November/December 2012

A Publication of Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation • MSFB.org

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012

VOLUME 88 NO. 6

NOVEMBER/DECEMBERMISSISSIPPI FARM COUNTRY2

3MISSISSIPPI FARM COUNTRY

CONTENTS

Features88 MFBF LAND PROGRAMThe Mississippi Farm BureauFederation (MFBF) Land Program givesMississippi landowners an opportunityto discuss and recommend solutions toproblems that directly affect their landand, often, their livelihoods. Come withus as we learn more.

1188 SOLVE THE MYSTERYFounded in 1887, this Monroe Countytown became the midway pointbetween Memphis and Birmingham fortwo railway systems. It was also whererail lines diverged, heading south toMobile and Pensacola. Read the cluesand make your guess.

2288 COUNTY SPOTLIGHTIn this issue, we spotlight AdamsCounty Farm Bureau. This past June,these volunteer leaders sponsored theirfirst-ever camp designed to teach youthabout agriculture. Learn more aboutthis great new program inside.

Departments44 President’s Message66 Commodity Update: Forestry

2200 Counsel’s Corner2222 Member Benefits Spotlight

About the coverThe Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation Land Program deals with issues related to land use,wildlife resources and rural development. Read about this program inside. The cover photo of ablue-winged teal was taken by Rob Heflin of Isola, an avid hunter and amateur photographer whohas managed wildlife habitat on his family farm for 12 years. For more information about hisphotos, visit www.yazoovalleywildlife.com.

“Our mission is to create an environment in which Mississippi farmers, ranchers, andFarm Bureau members can have a better

life and make a better living.”

MMIISSSSIISSSSIIPPPPII FFAARRMM CCOOUUNNTTRRYYVolume 88 Number 6

November/December 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 BreauxWarren 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.


PRESIDENT’S MESSAGERandy Knight, President

Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation

This Farm MeansEverything to Me

This year, on the heels of the catastrophic floods and tornadoesof 2011, Mississippi farmers once again faced more than their fairshare of weather-related challenges, from the excessive wind andrain of Hurricane Isaac to the unrelenting 50-year drought thattouched areas of our state as well as two-thirds of the continentalUnited States.

Farm Bureau volunteer leaders and staff are always amongthe first to offer their help in times of need, and this year was noexception. On behalf of my fellow farmers across the state andnation, I want to thank you for your many kindnesses. Farmingisn’t easy under the best of circumstances. Unexpected andextreme weather conditions can be devastating.

As one of my friends once said, “This farm means everythingto me.”

That pretty much says it all.

Land ProgramIn addition to the weather and high costs of feed and fuel, find-

ing enough land to farm is another challenge many of us farmersencounter every year. We aren’t against progress, but we need toknow that we will always have plenty of good, available land.

One year ago this month, the people of Mississippi spoke upin overwhelming numbers to demand eminent domain reform.These concerned men and women recognized the need to safe-guard a basic Constitutional right. In my mind, they also under-stood the importance of giving farmers the tools we need to con-tinue doing what we do best – feeding and clothing the world.(We are also helping to reduce our nation’s reliance on foreign oil,but you probably already know that, too.)

On the other side of the coin, as far as opportunities are con-cerned, more and more of our farmers are finding new and oftenunique ways of using their land to survive a changing global agri-culture. Some are adding nontraditional agricultural commoditiesto their more conventional endeavors, while others are exploringalternative ways of generating extra income through agritourism,mineral leases and fee hunting and fishing opportunities, to namejust a few.

Working together, through organizations like Farm Bureau,Mississippi farmers have an opportunity to speak with a unitedvoice about the challenges they encounter every year. They arealso able to surface opportunities that can help them stay in busi-ness.

Recognizing the importance of land to our farmers, we estab-lished a Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation (MFBF) Land Pro-gram in 2007. Each year, this program works with other programsand staff members to represent Farm Bureau at the State Capitoland with regulatory agencies on all issues related to land. In re-cent years, we have dealt with private property rights relative toeminent domain, trespass protection for private landowners,CAFO regulation and taxation issues, to name a few. We have alsocontinued to explore a variety of land use opportunities like theones mentioned earlier.

This past year, in response to a need expressed by our mem-bers, we expanded the responsibilities of our land program to in-clude wildlife resources and rural development. I invite you toread about our Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation Land Programin this issue of our magazine. You can also contact our MFBFLand Program Coordinator Doug Ervin at (601) 624-1705.

Our Land-GrantsAnd speaking of helping farmers succeed, I’d like to take a

moment to recognize our land-grant institutions – Alcorn StateUniversity and Mississippi State University – for their manyyears of dedicated service to agriculture. Their research, teachingand extension efforts are a big reason why our agricultural industryremains so efficient and proficient today.

This past year marked the 150th anniversary of the MorrillLand-Grant Act of 1862. This most important piece of legislationawarded federal lands to help states establish public universitieswhich have proven to be indispensable to the strength and con-tinued growth of our state and national farming industry.

Don’t Forget to VoteThanksgiving and Christmas are just around the corner, and I

want to wish for you and your family a wonderful holiday seasonand a happy New Year. I know you have plans for the coming year,and I hope that everything falls in your favor.

On a final note, don’t forget to exercise your right to vote onNov. 6. As we all know, one vote truly can make a difference. Iencourage you to visit the polls on Election Day and let your voicebe heard.


As we close out another year and get ready forthe holidays, let us not forget the reason for the sea-son. Let’s also not forget that forestry is the numbertwo commodity in Mississippi, annually contribut-ing $1.04 billion to the state’s economy. Yet, evenwith its great economic impact, the forestry indus-try is facing some major issues moving forwardinto 2013.

Forestry provides over 123,000 jobs to Missis-sippi, and with over 125,000 private forest landown-ers, more than 250,000 Mississippians have a substantial interest in theforestry market. But the forestry industry faces struggles on a daily ba-sis that could greatly impact these individuals and our state’s economy.High fuel prices, changing standards for wood products, stringent loadlimits, labor issues and a failure to accept forestry as an agricultural prac-tice will all have a negative impact on Mississippi’s forestry sector.

With fuel prices at the levels currently seen, the already slim marginshave begun to shrink even smaller. John Auel, Mississippi State Exten-sion associate, says, “The high fuel prices, combined with a strugglingeconomy, have cut into the extremely narrow margins loggers operatewith. These factors have contributed to a loss of work force in the log-ging sector.”

With this shrinking margin for profit, the loggers will begin offsettingthese costs to the landowners, who, in turn, will see even less profit fromtheir crop.

Auel also added, “Loggers who have stayed in business have changedtheir operating philosophies. Many operators keep equipment longerand fix it instead of replacing it.”

While this is a sound business move, this practice can reduce the over-all efficiency of the operation. Additionally, older equipment is less fuelefficient and requires purchasing more fuel at higher prices.

Another issue that needs to be highlighted that has the potential to neg-atively impact forest landowners is reassessment of strength values inlumber. Lumber across North America, including southern yellow pine,is undergoing a reassessment of strength values. Strength values are im-portant because the dollar value of lumber is directly related to its load-bearing strength.

The reassessment for southern pine is being overseen by the South-ern Pine Inspection Bureau, which completed a reassessment of 2x4 lum-ber in 2011 and is poised to present the findings of wider dimensions tothe American Lumber Standards Committee in Washington, D.C., thisfall. The results of the 2x4 reassessment indicate that the strength valueshave decreased by 30 percent. Early results indicate that wider dimensionsare not as severely impacted as the narrow dimensions.

