pleased to say that I got it.”Early in his administration, Sam Patterson, president of French

Camp Academy from 1950-1967, would take homemade breadbaked by students and staff with him when he traveled. He would

give the bread to supporters to show appreciation for their contri-butions. Today, French Camp bread is shipped all over the state andnation.“Oh, I love this job,”Annie said. “I enjoy baking, and when I am

doing this, it is just me, my Lord and I. I also enjoy visiting withthe people who tour our facility. It is a friendly atmosphere and agreat place to work.“As long as I am able, I will keep doing this.”Annie and the rest of the staff at French CampAcademyVisitor’s

Center and Bakery invite you to come by and say hello. If Annie isbusy baking, you may watch her in action. For more information,call 662-547-9464, or visit the Web site at: www.frenchcamp.org.Annie and her husband Ezell are members of Winston County

Farm Bureau.


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SweetSuccess is

By Glynda PhillipsShan Miller, Raven Lewis and Gena Sessions



Like most successful endeavors,Magnolia Honey Company ofWoodvillehad its beginnings in a single interestingidea. Several years ago, Shan Millerdecided to try and sell her homemadehoney jelly on aWeb site store. That en-deavor proved so successful that the rest,as they say, is sweet history.

Today, Magnolia Honey Companymakes and sells a variety of honey-basedproducts, including jellies, sauces andpickles, that are shipped around the state,the nation and the world.And today, thiswoman-owned-and-operated businessincludes Raven Lewis and Gena Ses-sions as co-owners, along with Miller.Sherry Wilkins, Miller’s cousin, is theresident genius in the kitchen.

As an icing on the cake, MagnoliaHoney Company’s Raspberry WilliamHoney Jelly won a 2009 gold Sofi awardfrom the National Association for theSpecialty Food Trade (NASFT). Theaward was presented at the 55th SummerFancy Food Show in NewYork City andwas voted on by 400 foodies and chefswho have a vested interest in the gour-met food industry.Some History

Magnolia Honey Company uses pureclover honey in all of its products. Thehoney comes from Adee Honey Farms,one of the largest family apiaries in theworld. Wilkinson County and the sur-rounding area are dotted with whiteAdee bee boxes, so honey abounds inthis lush area of the state.

“Several years ago, someone gaveme five pounds of honey, and I didn’tknow how I would ever use it all,”Miller said. “I happened to mention this

to one of my neighbors, and she of-fered me her recipes for lemon and or-ange honey jellies. Four years later, Iasked if she would let me use thosesame recipes to make jelly to sell ona Web site store, and she said yes.My neighbor was in her 70s at thetime and the recipes had come fromher mother who had died in her 80s.So you can imagine how old theywere. I liked the history.”

The products sold so well on theWeb site and at local arts and craftsfestivals that Miller decided to gointo business for herself. She be-gan experimenting with other fla-vors, sampling them out to folks atthe local school and letting themvote on which ones they liked thebest. That’s how she selected herinitial flavors.

for Magnolia Honey



In the beginning, Miller used a church kitchen to makeher jellies. After a year, the business had out-grown thatkitchen so she moved it to the basement of her home,where her husband had installed a commercial kitchen forher. That is when Lewis came onboard.

“Raven has a degree in merchandising and is gifted atmarketing and sales,” Miller said. “She has truly lifted thevisibility of our product. Gena has a degree in banking andfinance. Initially, she worked with us part-time, labelingjars to make some extra spending money. Now, she workswith us full-time, and she has proven to be gifted in salesas well.

“Sherry owned her own business for seven years. Herproduct, seasoned vinegars, was in 600 Cracker Barrelstores across the U.S.,” Miller said. “She is a major helpin the kitchen. We could not do this without all of thesewomen.”Future Goals

Magnolia Honey Company moved into its present2,400-square-foot location on Highway 61 inWoodville in2006. This facility boasts a commercial kitchen and ship-ping and receiving facilities. For two years, a retail storewas also located there, selling the company’s honey prod-ucts as well as products made by local craftsmen.After twoChristmases, Miller and her partners realized they had toomuch to do with making honey products and maintainingaWeb site to also run a store, so they gave up the retail en-deavor. But they still sell some of their honey products atthis facility.

