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February bureau report

Hello and welcome to the February issue of the Farm Bureau Report! Congratulations to all the FFA members that received their jackets and awards at Mid-Winter Convention held during the Farm Show!

Winter is a great time for meetings and to catch up on new information affecting agriculture. Recently, Farm Bureau Day was held in Shippensburg where legislative committee members and others gathered to learn about legislation affecting agriculture and several other current topics, as well as celebrate membership work throughout our region. Also recently, young farmers throughout the state gathered for their annual conference to discuss and learn about ag issues specific to young farmers. While that group was formerly referred to as the Young Farmer and Rancher Committee, the name has now changed to the Young Ag Professionals to better show that the group is not restricted to just farmers and ranchers. This group consists of Farm Bureau members involved in agriculture who are between the ages of 18 and 35. For more information on this group, contact Ethan and Lindsey Shoop at (717) 734-0129.

Didn’t get a chance to go to either of the events listed above? That’s okay, because there are a few more opportunities coming up.

The event formerly known as the Farmer’s Winter Meeting, coordinated by the Juniata Conservation District, Penn State Extension, Pennian Bank and the Juniata County Farm Bureau, has changed its format this year and will be a breakfast instead of an all-day meeting. The breakfast will be held from 9 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. on March 7 at the Port Royal Community Building. Breakfast will begin at 9 a.m. and Pennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture Russell Redding will begin speaking at 9:45 a.m. Secretary Redding will be followed by Doug Wolfgang speaking on Farmland Preservation. Representatives from Pennian Bank and the Juniata County Farm Bureau will also be speaking. The theme for the day will be “Congregate to Cultivate.” We hope to see you there! To RSVP, contact Bobbi Leister at (717) 436-2144 or bobbi.leister@pennianbank.com before Feb. 22.

Don’t enjoy going to meetings but want to be involved in the Farm Bureau in other ways? Consider donating items for Farmers Care. Farmers Care recognizes how safe and affordable food in the United States is and recognizes how farmers care about the food they grow and the communities they live in. To celebrate this, normally donations are collected for the Ronald McDonald House in Hershey. This year, however, the Hershey House is undergoing renovations and is lacking space so Juniata County has decided to collect items for the Juniata County Food Pantry instead of the Ronald McDonald House. The day we are recognizing these efforts in our area will be March 8. Be looking for bags on your doorstep, asking for donations. Or, if there isn’t a bag on your doorstep, contact Selina Hoffman at (717) 320-3184 to donate. Please give generously to this worthwhile cause and thank you so much for your support!

What a busy week the first week of March will be for the Juniata County Farm Bureau! Following the Farmer’s breakfast and Farmer’s Care, on March 9 the Annual Ag Promotion Conference will be held in State College. If you’re an advocate for agriculture and want to tell others about the benefits of agriculture, this is the place for you to learn tools to do so! Many people nowadays are disconnected with where their food comes from and this is a great place to learn how to make connections between the farmers that grow the food and the consumer that enjoys that food. For more information, contact Ethan and Lindsey Shoop at (717) 734-0129.

Did you know?

According to Feeding America, based on 2013 information, approximately 12 percent of Juniata County residents are “food insecure” or have trouble accessing an adequate food supply. Also, according to Feeding America, 1 in 8 people in Pennsylvania struggles with hunger. So please give generously to Farmers Care and show how much Juniata County farmers care about their neighbors!

Thanks for reading and, until next time, remember to thank a farmer!

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