Dan Seale, MSU Department of Forest Products professor, said, “Thereductions in design values mean the tables that architects and engineersuse to design structures will change as will the products used in con-struction.”

Seale also noted that, in an effort to minimize the impact of thesestrength reductions, many mills are installing equipment to automaticallyre-grade lumber into one of 17 machine-grade classes, based on stiffnessand strength. Ultimately, these changes would require that lumber be mar-keted similarly to engineered wood. This means that, in the future,landowners would have the technologies available to determine the val-ues of the products derived from their standing timber.

Seale concluded, “Many changes are being considered that will im-pact lumber design values, building codes and, ultimately, the overallvalue of an individual tract of timber.”

Forestry continues to fight an ongoing battle with legal load limitsalong Mississippi highways and roads. Many counties have tried to im-plement lower load limits with the intent of keeping log trucks off theircounty roads, while completely ignoring the value that timber harvestingbrings to their county economy. Along with counties attempting to es-tablish lower load limits, Mississippi loggers are operating within lowerstate legal load limits than our surrounding states. This handicap causesloggers to make more trips to the mill if they are hauling to an out-of-statemill, which causes them to use more fuel.

Mississippi forest landowners need to be aware of an ongoing issuewith labor restrictions when they get ready to replant after a harvest. Manycontractors who plant pine trees use immigrant labor on the job. But thesecontractors have been faced with higher fees and wages to bring legalworkers into the state to plant trees, and they may then be passing theseadditional costs on to the landowner. If not for legal immigrant labor, mostof the trees in Mississippi would not be planted each year.

But it’s not all doom and gloom. According to Dr. James Henderson,assistant MSU Extension professor, “U.S. housing starts for June wereup to 760,000 units, a 42 percent increase from two years ago.”

In addition to the promising upswing in the housing market, pine saw-timber stumpage prices increased modestly for the fourth consecutivequarter to $27.86/ton for the second quarter of 2012. These recent gainsare attributable to an increase in the housing market. However, since thehousing decline in 2006, Mississippi standing timber inventories have in-creased. This increase in timber supply will, ultimately, have a negativeimpact on timber prices for the foreseeable future.

Forestry faces many issues in the coming years, and MississippiFarm Bureau Federation (MFBF) is working to help aid our state’s for-est landowners and loggers. Your participation and voice is needed to helpmake us as effective as we can be for you, the producer. By getting in-volved with the county resolution process and attending the summer andwinter commodity conferences, you can help keep us aware of the issuesthat are important to you.

The MFBF Winter Commodity Conference will be held January 28at the MFBF office in Jackson. Have a wonderful holiday season, and Ilook forward to a great meeting in January.

COMMODITY UPDATE: FORESTRY

Ken Martin – MFBF Forestry Advisory Committee ChairKevin Brown – MFBF Commodity Coordinator for Forestry

Forestry Fights Major Issues

Brown

Brent, Ken and Brad Martin


The Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation(MFBF) Land Program is designed to give Mis-sissippi landowners an opportunity to discuss andrecommend solutions to problems that directly af-fect their land and, often, their livelihoods.

Through this program, landowners are able to:

• Identify and recommend issues for policy devel-opment purposes.• Identify emerging issues related to land.• Offer suggestions or clarification of existing policies.• Assist in the process of policy implementation when necessary.

Mississippi’s landmass is our greatest resource, with its wide-openspaces, dense pine and hardwood forests, rolling pastures, wetlands andwilderness, all within a few miles of our most urban areas. Mississippi’sland area is diverse and fascinating, providing habitat and recreationalopportunities as well as food, fiber and fuel, both locally and aroundthe globe.

All of this is impressive within itself, but the greatest benefit pro-vided to Mississippi landowners is an overwhelming sense of pride inland ownership.

Each year, Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation partners with or-ganizations like the Mississippi State University Natural ResourceEnterprises program to host a statewide workshop designed to helplandowners better utilize their assets. In June, we hosted an advancedworkshop on agritourism, which included instructions on how to writea business plan. Over 80 landowners attended the conference.

The MFBF Land Use Committee is working on your behalf to keepup with emerging issues and to find solutions to problems that wouldhave a negative impact on Mississippi landowners. Due to the foresight

of our president and committee members, our land program has ex-panded its responsibilities to include not only land use issues but twonew areas: wildlife resources and rural development.

Wildlife ResourcesGoals of the wildlife resources area are determined by the land use

committee. Issues and challenges facing members are evaluated eachyear and priorities placed on each to determine a focus for the land pro-gram’s efforts. Goals include:

• Promote wildlife resources and related activities as an alternativesource of revenue for farmers.

• Inform the public about the economic benefits that hunting and fish-ing have on local economies (hotels, restaurants, gas and conveniencestores).

• Educate landowners on how to develop leases, liabilities, etc.• Work to obtain a funding source for promoting hunting and fishingin Mississippi.

• Work to provide funding for research that benefits wildlife andwildlife habitat.

• Provide more opportunities for youth hunting and fishing.• Maintain healthy wildlife populations.• Work with the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, andParks.

• Work to provide funding for wildlife research at Mississippi StateUniversity.

Helping those who love and promote Mississippi’s wildlife re-sources is a key part of our mission. As new challenges arise, the landuse committee is poised to address those problems for the good of itsmembers.

Mississippi FarmBureau Federation

Ervin

By Doug ErvinMFBF Land Program Coordinator Land

MISSISSIPPI FARM COUNTRYNOVEMBER/DECEMBER 9

Rural DevelopmentMississippi agriculture is a key compo-

nent of most rural communities, yet agricul-ture as an industry is becoming more reliant onthe economic health of rural communities.Legislative, civic and business leaders mustcontinue to seek ways to stimulate rural jobsand economic growth to sustain rural com-munities and the farms that surround them.

The landscape of rural America is chang-ing. The average age in rural communities isincreasing, while these same communities areexperiencing an outbound migration ofyounger generations in search of better edu-cational and job opportunities. Many com-munities that once were vibrant now need as-sistance to maintain quality schools, medicalfacilities and essential infrastructure.

Strengthening rural communities is a pri-ority for Farm Bureau. Areas of outreach fo-cus are entrepreneurship, local food systems,rural philanthropy, community leadership,community infrastructure, off-farm job op-portunities, value-added agriculture and agri-tourism.

Farm Bureau believes the following ini-tiatives will maintain and revitalize ruralAmerica:

• Economic Development – Value-added agri-culture, competitive tax and regulatory in-centives, expansion of the renewable fuels

industry and USDA rural development pro-grams all offer opportunities to stimulate jobcreation and enhance rural incomes.

• Strengthening Education – Rural childrendeserve equal access to the educational op-portunities afforded their urban and suburbancounterparts. The Secure Rural Schools andCommunity Self-Determination Act shouldbe reauthorized and adequately funded.Farm Bureau also supports other initiatives,such as long-distance learning, to strengthenthe foundation of rural educational systems.Farm Bureau is working in collaborationwith national education organizations to as-sure that rural communities are accountedfor.

• Rural Infrastructure – Rural communitiesface significant challenges in handling theirinfrastructure needs and adapting to newtechnologies. Maintaining essential infra-structure, like roads, utilities, waterways andrail systems, is critical. Broadband Internetaccess must be extended to rural areas. FarmBureau also supports the Universal ServiceFund to assist in providing affordable com-munication services.

