Dear fellow Pike County resident: 

 

      Fall is here in earnest. The trees are at their most beautiful right now and the days are sunny and crisp with the smell of wood smoke in the air. The 2009 season of Market on the Square has finished with a last minute bounty of Steve McCrary's fantastic gourds--thanks to all of you who planted, sowed, and reaped an incredible treasure chest of fresh food for us! And, thanks to everyone who visited the Market and supported our farmers by "buying local". The new slogan that you'll be hearing in the next year is "Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food". We like to think that Pike County got that message way before the curve--our farmers market continues to be the most successful one for miles around. And, it's the best place to catch up with friends and neighbors. The Ag Authority is working on a plan to develop a 12 month "public market" that would enable us to buy and sell fresh produce and locally-made products year round. Stay tuned as we put the pieces together.

      We were sorry to see that the one-penny sales tax initiative (know as SPLOST) was not approved in the November 3 vote. We will shelve our plans for the restrooms out at Chestnut Oak and will look for other ways to grade out the site so that it is more "user-friendly" for the folks who put on events out there. This is a good place to thank the members of the Pike County Horse Club who have been stalwart supporters of Chestnut Oak. They have volunteered their time to raise money for improvements by putting on some memorable events. They have sponsored Heritage Days and put on several horse shows for kids where the accent is on fun and good sportsmanship. They help keep the site clean and well-groomed and have contributed to purchases of panels and gates for a very fine arena. When faced with equipment limitations or the vagaries of weather, they find solutions. Thanks, you all. We continue to be inspired by your community spirit and your generosity.

     Winter brings on the season of workshops and conferences on farming and agriculture. Every year, the Agribusiness Authority offers two scholarships to Pike County residents to help offset the cost of attending--it can be used for tuition, gas, or lodging. Please see the article below to find out how you can submit an application to be considered. There's nothing like spending a day with motivated and enthusiastic people who love what you do--it might just be the catalyst for putting your plans into action in 2010.


     It's almost time to present the Agribusiness' "Producer of the Year". This honor will be given to an individual, family, or operation that exemplifies Pike County agriculture at its best. We will present the award at the Chamber of Commerce's Annual Banquet in December--if you cannot make it, we will feature the winner in our December newsletter.
            
     We invite your comments and suggestions--our meetings are open to the public and take place the first Tuesday of every month at 9:30 a.m. We meet at the Chamber of Commerce in downtown Zebulon. If you know of a farm operation that is offering products for the public, or one that we can spotlight, please let us know. We all benefit from a healthy agricultural economy in Pike and we would like to keep it that way!
          

Sincerely,

 

 

      

 

 

Congratulations to Sharon Carden! If you have not met Sharon, she is the secretary for the Pike Extension office. At the recent Georgia Extension Secretary Association meeting held in Macon at the Farm Bureau home office, Sharon won the Young Secretary Award. This is an award given to Extension secretaries with less than 5 years service. She was acknowledged for her great attitude and proficiency. For the past year, Sharon has exceeded all expectations and she has done so with a smile.

Although you may not be all that interested in 4-H, a large amount of my time is spent working with this program. For the past seven weeks, I coached the 4-H Wildlife Judging Team. The idea behind this activity is an appreciation of and concern for our native wildlife. If a young person can see and understand the importance of habitat management, hopefully we can rest assured that our wildlife resources will be protected for future generations.

Last Saturday, we traveled to Rock Eagle 4-H Center in Eatonton. At the contest, 4-H'ers were tested on their ability to identify common foods for selected species, evaluation of aerial photography as well as on-site habitat evaluation for featured species. They had to give oral reasons for their selections which require them to be proficient in verbal skills and knowledge of wildlife management concepts.

As a county agent, I am frequently asked about "impact." This is the buzz word in Cooperative Extension. What kind of impact does this or that program have on the citizens of Georgia? The answer usually involves numbers; but, that is not always the case. As I think of the beautiful autumn day spend with the 4-H'ers at Rock Eagle for the state judging contest, I saw the impact on their faces and in their actions. We all had fun and learned something too. It was a day well spent for everyone involved.