Magnolia Honey Company does corporate and Christ-

mas ordersand willship. They canpersonalize baskets with products that bear your com-pany’s name or with products made by Mississippi crafts-men. Magnolia Honey Company products can be found atother stores across the state, or you may visit theirWeb siteat www.magnoliahoney.com.

Magnolia Honey Company participates in the Missis-sippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce’s “MakeMine Mississippi” program.

The women of Magnolia Honey Company are presentlyhard at work developing a Granny Smith apple-flavoredhoney jelly.

Stay tuned.



Honey MustardChicken Wings

3 lbs. chicken wings1 tsp. salt1 tsp. black pepper½ c. honey½ c. barbecue sauce2 T. spicy brown mustard

Rinse chicken and pat dry. Cut off wingtips; discard. Sprinkle salt and pepperon both sides of chicken. Place wingpieces on broiler rack. Broil about 10minutes, turning halfway through cookingtime. Place broiled wings in slow cooker.Combine all other ingredients. Pour overchicken wings. Cook in slow cooker onlow 4-5 hours.

This recipe was taken from “Country Cooking,Volume IV,” which is available at most countyFarm Bureau offices. The cost is $15. If youorder from the state office, you will pay $15 pluspostage. For more information, contact Women’sProgram Coordinator Clara Bilbo at 1-800-227-8244, ext. 4245.

1 jar Raspberry William Honey Jelly1 jar Michael’s Hot Pepper Jelly2 oz. Simply Honey2 T. Dark Brown Sugar2 oz. Sweet Chili Sauce

Combine all ingredients, stir and heatfor 5 minutes or until well combined.Pour over roasted duck, chicken, pork

tenderloin or beef tenderloin. Placemeat in a 350 oven for 3-5 minutes tocaramelize the glaze.

This recipe is compliments of MagnoliaHoney Company and Kevin Leroux, HeadChef, Clementine Restaurant, New Iberia,Louisiana. For more information, contactMagnolia Honey Company at 601-888-7500or visit: www.magnoliahoney.com.

By Tammy Layton, Simpson County

Magnolia Honey Jelly Finishing Sauce



If I told you that you could save hun-dreds of dollars on products and servicesthat you use every day, would you be inter-ested to find out how? Of course youwould! Your membership in Farm Bureaucosts you a few dollars each year, but thatmembership fee allows you to participate inmany Member Benefit programs that cansave you hundreds, perhaps thousands, ofdollars.Farm Bureau has signed agreements

with many partner companies to provideproducts and services to Farm Bureaumembers at a discount. All of these servicesare available to you as a member and allyou have to do is provide your membershipnumber or the special Farm Bureau codethat is associated with that particular pro-gram.HotelsOne of our most popular programs is

the 20 percent discount offered by ChoiceHotels. By reserving rooms on the ChoiceHotel Web site and using Farm Bureau’ssavings code, you can save 20 percent onevery night you stay in a Choice Hotel,which includes Comfort Inn, ComfortSuites, Quality Inn, Sleep Inn, Clarion,Mainstay Suites, Suburban, Econo Lodgeand Rodeway Inn.You can also save 20 percent on Wynd-

ham Hotels, including Microtel Inn,Hawthorn Suites, Days Inn, Howard John-son, Knights Inn, Ramada, Super 8, Trav-elodge, Baymont Inns, Wyndham andWingate Inn brands.Industrial SuppliesGrainger, Inc., America’s largest sup-

plier of industrial supplies, offers more than500,000 parts and supplies at a discountedrate to Mississippi Farm Bureau members.Grainger offers an efficient solution to theneed for a speedy and consistent supply ofelectric motors and other electrical equip-ment as well as painting, cleaning and othersupplies. Members may order supplies on-line, by phone, fax, or by visiting your lo-cal Grainger branch.