• Health Care – More doctors and medical fa-cilities are needed to serve residents of ruralAmerica. Farm Bureau supports initiatives,including telemedicine, to provide better ac-cess to medical professionals and facilities inrural areas.

For more information about our MFBF LandProgram, call (601) 624-1705.

Program

Photo of male turkeys by Jeff Vanuga, USDANatural Resources Conservation Service;photo of white-tailed deer running by ScottBauer, USDA/ARS; photo of man fishing byMFBF staff; photo of mallard (on page 10) byScott Bauer, USDA/ARS; photo of gadwall byRob Heflin.


Outdoor recreation in Mississippi accounts for substantial eco-nomic impact to the state and for income diversification for privatelandowners on their properties. How much money is brought intoMississippi with outdoor recreation related to hunting, fishing, birdwatching and other outdoor-related recreation in a given year? A na-tional survey helps answer this question.

According to the 2006 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting andWildlife-Associated Recreation in Mississippi, 1.1 million residentand non-resident sportspersons recreated in Mississippi during 2006and spent $1.1 billion, an increase from 1 million participants and$974 million in 2001. The survey is conducted nationwide every fiveyears by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to gather the currenttrends of recreational activity and associated expenditures of sports-men and women. The survey has been conducted since 1955 and isinstrumental in documenting American sportspersons’ long-term in-terest and economic impact in wildlife-related recreation.

The report focuses on three main categories: angling, hunting andwildlife watching. Mississippi’s information has been summarizedbelow.

Angling and HuntingFishing has always been a spring and summer pastime for Mis-

sissippians and many of the state’s visitors. In 2006, 508,000 indi-viduals participated in the activity and contributed $245 million toMississippi’s economy. The majority of the participants’ expendituresincluded equipment (50 percent of angling expenditures), trip-related(i.e., transportation, food and lodging), and other (i.e., memberships,licenses, permits, stamps and land leasing) expenditures (44 percent).

Hunting is a passion of many in our state as the survey indicated,with 304,000 individuals participating in the activity. This includedlarge and small game and waterfowl. Participants spent $520 millionon equipment (29 percent of hunting expenditures), trip-related (29percent), and other (42 percent) expenditures.

Wildlife WatchingWildlife watching is a growing hobby in the U.S., with millions

of participants nationwide and 731,000 individuals in Mississippi.The majority (606,000) of the participants wildlife watch around thehome (< 1 mile from the home), while 246,000 enjoy the activityaway from the home (> 1 mile from the home). Wildlife watchersspent $176 million for equipment (49 percent of viewing expendi-tures), trip-related (39 percent) and other (12 percent) expendituresin Mississippi.

These are impressive expenditures for outdoor-related activities inthe state, to say the least. But what is the economic impact? Beforepresenting these estimates, economic impact is derived from moniesspent for any goods or services purchased by considering the direct,indirect and induced effects of dollars spent for the purchase.

For example, when you purchase an automobile at your local deal-ership, monies for the purchase price go to support the economic sta-tus of the dealership directly. With additional sales, more automobilesare ordered by the dealership. New vehicle orders stimulate con-

struction of vehicles at the Missis-sippi factory, with the use of addi-tional raw materials and labor sup-plied by other suppliers andcompanies. These latter activitiesfollowing your purchase result inindirect and induced economic im-pacts. In other words, the spendingfor your new vehicle stimulates aseries of expenditures, with someeffects being felt immediately andlocally and others impacting eco-nomic activity in Mississippi andbeyond later in time. As these dol-lars move through the economy,affecting different sectors, theoverall effect of your car purchaseis multiplied upward, yielding anoverall economic impact.

So, back to our original ques-tion: How much of an economicimpact does outdoor recreation

have on Mississippi? In the aforementioned national survey con-ducted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to examine spending forangling, hunting and wildlife watching in the U.S., expenditures forfishing by 508,000 resident and nonresident anglers totaled $245 mil-lion, producing $690 million in economic impact. Likewise, expen-ditures by 304,000 residents and visitors to Mississippi for huntingtotaled $520 million, with these expenditures accounting for $1.2 bil-lion in economic impact to the state.

In terms of enjoying the opportunity to view wildlife in their nat-ural settings in Mississippi, 246,000 individuals viewed wildlifeaway from their homes during 2006 and spent $176 million, ac-counting for $791 million in economic impact to the state. Thus, theoverall economic impact to Mississippi from outdoor recreation to-taled $2.7 million annually (2008 dollars).

In addition to these estimates, outdoor outfitters, including hunt-ing outfitters, agritourism farms and charter boat operators, ac-counted for over $50 million in economic impact to Mississippi.

A large portion of these monies spent and the resulting positive im-pacts to local communities are associated with outdoor recreation oc-curring on private lands in the state, thereby enhancing family in-comes of Mississippi landowners. As a final note, a 2008 MSUstudy found that outdoor recreation increased the financial value ofprivate lands used for recreation by 52 percent or $654 per acre. InMississippi, lands managed for wildlife and sold to other owners, be-tween 2005-2008, leased for hunting recreation for $25 per acre onaverage. Outdoor recreation benefits the economic wellbeing and sus-tainability of natural resources of Mississippi and of landowners inthe state.

To learn more about ways to initiate fee-access outdoor recreationand conservation on your lands, please visit our Natural Resource En-terprises Program Web site at www.naturalresources.msstate.edu.

Outdoor Recreation GeneratesIncome for LandownersBy W. Daryl Jones, Ph.D., and Adam T. Rohnke

11MISSISSIPPI FARM COUNTRYNOVEMBER/DECEMBER

(Left to right) Agriculture Commissioner Cindy Hyde-Smith, Jo Lynn Mitchell and NeldaMitchell showcase the directional sign to Mitchell Farms, an agritourism operation located inCollins, which was unveiled at the Mississippi Department of Transportation. The sign isavailable through the new Agritourism Sign Program offered by MDOT.

Agritourism Sign ProgramThe Mississippi Department of Trans-

portation (MDOT) and the Mississippi De-partment of Agriculture and Commerce(MDAC) introduced a new Agritourism SignProgram with the recent unveiling of direc-tional signage for Mitchell Farms in Collins.The Agritourism Sign Program is the result ofa joint effort between MDAC and the Missis-sippi Development Authority to introducemembers of the Mississippi Agritourism As-sociation to various resources available to theirindustry through other state agencies and or-ganizations.

With input from the associated stakehold-ers, MDOT developed rules, regulations andguidelines for the Agritourism Sign Program.In early 2012, the Mississippi TransportationCommission formally authorized the program,which will now allow qualified agritourismbusinesses to have directional signage on theright-of-way of state-maintained highways.

For more information, contact JohnnyDurrett, Interstate Logos, at (601) 853-7100 [email protected].

13

It’s About the

ExperienceLBy Glynda Phillips

Leasing his land to hunters is something JeffersonCounty cattle producer Mike McCormick has done for al-most as many years as he has farmed. He says it is notonly a good way to earn supplemental income with his1,200-acre cow-calf and timber operation, but an effectiveway to manage the wildlife on his land, including wildturkey, deer, squirrels and wild hogs.

“We are blessed with a dense population of wildlife inthis area,” Mike said. “I hunt a little, but since I prefer tospend most of my time farming, this really helps me out.”

And since he basically farms around the activities ofthe people who lease his land, he wanted the best grouppossible.

