A lot to be Thankful For

Sometimes in the hustle and bustle of life we tend to focus too much on the negative and not enough on the good things we have.  I know I do it entirely too much.  Here at the holiday season I realize I have so much to be thankful for (not just during the season, but year round).  I’m blessed with a wonderful husband, a beautiful son, a loving family, a forgiving God and a rewarding job.  In making the transition into the new position as county ag agent this year, I’m also very thankful for the patience of others, especially my family, as I try to figure this job out. 

I’m thankful to have the opportunity to work with a group of outstanding agriculturist that despite the rising cost of inputs, battles with vomitoxin, sudden death syndrome, black shank, target spot, palmer pigweed, waterhemp, and several other obstacles, they are still able to produce outstanding crops and safe food sources. 

Not only am I grateful for the priceless gifts mentioned above, but also grateful for the opportunity to work with the wonderful people of McLean County on a daily basis, which became even more evident to me last week during our first McLean County Harvest Breakfast.  This event was a joint effort between the Cooperative Extension Service and the Chamber of Commerce, and could not have been possible without the support of so many local businesses and individuals.

In front of a crowd of 130, FFA President Justus Hayden kicked off the morning with an outstanding speech and left those in attendance with a powerful message about how we are just temporary tenants, renting our ground from the Lord.  Following our delicious meal prepared by Linda Riley and Elaine Atherton, Warren Beeler, the Kentucky Department of Agriculture’s Director of Agriculture Policy spoke on issues facing agriculture.  During our recognition of producers, Tyson awarded Tim Vincent of TLC Poultry Farms the McLean County Top Producer Award and our High Yield Contest Winners were announced.  In the yellow corn division: 1st Place Paul Bickett 304 bushels, 2nd Place Jonathan Miller 293 bushels, 3rd Place Neil Scott 276 bushels.  In the white corn division: 1st Place Russ Vickers 252 bushels.  In the soybeans division: 1st Place Gerry Hayden 95 bushels, 2nd Place Paul Bickett 84 bushels, 3rd Place John Wright 80 bushels.  In the grain sorghum division: 1st Place Jeremy Graham 175 bushels, 2nd Place Philip Logsdon 174 bushels.

With all that being said, I’d like to say a special thank you to all of our sponsors for this

event: Kyndle, US Bank, Independence Bank, First Security Bank, Sacramento Deposit Bank, Tyson, Perdue, Farbest, Buck Creek Baptist Church, McLean County Farm Bureau, Farm Credit Services of Mid-America, Rice Agri-Marketing and Crop Production Services.  Also, thank you to Judy Hayden for helping me coordinate the event, to Linda Riley and Elaine Atherton for preparing the meal, the FFA for serving the meal and the Farm Bureau Board Members for helping clean up afterwards.  Thank you to all of you that attended!  The Chamber of Commerce and I hope to make this an annual event.

For more information on Extension Events and Programs, contact the McLean County Cooperative Extension Service at (270)273-3690.  Educational programs of the Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service serve all people regardless of race, color, age, sex, religion, disability or national origin.