Chuck's Chat-Welcome to March

Perhaps ol’ Phil was right; we very well could have an early spring. Despite the fact that the official calendar beginning of spring is March 19, daffodils are blooming, ticks and mosquitoes are out, and I’ve seen frogs in the pasture thirty yards from the creek. If we could just get a week of sunshine, a good drying wind, and some consistency with the temperatures…dare to dream big!

March is going to be a very active month for a lot of different reasons. In no particular order of importance, but certainly one not to forget, is the time change at 2am on March 8. Or in my case, about 9:30 in the evening of March 7. “Spring forward”, means to change the time forward by an hour. You youngin’s who live with your phone as the sole source of time keeping don’t have to worry about it. And unless you have an hour and a minute button on your vehicle radio, just wait six months. Or at least don’t be driving while you try to figure it out.

The first week of March is Ag Safety Awareness Program Week. Although important every week, this week has been designated to promote and emphasize safety in all agricultural endeavors. The theme for the week is “20:20 Vision on Ag Safety” and will highlight a different safety focus each day of the week. Follow us on Facebook for daily updates. In addition, this week Montgomery County Farm Bureau will be offering free to members either an SMV sign, or twenty feet of DOT reflective tape. Just stop by either office and ask.

March 18 at 6:30pm will be a district listening post held at the Neosho County Courthouse in Erie. This is an opportunity for voting members of Farm Bureau to provide discussion of policy issues affecting production agriculture and rural Kansas.

March 21 at 9am will be our annual “Coffee with the Legislators” at the Farm Bureau office in Independence. This is a great opportunity to hear from our locally elected state officials, as well as pose questions or concerns to them in person.

Also, on March 21, a Hunter Education Class will be held from 8am to 3pm at the Experimental Aircraft Association building at the Independence Airport. Go to https://ksoutdoors.com/…/Ed…/Hunter/Internet-assisted-Course for details.

National Ag Day is March 24, which falls during National Ag Week, March 22 – 28. It is organized by the Agricultural Council of America, and is devoted to educating people about where food, fiber, and fuel come from. For example, did you know the average US farmer today provides food and fiber for 166 people, whereas in 1960 it was just 26? Also, today’s farmer grows twice as much food as his/her parents did, using less land, energy and water, while emitting fewer emissions.

And finally, Montgomery County Farm Bureau will be awarding five $500 scholarships again this year to deserving students attending either a college or vo-tech in the fall of 2020. Applications must be received by 5pm, April 1 to be considered. The student or their parents must be members to be eligible. Details and the application can be found on our website at https://www.mgfarmbureau.org/scholarship.

Until next month,

Chuck Voelker