“I wanted to know that there would be no aggressivehunting and that the hunters would close the gates,” hesaid. “The four men that I lease to enjoy hunting, but theyalso enjoy just being able to get out of town and spendsome time in the country. They’ve killed some mountabledeer, but this is more about the total experience.

“The men who lease my land bring their children, andI let them ride with me on the 4-wheeler and look at thenewborn calves and watch me put out hay,” Mike said.“One of the men brought his daughter along, and he toldme that it was the first time she had heard silence. Theylive on a busy street in Baton Rouge.”

Another daughter held her bachelorette party at thecamp, and the young women had a lot of questions forMike.

“They wanted to know what farmers do and why,” hesaid. “There are a lot of misconceptions about farming to-day. People are becoming generations removed from farmlife, and we have a lot that we take for granted. I like toteach them about farming and, hopefully, encourage themto appreciate agriculture.”

Mike has received nice letters from the young peoplewho have visited his farm. Some of them have told himthat the experience was the best vacation they have everhad.

His AdviceMike says if you are interested in opening your land to

a fee hunting operation, you need to lease to people whoare easy to work with and who share your wildlife man-agement philosophy. You need to also be aware that farmliability insurance doesn’t cover hunting leases. Separateinsurance needs to be purchased for this.

“It is helpful to keep this type of business small andlow-key and to understand that, even though some farm-ers do this as a primary income, it usually represents justa good supplemental income,” he said.

“For more information, you can talk to people whohave done this,” he said. “You can also attend work-shops, especially workshops presented by our Missis-sippi Farm Bureau Federation (MFBF) Land Programand the Natural Resource Enterprises Program at Missis-sippi State University.”

Mike serves on the MFBF Board of Directors and thenational Cattlemen’s Beef Board. He is chair of the MFBFBeef Advisory Committee and a member of the AmericanFarm Bureau Federation Beef Advisory Committee. Healso serves on the MFBF Land Use Committee.

Mike farms land near Union Church that has been inhis family since the 1820s.

For more information about fee hunting and fishing,contact Daryl Jones at Mississippi State University [email protected] or (662) 325-3133 or AdamRohnke at (601) 857-2284. If you have land questions,you may also contact Mississippi Farm Bureau FederationLand Program Coordinator Doug Ervin at (601) 624-1705.

Total

Drilling for Oilin Southwest Mississippi

By Glynda Phillips

”“15MISSISSIPPI FARM COUNTRYNOVEMBER/DECEMBER

If you haven’t already heard about the Tuscaloosa Marine Shale for-mation, then you will almost certainly hear about it in the comingmonths. Drilling has already begun in some areas of Louisiana and

southwest Mississippi, and the number of wells in southwest Mis-sissippi is expected to triple in the next six months, according to thosewho are working close to the project.

What is TMS?A source bed of premium-grade crude oil is trapped in a 5,900-

square-mile shale formation called Tuscaloosa Marine Shale (TMS)that stretches across southwestern Mississippi and central Louisianato the border of Texas (the West TMS) and across Southwestern Mis-sissippi eastward through a portion of Walthall County and south intoa few Louisiana parishes (the East TMS). Experts say the formationmay actually go all of the way down into the Gulf.

The depth of the formation varies from 9,000 to 14,000 feet, witha thickness of from 300 feet to over 800 feet. It is estimated that itholds about 7 billion barrels of oil, with the possibility of morereservoirs to be found beneath it.

“The Tuscaloosa Marine Shale formation is actually the siblingformation to other shale formations that have been found in other ar-eas of the nation,” said Britt Herrin, Executive Director, Pike CountyEconomic Development District and Pike County Chamber of Com-merce. “We have known about it for years but didn’t have the tech-nology in place to tap it. Now, we do.”

Horizontal drilling has been perfected so that drills can make acurve and better penetrate the rock found in the area. Hydraulicfracturing, or fracking, has been around for years, but new technol-ogy now allows companies to better monitor it. Workers can actuallyoperate drills from computers in Dallas, Texas.

“There has been some concern expressed about fracking, whichshoots large volumes of water and sand, along with some chemicals,into the ground to break up the rock. But fracking is a very safe andwell-established practice,” Herrin said. “Steel pipe, known as surfacecasing, is used as a conduit for the materials to protect area ground-water. Any problems that might arise aren’t related to the technology.We are very concerned about our natural resources and considerfracking a safe practice.”

What This Means The TMS formation stretches across Adams, Amite, Franklin,

Pike, Walthall and Wilkinson counties. The so-called “sweet spot” foroil and some gas is in Amite and Wilkinson counties plus an area 30miles south into Louisiana. Three major companies are interested: En-cana and Goodrich Petroleum for Mississippi and Devon forLouisiana.

Herrin says that approximately 1½ million acres of land have al-ready been leased on both sides of the Mississippi-Louisiana border.One-half million – or about 600,000 to 700,000 – acres are in Mis-sissippi. Mississippi is presently home to 12 wells.

“By the end of the year, the number of wells is expected to be closeto 30 or 40,” Herrin said. “We fully expect thousands of wells to beoperating here in the next two years.”

Herrin says the drilling should benefit not only area landownersbut surrounding communities.

“It is already benefitting us economically here in Pike County,” hesaid. “Our hotels are full, and our restaurants are full. And this is justthe tip of the iceberg.

“We expect thousands of people to move in and thousands of jobsto be created. It will be like what you see in Texas and North Dakota.Already, oil and gas technology training courses are being offered atour local community college.”

Herrin says the southwest Mississippi area has the infrastructurein place to support all of this initially, with more building and ex-pansion of highways planned for the future. He says a lot of rail willbe used as well as some shipping.

“At some point, all of this will cause challenges, but we feel cer-tain that we can meet every one of them,” he said.

Domestic FuelOil has become expensive, and there exists in this country the de-

sire to generate our own fuel.“When you combine this effort with our nation’s efforts to come

up with alternative “green” fuels, I believe in my lifetime we will beable to totally cut off our dependence upon the Middle East for ouroil,” Herrin said.

Area landowners and others have been meeting to talk aboutwhat to expect and how to prepare for it. For more information, youmay visit the Web site www.pikeinfo.com or call Mississippi FarmBureau Federation Land Program Coordinator Doug Ervin at (601)624-1705.

We expect thousands of peopleto move in and thousands of

jobs to be created.

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.


for Hunting & Fishing By Glynda Phillips

Eight years ago, Delta row crop farmer Josh Miller de-cided to lease his Sharkey County land to two separate hunt-ing camps. One camp wanted to hunt deer, and one was in-terested in hunting deer and ducks. One of the camps leased800 acres, and the other leased 600 acres.

“Before I got involved in this, I talked to other people whohad done something similar,” he said. “One of the mainthings they impressed upon me was to make sure that the guystook out insurance on their camps.

“I also made sure that the men and I shared a similarwildlife management philosophy. I wanted them to shootonly quality deer – a certain size buck and a certain numberof does – each year. Deer have become a problem in some ar-eas of the state, but not here. This is a good way to keep theirnumbers under control. We are careful to always be goodstewards of our wildlife.”

Josh says he has a great group of guys leasing his land.“I have had no problems,” he said. “The two camps have

proven to be a good way to earn supplemental income. Withland prices rising in the Delta in recent years, the money thatI earn off these leases has subsidized what I pay to rent landto farm.”

Josh, his family and a friend have one other place on theriver that they started as an equity-share company. They soldthe land to the camp, which had 24 shareholders, for a smallprofit, then bought back a share. This particular camp offersdeer and duck hunting and fishing.

