Community
Involvement
Youth
Martin County Farm Bureau supports the 4-H/FFA youth at the county livestock
shows with donations to the Martin County Championship Club and Martin
County Pullet Association. We also contribute to Drug-Free Prom Night.
America’s farmers and ranchers are the most productive in the world,
which creates affordable prices at the marketplace for American consumers. As a result, the Martin County Farm Bureau celebrated Feb. 6 as Food Check-Out Day. On average, American families spend approximately 10 percent of their income for food. Applying the 10 percent statistic to the calendar year shows the average household will have earned enough income for its annual food supply in just 37
days. The positive message is glaringly visible when you consider Tax Freedom
Day is not celebrated until April 27—nearly three months later, to commemorate when the average household will earn enough money to pay for local, federal, and state taxes.
“I
find it amazing the American people can pay their yearly food supply nearly
three months earlier than it would take them to satisfy their tax burden,”
board member Mike Payne said. “Not only is America’s food supply
the world’s safest, but it’s
also the most affordable.”
Thanks
to modern farming techniques such as biotechnology, global positioning satellites
and conservation tillage, America’s farmers and ranchers are producing
more food on fewer acres. However, farmers and ranchers only receive 19
cents out of every dollar spent on food at home and away from home. The
rest goes for costs beyond the gate: wages and materials for production,
processing, marketing, transportation and distribution. In contrast, America’s
farmers and ranchers
received 31 cents in 1980.
Payne hopes Americans will come to understand that the high-quality, affordable food they enjoy is “a product of our successful food production and distribution system, as well as America’s farmers retaining access to effective and affordable crop protection tools.”
To celebrate
Feb. 6 as Food Check-Out Day, the Martin County Farm Bureau
donated $100 worth of food to the Martin County Community Fund Food Pantry
in Stanton. Joining them in celebrating Food Check-Out Day was Lawrence
Bros. IGA. Manager Tommy Dennis generously matched Farm Bureau’s donation.
The Food Pantry provides food for families in financial need.
“This day should hold meaning for most Americans,” Payne said. “As food producers, we are concerned that some Americans cannot afford to buy the food they need, but we are proud of the role our farmers play in making our food supply more affordable for all.”
Agency
Manager Carl Dean Carson, Lawrence Bros. manager Tommy Dennis, FB board
president Scott Glaze, and Mike Payne, FB chairman for Food Check-Out Day,
show the county's participation through donations of over $200 worth of
food
to the local food bank
Martin
County Community Fund Food Pantry was the recipient the groceries. Pictured
(left, back) Bob Deavenport, volunteer for Martin County Food Pantry; front
(left to right): Liza Rivas, volunteer, Mike Payne, Scott Glaze, and Robert
Quaid.