Merced Chapter

Merced Chapter of CWA

March 2011

Congratulations Katie Favier 2011 Common Threads Recipient

Congratulations to Katie Favier for having been selected as one of the 2011 honorees for the Common Threads Award, which recognizes women from the San Joaquin Valley for their strong agricultural background and for being an active participant in our county through philanthropic endeavors and community service.

The 15th Annual Common Threads luncheon will be held on April 8. The luncheon will be held at the University Courtyard Dining Hall at California State University, Fresno, which will begin at 11:15 am.

Common Threads is a collaborative effort of Ag Leadership, California State University, Fresno’s Jordan College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, and Fresno State’s Ag One Foundation. Tickets are $35 per person if purchased by April 1. Contact Christy Melvold at Ag One, (559) 278-4266.

Dates to Remember: March 12 & 13

April 19

CWA Statewide Meeting

Monthly Meeting at the home of Karen Bandoni

Visit our website: Mercedcwa.com

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Merced County Chapter CWA 2011 Membership Invoice Please support your local CWA Chapter

Name

Address City, Zip

Phone Email

Would you like to receive the newsletter by email? Yes No

New Member Renewing Member

Membership Dues (circle one): FEE DUE

* Active - contact me @ __________ $25 * Annual Supportive $25 * Donor $100

Additional Optional Memberships American Agriwomen $30 President’s Newsletter (state) $10 TOTAL DUE: $ ____ Please tell us about your area of expertise or tie to agriculture:

_________________________________________________________________

Please return with payment to Katie Favier:

6049 S. Lone Tree Rd, Merced, CA 95341 (209) 723-5878

Thank you for your membership!

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Agri Valley Consulting James Ahlem Dairy Amarant’s Propane Service American Ag Credit Bill & Nancy Arnold Bandoni Inc., Land & Realty Louie Bandoni Farms Jim & Karen Barstow Rolland & Jolene Beard Emanuel & Sonia Belo Jeanette Benson Bettencourt Flying Service Ernie Burroughs Gary & Debie Cabral Central CA Tomato Growers Jack & Leslie Chapman Clauss Dairy Farms Daniel & Carol Clendenin John & Marie Coelho Eric & Sue Conley Crivelli Ranch Dole Packaged Foods Mike & Pam Duarte Environmental Spraying Service Fagundes Dairy Frank & Michele Fagundes Farm Management, Inc. David Farmer Ranches Favier Farms Fern Farmer Full Circle Dairy Rick & Mary Furey Mike & Lori Gallo Dario & Jo Giampaoli Ray & Maria Giampaoli Anita Giannone Dee Heller James & Brenda Herrington

Hilmar Cheese Co.,Inc. Hoogendam Dairy Sonny & Edyne Hultgren Scott & Michelle Hunter Berent & Marilynne Isenberg Joseph Gallo Farms JP Ranches Bill & Shirley Kirby Kirby Manufacturing Howard & Julia Larson Leap/Carpenter/Kemps Ins. John & Eleanor Lema Dan Macedo Martin & Stacey Machado Richard & Susan Mahacek Lewis Maiorino Ranches, Inc. Mapes Ranch/Lyons Investments Joe and Julie Marchini Leonard & Linda Martinelli Duane & Barbara Matheron Les & Liz McCabe John & Millie Meders Merced County Farm Bureau Merced River Nursery Elizabeth K. Miller Minturn Hullers Galen & Melba Miyamoto Norman and Mady Montague Tom & Caroline Nakashima Dennis & Jeanie Nelson Nicholas Calf Ranch No. Merced Hulling Assoc. Diane Norton Ins. Agency Oasis Ranches, LLC Jerry O’Banion Carl & Marie Old Joseph & Joanna Padilla Phil & Jan Painter Regert Gallery/Z Garden Party David & Laurie Robinson W.P. Roduner Cattle & Farming Don & Betty Rogers Bob & Kim Rogina Dave and Carolyn Rogina C.A. & Kirsten Russell Santa Fe Pet Hospital/Silver Bell Barn Philomene Schultz

Merced CWA Donor

Members

Don Schnoor Farms Jack & Barbara Schnoor Jill & Augie Scoto Joe & Kathy Scoto Mark & Marsha Seivert Serrano Farms Shannon Pump Company Ed & Nancy Silva Scott & Denise Skidmore Don & Lynne Skinner Henry & Vivian Soares Shane & Mickee Stillman Tom & Joyce Stillman Stratford Evans Funeral Home Mike Tanner Jeff & Carolyn Tassey Thurber Gallery, Morro Bay Travel By Barbara J Troost Dairy, LP Vista Livestock Company Vista Verde Dairy Walter & Carolyn Weimer Laura Westerfield Vern & Mary Wickstrom Wickstrom Jersey Farms, Inc. Amy & Rich Wolfe Linton & Kathleen Wollen Roger & Chi Chi Wood Floy Yagi Yosemite Farm Credit Ken Zacharias

Members Corner: Our deepest sympathy goes out to Kirby family on the passing of Bill Kirby. Both he and his wife Shirley and their business, Kirby Manufacturing, have been long time donor members.