His AdviceJosh says he would advise other farmers to consider adding

a fee hunting or fishing endeavor to their operation if theyhave enough good available land. He says this is a great wayto earn additional income. He estimates that the averagehunting lease right now ranges from $10 to $25 an acre.

Josh also put some marginal land (former fish ponds) intothe Conservation Reserve Program, was paid for it, thenturned around and leased the hunting rights on the land. Hesays landowners are allowed to do this.

Josh farms cotton, peanuts, soybeans and corn on 1,400acres of land in the lower Mississippi Delta. He sits on theboard of directors of Sharkey County Farm Bureau and is aformer member of the YF&R State Committee.

For more information about fee hunting and fishing, con-tact Daryl Jones at Mississippi State University [email protected] or (662) 325-3133 or Adam Rohnkeat (601) 857-2284. If you have land use questions, you mayalso contact Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation Land Pro-gram Coordinator Doug Ervin at (601) 624-1705.

LeasingFarmland

“With land prices rising in theDelta in recent years, themoney that I earn off theseleases has subsidized what Ipay to rent land to farm.”

MISSISSIPPI FARM COUNTRY NOVEMBER/DECEMBER

The nearby town of Cotton Gin Port, located onthe Tombigbee River, was literally picked up,moved to a new location and renamed for an

executive of the Frisco Railway. Founded in 1887, this Monroe County town be-

came the midway point between Memphis andBirmingham for two railway systems. It was alsowhere rail lines diverged, heading south to Mobileand Pensacola. The trains transported both freightand people.

Frisco Railway played an important role in ourmystery town’s early history, at one point employ-ing 1,000 area residents and establishing a divisionoffice there.

Today, this town offers rail transport throughMississippian Railway, Gulf Coast Railway and theBNSF Railway. It is also located near a major high-way system and the Tennessee-Tombigbee Water-way.

Gilmore FoundationBusinessman and philanthropist E.D. Gilmore

and his wife Virginia established the town’s first hos-pital, Gilmore Sanitarium, in 1916. The Gilmoreslater endowed Gilmore Memorial Hospital, whichopened in January 1961. Today, Gilmore MemorialHospital is the area’s biggest employer.

Our mystery town numbers 7,500 residents. Theyare a close-knit, hardworking group of folks, whopossess a deep interest in education. Through theGilmore Foundation, the town is known for its earlychildhood initiative, which offers a learning centerfree to the citizens of Monroe County. The founda-tion also offers a tuition guarantee for students whochoose to attend Itawamba Community College.Students can continue on to a four-year college, andthe foundation will assist with that.

A child care center will be located in a formerconference center. The foundation also providedwireless Internet service for the entire town for free.

Industry & RecreationAgriculture is an important industry, with most

area farmers growing row crops. The downtown area of our mystery town is a

good place to shop and dine. Among the restaurantsand cafes is the renowned Bill’s Hamburgers, begunin 1929 and still in operation today.

Downtown, you will find Frisco Park, with its

MysterySolvethe ?

Our mystery town wasMississippi’s first planned city.


monument to Confederate soldiers and its Engine 1529, which pulledthe train that brought President Franklin Delano Roosevelt to thetown in Nov. 18, 1934. The engine was given to the town in a for-mal ceremony in 1953.

Also downtown, you will find The Windows, a former historicchurch that boasts beautiful stained glass windows. The building isnow used for meetings, weddings, parties and other events.

This town is a certified retirement community and works with theMain Street Association to promote downtown businesses.

Industry for our mystery town ranges from furniture to wood pulpprocessing to sports equipment and textile manufacturing.

Located as it is on the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway, the townand surrounding area offer diverse recreational opportunities. Thetown is also a registered bird sanctuary.

Famous folks from our mystery town include John Dye ofTouched by an Angel fame and Mitch Moreland, first baseman withthe Texas Rangers. Sam Haskell, former head of worldwide televi-sion at the William Morris Agency, was born here.

Our mystery town is where Carl Perkins wrote “Blue SuedeShoes.” He was in town to catch a concert by Johnny Cash and ElvisPresley.

Special events each year include a Railroad Festival, which cel-ebrates the contributions of the railroad industry, and Entertainmentfor Education (or Stars over Mississippi), which is a benefit concerthosted by entertainers and musicians to raise money for local schol-arships.

MuseumThis town is home to a 13,000-square-foot museum that bears its

name. The museum is located in the former Gilmore Sanitariumbuilding, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.A state-of-the art, climate-controlled Gallery Annex, completed in2007, allows the museum to host a wide range of art and history ex-hibits. The museum is affiliated with the Mississippi Museum of Artin Jackson and hosts its travelling art exhibits.

Our mystery town’s museum charts the history of not only thetown but the north Monroe County area, from 9,000 B.C. to con-temporary times. Among the many exhibits, you will find a canoe dat-ing back to the late 17th or early 18th century that was found in Mal-one Lake in 1979 by the Army Corps of Engineers during theconstruction of the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway. On the grounds,you can visit a regulator-style log cabin, built between 1838 and 1840and made of heart pine. It is fully furnished. The museum also offersa passenger coach called “Pasadena Hills” No. 1251, which is per-manently attached to the building. The coach was a gift to the cityfrom Frisco Railway and houses railroad memorabilia.

Since the museum is located in the former Gilmore Sanitarium,

you will find the original operating room, complete with antique sur-gical equipment. You will also find the original emergency room,waiting room and maternity ward.

The museum boasts the sanitarium’s original Italian tile floors andoriginal elevator, which still works.

For more information about this town and its museum, call (662)256-2761. A special thanks to Bo Miller, museum director, for hishelp with this article.

Correct GuessesMail guesses to Solve the Mystery, Mississippi Farm Country, P.

O. Box 1972, Jackson, MS 39215. You may also email your guessesto [email protected]. Please remember to include your nameand address on the entry.

Visit the Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation Web site atwww.msfb.org.

When all correct guesses have been received, we will randomlydraw 20 names. These 20 names will receive a prize and will beplaced in the hat twice.

At the end of the year, a winner will be drawn from all correct sub-missions. The winner will receive a Weekend Bed and Breakfast Trip,courtesy of the Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation.

Families may submit only one entry. Federation staff members andtheir families are ineligible to participate in this contest.

The deadline for submitting your entry is Nov. 30.

September/OctoberThe correct answer for the September/October Solve the Mystery

is Monticello.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER20

HHunting rights have become more and morevaluable. Mississippi is blessed with abundantgame and the habitat to support it. As hunting hasmoved through the stages in society from necessaryto convenient to recreational and land availabilityhas decreased, the leasing of hunting rights has be-come more important to both landowners andhunters. A written lease which sets forth the agree-ment of landowner or occupant as lessor and thehunter or hunters as lessee makes good sense fromboth standpoints. It is simply good business.

