Chuck's Chat-Welcome to March!

I’m sure happy to rip that February page off my pickup dash calendar. That was some of the coldest weather we’ve encountered in a long time, for a long time. We actually fared better along the Northern Sycamore Urban Boundary than many of my northern friends. We did not have any broken pipes, nor did we lose electricity. The creek in my pasture had enough flow to keep the cattle watered, so breaking ice was not necessary. And our first calf wasn’t born until after the temperature was back above freezing. Sometimes it truly is better to be lucky than good.

March seems to be a very eventful month. American Farm Bureau Federation’s 2021 Ag Safety Awareness Program (ASAP) Week is celebrated the first week and was created to bring awareness to safety and health issues facing the agriculture industry. Daylight Savings time starts at 2am on the 14th. Spring begins on the 20th. National Ag Day is the 23rd, and is a salute to American agriculture and everyone who plays a role in it.

National Frozen Food Day on March 6 celebrates all those yummy foods and snacks in your freezer. Sure, the invention of the freezer made this day possible. But, the methods and techniques of preparing and freezing foods is what makes frozen foods taste great, look great and store in a frozen state until you need them. For you history buffs, Clarence Frank Birdseye II received the first patent for flash frozen foods in 1927. Frozen foods first hit store shelves in 1930 in Springfield, Ma. Frozen "TV dinners" that you heated in the oven were introduced by C.A. Swanson and sons in 1954.

March is National Severe Weather Preparedness Month, and now is the time to start planning for unpredictable weather. And if you’re not sure about your insurance coverage as we head into the predictably unstable weather season, contact your local Farm Bureau Financial Services representative to discuss your needs.

March is also National Nutrition Month, and began as National Nutrition Week in 1973. It was started by the American Dietetic Association (ADA) — now the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics — as a way to raise awareness about the profession of dietetics while educating the public about good nutrition. Personally, I think every month should be celebrated as nutrition month. And if you eat, be sure to thank a farmer.

Once again, Montgomery County Farm Bureau is proud to award up to five, $500 scholarships to deserving students attending attending a college or vo-tech school in the fall of 2021. Details regarding eligibility and the application can be found at https://www.mgfarmbureau.org/scholarship. The application must be received by 5:00 p.m. April 1. Please help spread the word.

Be smart. Be safe. Stay strong.

God Bless America

Until next month,

Chuck Voelker