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Tickets are still available so come and join the fun!!

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Executive Board 2011

President Maria Azevedo

1st Vice President Cortney Regalo-Lawler

2nd Vice President Christina Vieira

3rd Vice President Melba Miyamoto

Secretary Liz Barbosa

Treasurer Rochelle Koch

Corresponding Secretary Marie Meredith Past President Michelle Symes-Thiara

Agriculture is ____________. What would you say to fill in this sentence? We all may have different answers. The answer is important because it should come from the heart. It’s important for each of us to know what to say about what agriculture is and why agriculture is important to us. At the upcoming statewide meeting, we will learn more about creating our message to advocate for agriculture from Troy and Stacy Hadrick, Advocates for Agriculture. Troy helped with the campaign known as “Yellowfail”. Yellowtail wines donated money to HSUS (Humane Society for the United States). The HSUS organization agenda is to end all of animal agriculture. HSUS was behind California’s Proposition 2. The Yellowfail campaign gained Yellowtail’s attention. Yellowtail withdrew their donation to HSUS. Troy and Stacy will share with us their reasons for becoming “agvocates”. They will challenge us to step out of our comfort zone as far as we can. Take a moment and look at their website www.advocatesforag.com to learn more about their message. Recently, I helped with Food Check out week. My experience at the grocery store taught me to be ready to clear up misconceptions about food and fiber production. I was asked about what happens behind the scenes in the milk barn. This individual wondered if the fire hurts the cows before they are milked. I asked her to explain what she meant. She believed, prior to being milked, dairy farmers had the cows walk over a fire, singeing the hair and remove bacteria found on the cows udders. She also asked if we turned the cows into veal when the cows could no longer be milked. I explained to her the milking process, what is veal, and then explained the many by-products cows provide for our everyday use and consumption.

President’s Message

Have you experienced these misconceptions presented by someone through discussion? We all can help dispute misconceptions about how our food is harvested and produced. Through various avenues today, such as Know a Farmer campaigns and other social media tools such as Facebook, we all can help dispel misconceptions about how food is raised on the farm and the process, which leads it to the grocery store. Social media may seem complicated; try something else that will work for you. Nothing is more powerful than having face-to-face dialogue concerning agriculture. Take a moment and contemplate, what will you say when asked to fill in the following sentence? Agriculture is________________.

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Welcome New Members: Liz Drews, Merced

April Fanning, Atwater

Food Check-Out Week Event

“Stretching your food dollar with Healthy, nutritious food”

CWA was invited by Merced County Farm Bureau Young Farmers & Ranchers committee to help with the Food Check Out Week promotion. Food Check Out is held the third full week of February each year. The Merced YF&R held two events distributing samples of locally grown agriculture products to our urban neighbors and friends. The Young Farmers and Ranchers and CWA members socialized with Mercedians at two stores, Raley’s and Rancho San Miguel. During this week, the key messages are sharing the commitment of farmers and ranchers in growing a safe and abundant food supply and showcasing the variety of fresh, affordable, and nutritious food grown here in the U.S.

6049 S. Lone Tree Road Merced, CA 95341

Return Service Requested

“If you eat food and wear clothes, you are involved in agriculture.”

Merced Chapter March 2011

California Women for Agriculture U.S. Postage Paid NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION PERMIT NO. 785 MERCED, CA 95340

THANK YOU DONORS Pedretti Ranches Clauss Dairy Farms

Ernie Burroughs Joe & Julie Marchini

Sonny & Edyne Hultgren Supervisor Jerry O’Banion

Scott & Denise Skidmore Fagundes Dairy

Bill & Nancy Arnold Floy Yagi

American Ag Credit Serrano Farms

Crivelli Ranch Tom & Joyce Stillman

Shane & Mickee Stillman Norman & Mady Montague

Philomene Schultz