A hunting lease covers the right to enter and useproperty for the pursuit, capture and taking pos-session of game. The owner of the property doesnot own the wild game, even if it is on his land.Legally, ownership of wild game is held by theState of Mississippi, and the pursuit and taking ofgame is closely regulated by the state for localgame and by the United States government for mi-gratory game, primarily dove and waterfowl. Thereare endangered species, which may not be taken.Hunters must be properly licensed, observe seasonsand game bags, and use legal equipment and legalmethods of hunting. Regulations are readily avail-able.1

Written hunting leases are important because:(1) The agreement of the parties is plainly set forth;(2) Disputes and disagreements are much lesslikely; (3) If there are disputes, a written agreementmakes resolution quicker, easier and cheaper; (4)Both lessor and lessee have more security that theirrights will be protected; (5) In the event of death ordisability of either party, a written lease will helpensure continuity of rights and responsibilities; (6)Parties who are willing to sign written agreementsare usually more responsible than those who arenot; (7) Poaching and trespassing are discouraged;(8) Law enforcement officers work well with re-sponsible owners and hunters; (9) The availabilityof government-assisted wildlife programs is en-hanced; (10) Most often, good lessees are goodstewards of the land and often volunteer their efforts

to help protect the land, enhance game environmentand actually increase wildlife population. Goodlessees often help to improve both the land and thegame population, which also increases the value.

Fortunately, hunting accidents are infrequent.Most common accidents seem to be when a huntermistakes a human for an animal and shoots him orher; when a hunter takes a shot into woods or heavybrush, not knowing what or who may be there; innot utilizing gun safety; reckless operation of four-wheelers; and failing to use safety harnesses in treestands. In our litigious society, a lease can andshould provide protection for landowners from friv-olous claims.

Lessees should consider buying a liability in-surance policy, especially in areas where develop-ment comes close to hunting lands, and the lessorshould be made an additional insured in the policy.The cost of insurance is reasonable and protectshunters from personal liability and provides peaceof mind. The more responsible the hunter/lessee,the better chance he or she has for long-term leasesof good hunting land, which are increasingly scarce.

There are a number of interests and importantfactors to be considered in hunting leases. These arediscussed in the November/December 2006 issue ofMississippi Farm Country in an article by the au-thor. Reprints of both it and a model hunting leaseare available on my Web site.2

In conclusion, it is hoped that this will be of as-sistance to county Farm Bureau members andhunters.

1 Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks,1505 Eastover Drive, Jackson, Mississippi 39211-6374, (601)432-2400, www.mdwfp.com and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service,1-800-344-WILD, www.fws.gov

2 www.samscottlaw.com Sam E. Scott is general counsel for Mississippi Farm Bu-

reau Federation and practices law in the Law Firm of SamuelE. Scott, PLLC, in Jackson. The foregoing information is gen-eral in nature and is not intended as nor should be consideredspecific legal advice nor to be considered as MFBF’s positionor opinion.

HuntingLeases Today

COUNSEL’S CORNER

By Sam E. Scott, MFBF General Counsel


Nov. 6Election Day

Nov. 8State Resolutions Meeting

MFBF BuildingJackson

Nov. 16-22National Farm-City Week

Dec. 1-3MFBF Annual Meeting

Hilton HotelJackson

Jan. 13-16AFBF Annual Meeting

Nashville

Jan. 28-29Winter Commodity Conference

MFBF BuildingJackson

Feb. 28Mississippi Women for Agriculture

Annual Conference Raymond

Calen

dar of E

vents

The 91st annual membership meetingof the Mississippi Farm Bureau Federa-tion will be held Dec. 1-3 at the Hilton-Jackson hotel in Jackson.

This year’s highlights will include theFarm Bureau Ambassador Contest,Young Farmers & Ranchers contests,Women’s Breakfast and Business Ses-sion and the two general sessions. TheCounty Recognition Program is Sundayafternoon, and the Business Session con-venes Monday morning.

More detailed information will bemade available as convention time drawsnear.

A Gift that Keeps on GivingChristmas is a time of giving.At this year’s annual meeting, you

will have several great opportunities todo your Christmas shopping while help-ing a good cause.

The MFBF Young Farmers & Ranch-ers Program will again host silent andlive auctions, while the MFBF Women’sProgram will offer a Farm Bureau Gen-eral Store. Proceeds from these eventswill help students with tuition costs.Scholarships awarded to deserving stu-dents in 2012 totaled $20,500.

So, remember to bring your check-book, do your Christmas shopping andgive our ag students a gift that keeps ongiving.

For More InformationFor more information about the

scholarships, contact MFBF YoungFarmers & Ranchers CoordinatorKirsten Johnson at (601) 977-4277 orMFBF Women’s Program CoordinatorClara Bilbo at (601) 977-4245.

MFBF Annual Meeting is Dec. 1-3


Identity theft happens everywhere, every day, in every type of company. Fraudstersexchanged 12 million pieces of personal information online in the first quarter of 2012,

an increase of 300% since 2010, according to credit-checkingfirm Experian.

The company said many people were unaware their identity hadbeen stolen until they were refused credit cards or mobile phonecontracts, according to the BBC.

Identity theft victims commonly experience refusal of loans orcredit cards (14%), debts being run up in their name (9%), refusalof mobile phone contracts (7%) and being chased by debt collec-tors for money they do not owe (7%).

In an effort to help Farm Bureau members who have experienced identity theft, FarmBureau will soon be offering an ID Theft Credit Restoration service through ID Experts.This company is one of the leading credit restoration companies in the country and isalready partnered with several other state Farm Bureaus to help their members withcredit restoration.

Identity theft credit restoration assistance will be pro-vided to all Farm Bureau member families at no cost tothem. If a member believes they have been the victim ofidentity theft, a toll-free number will be available to reportthe incident, and a credit restoration assistance expert willwork on behalf of the member to help restore credit to thepre-theft status. This program will provide personalized,fully-managed credit restoration assistance by a dedicatedexpert who will stay with the member throughout the en-tire process. This will free the victim from the time-con-suming work involved in restoring their credit.

We hope to have this program in place by the first of theyear. Watch for more details.

Hunters Can SaveAs hunting season begins, don’t forget to take advantage

of Farm Bureau’s discount with the Mossy Oak OnlineStore. Members can receive 10% off of items purchased on-line. To take advantage of this benefit, go to www.msfb.organd click on Member Benefits. Then click on the MossyOak tab and follow the instructions to receive your dis-count.

Got Gear Motorsports of Ridgeland is also offering freeinstallation of a winch (cost of winch not included) whenyou purchase any ATV. This is a $125 value and can get youor your buddy out of trouble deep in the woods. Take yourFarm Bureau membership card to the dealership when youpurchase the ATV and ask for the free installation when youadd the winch to your purchase.

Your membership is packed with many money-savingdiscounts. For more information on these or any of themany other member benefits, call your county Farm Bureauoffice or visit www.msfb.org.

By Greg Gibson, MFBF Member Services Director

Coming Soon – ID TheftCredit Restoration

MEMBER BENEFITS SPOTLIGHT

“NOVEMBER/DECEMBERMISSISSIPPI FARM COUNTRY24

By Glynda Phillips

Kay Perkins’ upbeat, can-do attitude benefits not only her church,family, friends and community but the Mississippi Farm BureauFederation (MFBF) as well. Through the years, she has proven to bea real asset to our MFBF Women’s Program.

Kay has served as Region 2 Women’s Chair for 12 years and asTishomingo County Farm Bureau Women’s Chair for 16 years. Be-fore that, she co-chaired her county women’s committee for fouryears.

“I love the women’s program so much,” she said. “I have made somany dear friends, and I have seen so much accomplished throughthis program on behalf of agriculture and Farm Bureau.”

Ag in the ClassroomKay says Ag in the Classroom (AITC) is one of the most impor-

tant aspects of the MFBF Women’s Program.“The amazement of the kids when they find out where their food

is grown is so great,” she said. “Most of the children who grew uparound here know about agriculture already, but we have some kidsmoving in who have never visited a farm.