Identity Theft ProtectionMillions of Americans become victims

of identity theft each year.Farm Bureau has partnered with Life-

Lock, the industry leader in identity theftprotection, to offer our members a discountwhen signing up for LifeLock’s ID protec-tion plan. LifeLock helps stop identity theftbefore it happens – even if your informationfalls into the wrong hands. As a LifeLockmember, if you become a victim of identitytheft because of a failure in LifeLock®service, they’ll help you fix it at their ex-pense, up to $1,000,000.This extensive system provides early no-

tification whenever LifeLock detects yourpersonal information being used to applyfor many forms of credit and non-credit. Ithelps you replace the contents of a lost orstolen wallet, and LifeLock even requeststhat your name be deleted from credit offermailing lists.This is a great offer that will save mem-

bers 10 percent off the regular cost of Life-Lock protection plus you get a 30-day freetrial.Medical Alert SystemOne of the newest benefits that Farm

Bureau offers is a Medical Alert Systemfor your home. Most seniors and personswith medical conditions or physical chal-lenges would prefer to live in their ownhomes and be as independent as possible.That’s not always possible, but this dreamcan become a reality with the addition ofthis easy-to-use communications device.The PERS-3600 connects to a phone

line and automatically places a call for helpwhenever assistance is needed. The con-sole’s emergency alarm can be triggeredby the help button on top of the console orby using the wireless wristband or pendant.For more information on these and all of

the other Member Benefit programs, visitour Web site at www.msfb.org and clickon the Member Benefits link. Or you cancall Farm Bureau’s Member Benefits Co-ordinator Dedra Luke at 601-977-4169.

March 3Ag Day at the Capitol

March 15AITC Teacher Grant & Regional

Coloring Contest Deadline

April 7Magnolia Beef and Poultry Expo

Smith County Ag ComplexRaleigh

April 8 & 9Super Bulldog Weekend

Mississippi State University

April 12-142011 Women for Ag Conference

April 15-18National Women’s

Leadership ConferenceBaltimore, Maryland

April 26-27Secretaries’ Conference

MFBF BuildingJackson

May 6Women’s Leadership Conference

MFBF BuildingJackson

June 1Application Deadline

Farm Bureau Scholarships

June 6-9Youth Safety SeminarTimber Creek Camp

June 14-16AITC Workshops

Grenada, Collins, Jackson

June 22-25National AITC ConferenceFort Lauderdale, Florida

Calender of Events Adding Value toYour MembershipBy Greg Gibson, MFBF Member Services Director



Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation Women Voting Delegates are shown following the Women’s LeadershipRecognition Luncheon and Business Session.

Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation (MFBF)President Randy Knight greets American FarmBureau Federation President Bob Stallmanduring the State Awards Program. MFBF pro-grams receiving anAward of Excellence includePublic Relations/Information, Leadership De-velopment, andAgriculture Education/Promotion.

State Discussion Meet WinnerDaniel Martin of Yalobusha Countywas one of three runners-up in thenational Discussion Meet contestin Atlanta, Georgia.

Mississippi Farm Bureau FederationPresident Randy Knight participates in theParade of Flags during the American FarmBureau Federation (AFBF) Annual Meetingin Atlanta, Georgia. In other conventionactivities, Knight was elected to serve on theAFBF Board of Directors, representing theSouthern region.

State Women’s Committee Chair Betty Mills acceptsrecognition on behalf of the Mississippi Farm BureauFederation Women’s Program. She is pictured withAmerican Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) President BobStallman andAFBFWomen’s Leadership Committee ChairTerry Gilbert.

AFBF Annual Meeting - AtlantaPhotos by Danielle Ginn


MISSISSIPPI FARM COUNTRY30 MARCH/APRIL

If you are interested in a used federation vehicle,

please visit our Web site at www.msfb.org for more in-

formation. Click on the About Us link, then click the

Fleet Vehicles for Sale on the drop down menu or con-

tact Merlene Partridge at 1.800.227.8244, ext. 4233.

These vehicles are late model, usually one - two years

old. NADA retail, wholesale, and loan values are used

to calculate price.

FLEET VEHICLES FOR SALE



Registration deadline for the 2011 Mis-sissippi Farm Bureau Federation (MFBF)Youth Safety Seminar is May 20. Theevent will be held June 6 - 9 at TimberCreek Camp in Scott County.

Youth Safety Seminar offers young peo-ple, entering 7th through 12th grades, anopportunity to receive safety training, enjoyrecreational activities and develop friend-ships that will last a lifetime. In 2010, ap-proximately 58 students from across thestate participated in training sessions thatincluded CPR, Electrical Safety, ATVSafety, Fatal Vision and Tractor Safety.

For more information about YouthSafety Seminar, contact you county FarmBureau office or call Angela Thompson at1-800-227-8244, ext. 4242.

Youth SafetySeminar


march-april 2011

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