Let’s talk Harvest, Ag Runway, Ag United and Membership Step-Up Opportunity!
Harvest: Who’s doing it? Everyone! I’m speaking to primarily our perennial crop farmers when I speak of harvesting this time of year. Hats off to you Dairy farmers who prepare, plant and harvest an acre of ground, three times each year. Either way, harvest is a special time of year, full of short conversations with employees, vendors and sometimes family. I notice my body speaks more than my mouth does. The look on my face usually says it all to whom I am speaking with, good or bad. My tolerance for excuses is less and my appreciation for people who help make the harvest days less difficult, increases. What a dynamic time of year!
Ag Runway: Do you, or someone you know, utilize aerial application for plant protection needs? I do! Madera Municipal Airport is home to runway 08/26, which is primarily used by aerial applicators benefitting our farming community. Turns out, this runway is set to be decommissioned by the end of this year. Did you know about this? Will this impact your farming operations? Our local aerial applicators are few and their workload is heavy. If our farming community loses this runway, it could mean in wet years like this year, our crops won’t get the protection needed to fight-off harmful fungus and insect populations. If you care to learn more, please contact me or the Farm Bureau office. We are up to speed on this newly developed issue in our farming community.
Ag United: When the dust settles, we celebrate the end of another long and challenging year in agriculture. Save the Date! Our Ag United (and Annual Meeting) event is October 27th and we’re excited to announce our special guest Ray Appleton! Mr. Appleton is the ‘Mouth of the Valley’ and can be heard on KMJ Radio Monday through Friday, 11:00AM to 2:00PM. Also, comedian Mr. Jimmie ‘J.J.’ Walker will provide us with laughs and knee slaps that will likely make our cheeks and bellies hurt. Mr. Walker has quest-appeared on Dave Letterman, but most notable for his time on the late-seventies television show, Good Times. Tickets can be purchased at the Farm Bureau Office. Please join us!
Lastly, Madera County Farm Bureau is giving members an opportunity to step up their membership dues, if they so please. This is not mandatory, only voluntary. In April of this year, the Madera County Farm Bureau Board of Directors acted in creating a new voluntary step up program to the agricultural membership category. The Board recognized Farm Bureau continues to ramp up their efforts to “fight the good fight” as regulatory burdens have continued and growers have had to consolidate, reducing the number of individual farmers represented by Farm Bureau. The program is acre-based, rather than individual or entity-based. The new offer to our membership is as follows, (keeping in mind that the minimum individual ag membership is $300): members with up to 100 acres pay $300 for their Annual Farm Bureau membership. Members with 101 to 500 acres can voluntarily pay $500. Members with 501 to 1,000 acres can voluntarily pay $1,000. Lastly, members with more than 1,000 acres can voluntarily pay $1,500. Our organization works diligently to be a part of, and in many cases, direct conversations favorable to our agricultural community, locally, statewide and even nationally. We appreciate your membership and thank you for leaning on us to be your voice.