“I think Ag in the Classroom is a necessary program,” she added.“It helps to teach not only school kids but adults because the childrengo home and tell their parents what they have learned.”

Kay regularly takes AITC material into schools and the public li-brary.

“I ask the teachers if they have any needs for a project they mightbe doing,” she said. “During the summer, in honor of June DairyMonth, the library offers a dairy program, and we serve ice cream tothe kids. This year, we also had a bookmark contest for both the olderand younger children.

“I have one county vice chair in my region who invites school chil-dren to visit her farm in Prentiss County in recognition of June DairyMonth. It is always a very successful event.

“At one time, the Iuka area had a lot of dairies, but now, we havenone,” Kay said. “Our biggest agricultural commodity is timber in the

AnAssettoFarmBureau

“”

form of pines. We have a couple of beefcattle farmers and a few cotton and soy-bean farms. We also have some small fam-ily farms with a few goats and pigs.”

Volunteer LeadersKay and her husband Jim joined Farm

Bureau soon after they married. Kay saysher father was a long-time Farm Bureaumember.

“I don’t remember a time when ourfamilies were not active in Farm Bureau,”she said. “Jim and I really believe in it. Wewould be losing a lot more farmers withoutorganizations like Farm Bureau.”

The Perkins moved to TishomingoCounty from Alcorn County in 1971 whenJim began a mixed animal veterinary prac-tice in Iuka. Kay helps out at the clinic andhas done so since the first day.

“We raised our kids in a playpen in theoffice,” she said with a smile.

The Perkins are proud of their large,close family. In addition to their six chil-dren, they have 16 grandchildren, ages 23to 1½. Kay says they get together often andhave a lot of fun together.

She also enjoys being a vet’s wife. “Welove animals, so this has been a real joy,”she said.

Kay and Jim are active in their churchand community. They teach a Sunday

25NOVEMBER/DECEMBER

school class together and a Wednesday night Bibleclass. They are involved in the public schools, andthey sponsor ball teams, through the veterinarypractice, every season.

“Iuka is such a good place to live,” she said.“Everybody is close here, and the crime is low.Plus, this is a beautiful area of the state. We are lo-cated in the foothills of the Appalachian Moun-tains, so the area looks just like the Smokies.Woodall Mountain, the highest point in Missis-sippi, is right behind our house.”

More InfoKay encourages anyone interested in

learning more about the MFBF Women’sProgram to visit their county Farm Bureauoffice. Farm Bureau is a grassroots organ-ization, so everything begins at the locallevel.

You can also contact MFBF Women’sProgram Coordinator Clara Bilbo at (601)977-4245.

Theamazement of the kidswhen they

find out wheretheir food is grown is so great.


WHITEOAKBaskets

By Glynda Phillips

The nice thing about my job is that I get to meet the Mississippi-ans who are preserving the traditions of our farming ancestors.Aaron Griggs of Houlka is one such person. Retired from the furni-ture industry, he now spends much of his time perfecting the fine artof old-timey basket making.

Aaron crafts white oak baskets. Back when Mississippi’s rurallandscape was dotted with hundreds of small family farms, basketslike these were a necessity. They helped with everyday chores likeegg gathering, carrying feed out to the livestock, storing freshlypicked cotton, and even shopping at the general store.

Aaron makes his own splits from the young white oaks growingin the woods close to his home. Friends also allow him to harvest

white oaks from their land. He will select the right size tree, usuallyfour to six inches in diameter, chop it into 4- to 6-foot sections, thensplit the wood along the grain, time and again, until he has a bundleof flexible splits that are the right size for what he intends to make,whether it is the body of a basket, the trim or the handle. His handtools include a draw knife, pocket knife, froe, maul, wedge andhammer.

Aaron uses wood from the heart of the tree for the rims and han-dles because it is stronger. He often dyes the trim with a dye madefrom walnut or hickory nut shells. The basket itself will age to a softbrown patina.

Traditional WayAaron says not many people nowadays make baskets the tradi-


Baskets tional way. He says that’s the difference between a basket weaver anda true basket maker.

“More and more people are using basket kits. I carve the woodmyself. I go down the grain, and that makes my baskets stronger,” hesaid. “Eighty percent of my time is spent preparing the wood, andonly twenty percent is spent weaving. I will weave some, let it dry,peck it down tight, then weave some more. My baskets are tight.”

Aaron makes a large melon basket with ribs that curve out. Oth-ers include a market basket, a gathering basket, a door knob basket(to hold potpourri), a ribbed egg basket and a small egg basket. Healso makes feed and garden baskets.

He says he had always been interested in basket making, but a visithe and his wife made to Mountain View, Arkansas, sealed the deal.

“I watched a 90-year-old man make a white oak basket, and hetaught me the basics,” he said. “I got additional information frombooks and the Internet.

“My parents lived in Tennessee for a while, and I still have rela-tives who live there. Tennessee has white oak basket festivals, and

Kentucky does, too,” he said. “Mississippi has never celebrated thewhite oak basket, but it figures prominently in our early farm life.”

A Fine HobbyAaron is a member of the Craftsmen’s Guild of Mississippi and

sells at the Mississippi Crafts Center in Ridgeland. He plans to attendthe 10th Annual Soule’ Live Steam Festival and Meridian RailFestin Meridian on Nov. 2-3 to sell his baskets and to demonstrate bas-ket making.

“I just make a few baskets at a time because wood is scarce andbecause making just one takes a lot of time,” he said. “This is a hobbyfor me. I love doing it, and it brings me a lot of satisfaction. Plus,there aren’t many of us left, so I am proud to carry on a tradition.”

Aaron says most people buy his baskets for decoration.In addition to the baskets, he weaves chair seats from the living

bark of a hickory tree.For more information, call him at (662) 568-7297 or

[email protected].


Adams County Farm Bu-reau volunteer leaders are ex-cited about the new programsand projects they are surfac-ing that are designed to teachconsumers about agricultureand the Farm Bureau organi-zation.

“We appreciate the wis-dom and vision of our boardmembers,” said Adams Coun-ty Farm Bureau President

Noble Guedon, who served as chair of the 2010 Young Farmers &Ranchers (YF&R) State Committee. “Our board has a very pro-gressive mindset and is coming up with some great new ways to pro-mote not only agriculture but the organization as a whole.”

Adams County Farm Bureau now has Facebook, Twitter andWeb site accounts. It has also established a scholarship fund inmemory of Mike Ray. Fundraising will be modeled after the StateYF&R Scholarship Foundation fundraising effort.

The county office in Natchez offers a commodity of the monthdisplay that is both beautiful and informative. A lighted digitalsign out front talks about Mississippi’s agricultural commodities, thecommodity of the month and our many Farm Bureau member ben-efits.

Each year, the county sponsors a hot air balloon in the Great Mis-sissippi River Balloon Race in Natchez, which is huge in that areaof the state. Last year, the balloon with the Farm Bureau logo on itwon the ring toss, one of three competitive events that weekend.

Adams County makes a point of participating in state events likeAg Day at the Capitol and the Washington D.C. trips. The countytook 14 members from Adams and Jefferson counties to the annual

Farm Bureau Spotlight

Adams CountyBy Glynda Phillips

Pictured, from left, are Jessica Wellborn, David Carter, Barbara Butler, Noble Guedon and Fayla Guedon.


YF&R Clay Shoot.Noble serves on the state communication, cotton and land use

committees. His wife Fayla, who is the county women’s chair, hasattended the State Women’s Conference and participates in the col-oring contest and Ag in the Classroom programs.

This past summer, Adams County Farm Bureau sponsored itsfirst-ever summer youth camp, called Adams County Farm Camp.

Youth CampKids attending the Adams County Farm Camp in June benefited

from cattle, blueberry, forestry, equine, hay, sod, aquaculture andpond management stops. They also visited the Guedon family’s soy-bean fields and learned about soybean production.

Kids learned about wildlife conservation from a MississippiState University (MSU) biologist and dissected an owl pellet to lookat the bones and determine what type of animal the bird had eaten.They visited a vegetable garden with peas, squash, tomatoes, sweetcorn and okra. A few of the kids pulled up the entire plant insteadof simply picking vegetables off of the vine.

“Some of these kids had never visited a garden and didn’t knowwhat to do,” said Adams County Farm Bureau Vice President DavidCarter, whose idea it was to hold the camp. David is the MSU Ex-tension Service director for Adams County.

“I had done something similar with county agents, but this wasthe first time our office had ever participated in an agricultural campfor kids,” he said. “It was hands-on, and the kids were so excitedabout what they saw and what they learned.

Adams County Farm Camp Photos by Fayla Guedon

MISSISSIPPI FARM COUNTRY30

“I’d say about 75 percent of the kids who participated in this had never beenon a farm,” David said. “Most kids had zero prior experience. When you talkto kids in a classroom and they listen, they learn about 20 percent. When youactually take them out into a field and they can see what is going on, that goesup to 90 percent. Most of these kids talked about this for days afterwards. Theywere so excited.”

“Our youth camp was a huge success, and I hope we can do this again nextyear,” Noble said. “This summer, we hosted about 30 kids from the AdamsCounty area. Next year, we hope to have even more participants. We mighthold it earlier or later in the year to get around other activities that were com-peting for their interest.

“We would like to encourage other county Farm Bureaus to do somethingsimilar,” he concluded. “This not only helped spread the word about agricul-ture, it helped spread the word about Farm Bureau and what we do for farm-ers.

“If we don’t do this, I don’t know who will.”The two-day camp was sponsored by Farm Bureau with help from the lo-

cal Soil and Water and MSU Extension Service offices. The $15 fee includedmeals, a t-shirt and transportation by bus. The camp ran from 8 a.m. until 4:30p.m. both days.

Adams County Farm Bureau would like to thank everyone who helped withthe first annual Adams County Farm Camp, especially MSU Extension 4-H/4-H Youth Agent Jason Gerrard Jones.

Some History Established in 1940, Adams County Farm Bureau currently has 2,138

members. Board members include Noble Guedon, president; David Carter, vice pres-

ident; Melanie Sojourner, secretary/treasurer; Fayla Guedon, women’s chair;Bubba Davidson, Jackie Sojourner, Sandra Sojourner, David Nations, PhilLindley, Dempsey White, Boyd White, Buster Junkin, Chester Hoover andCledis Abernathy.

Agency manager is Moose Tolbert. Membership secretary is Barbara But-ler. Secretary is Jessica Wellborn. Agents are Phil Hennington and John L. Sul-livan. Regional manager is Doug Ervin. Regional women’s chair is Betty Ed-wards.


William “Bill” Spain ofBooneville has been selectedas the 2012 Mississippi win-

ner of the Swisher Sweets/Sunbelt ExpoSoutheastern Farmer of the Year award.A farmer for 37 years, Spain’s operationconsists of about 3,900 acres of mostlyrented land, along with 830 acres ofowned land. Soybeans, cotton andwheat are his major crops. He growssoybeans on 2,856 acres, cotton on1,050 acres and wheat on 517 acres.Though he doesn’t irrigate, his yieldsare impressive. Last year, he produced35 bushels per acre of soybeans, 900pounds of lint per acre of cotton and 60bushels per acre of wheat.

The land he farms is part of a larger6,400-acre family farming business.

His father, Billy Spain, began farm-ing full-time in 1968. Bill started help-ing him on the farm as soon as he wasold enough. He hauled hay, showed cat-tle in 4-H and drove tractors.

Spain’s mother, Marie, is active inthe family farming business. She keepsfinancial records and is assisted in thisand in cooking for the family and theiremployees by Spain’s sister, Laura Har-

Bill Spain is Mississippi Farmer of the Year ber. Laura’s husband, Jerry, is anotherkey employee who handles fertilizerapplications and keeps records on grainhauling. Justin Taylor, who is married toSpain’s daughter Jessica, is a key em-ployee who handles spraying, plantingand scouting the soybeans.

Spain believes in introducing agri-culture to new generations and hostskindergarten students during visits tohis farm.

Spain is a member of the PrentissCounty Farm Bureau, where his fatherserves on the board of directors. Spainalso serves many other agricultural andcivic organizations. He and his wifeTeri are active in Gaston BaptistChurch.

Spain has two adult daughters, Jen-nifer and Jessica, from a previous mar-riage.

As this magazine was going to press,Spain was scheduled to join nine otherstate winners as finalists for the overalltitle to be announced in mid-October. This article was written by John Leidner, a freelancewriter, for Swisher International. The photos were takenby Prentiss County Farm Bureau Secretary ChristinaCaveness.


MWAAnnual

Conference

Four deserving female college students each received a $2,000 Berta Lee White Scholarship thisyear. Recipients include, from left, Jessica Marie Wilkinson, Franklin County, Hinds CommunityCollege; Kayla Ann Lewis, Chickasaw County, Mississippi State University; Kilee Michelle Goforth,DeSoto County, Mississippi State University; and Patricia Danielle Mann, Smith County, MississippiState University. The scholarship is presented annually by the Mississippi Farm Bureau FederationWomen’s Program.

Mark your calendar to attend the2013 Mississippi Women for Agri-culture (MWA) Annual Conferenceto be held Feb. 28, 2013, in Ray-mond.

The meeting will include the2013 MWA Annual Business Ses-sion, the Diane Evans Lecture, andupdates on current issues that affectwomen farmers and ranchers inMississippi.

Register online at www.msu-cares.com/womenforag/index.htmlor call Sylvia Clark at (662) 325-1801 for more details.

The $50 registration fee includes2013 dues.

Berta Lee White Scholarship


Taylor Anne King of Yazoo County$2,000 YF&R Scholarship, MSU

Joanna Lee King of Yazoo County$2,000 YF&R Scholarship, MSU

Right: Alexandria Diane Moore of Chickasaw County

$1,500 Don Waller Scholarship, MSU

Emerald DeNae Barrett of Attala County$2,000 YF&R Scholarship, MSU

2012-2013 Young Farmers & RanchersFoundation Recipients

Alan Charles Smith of Pearl River County$2,000 YF&R Scholarship, MSU

Steve Parker Harris of Leflore County$1,500 David Waide Scholarship, MSU

Rakel Leigh Gibson of Lee County$1,500 Hugh M. Arant Scholarship, MSU


Members of the Mississippi FarmBureau Federation Board ofDirectors met at the NorthMississippi Research and ExtensionCenter in Verona to tour MississippiState University research facilities inthat area of the state. The programincluded a livestock presentation byDr. Holly Boland and field tours byDr. Normie Buehring. Boardmembers and spouses also touredthe center’s Magnolia BotanicalGardens.

November/December 2012

Documents

Transcript of November/December 2012