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Women's Leadership Committee

The mission of the Arizona Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee is to develop women's individual talents as leaders through involvement in a variety of programs. These programs are directed toward leadership development, political influence, and promotion of Arizona Agriculture through education in the classroom and in the community.

Women play a significant role in agriculture and in Farm Bureau. The number of women serving as principal operators of farms and ranches has increased 11.2 percent nationwide. As women take a more active role in production, they also find the importance of becoming more involved in organizations that represent farmers and ranchers.

Telling the story of agriculture in a factual and engaging manner is an ongoing effort of the Arizona Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee

To contact the Arizona Women's Leadership Committee chair, call Sharla Mortimer at 928.925.8721 or smortimer@commspeed.net .


 

The Women's Leadership Committee delivered Arizona-grown apple pies from Apple Annie's in Willcox to each Arizona State  Legislators' office during the 2010 Food Check-out week.

Arizona Farm Bureau members that delivered pies are: Sharla Mortimer, Dewey; Linda Merrell, Duncan; Tanya Baker, Dewey; Sonia Gasho, Pearce; Marie Pacheco, Oro Valley; Wendy Cavalliere, Yucca; Vickie Parks, Flagstaff; Diann Prechel, Casa Grande; Melissa Sharp, Roll; Sheila Van Hofwegen, Tolleson; and Sine Kerr, Buckeye.

Purpose: To enthusiastically promote the involvement and leadership of women in fulfilling the mission of Farm Bureau.

2011 Photography-Poetry-Essay Contest  This annual contest opens September 1, 2010 to any amateur photographer or writer who is a member of a County Farm Bureau in Arizona. A first prize will be awarded in each of the four categories in each medium- Photo, essay, poem.

To enter complete and return the entry form by midnight on April 30, 2011.

For more information, contact Peggy Jo Goodfellow at 480.635.3609 or peggyjogoodfellow@azfb.org.

 Legislative Ag Fest is held the third week of January each year at  the State Capitol. The goal is to reach as many state legislators as possible and show them how diverse agriculture is in Arizona and help them see we need their support. 

For more information, contact Paul Brierley at 480.635.3612 or paulbrierley@azfb.org.

Food Check-Out Week is devoted to helping teach Americans how to stretch their grocery dollars with healthy, nutritious food.  Various events are held the third week of February each year.  Farm Bureau is helping consumers find solutions to eating healthy on a stretched budget.

For more information, contact Peggy Jo Goodfellow at 480. 635. 3609 or peggyjogoodfellow@azfb.org.

Ag in the Classroom is a program to help school children and teachers learn about agriculture and how their food, fiber and ornamental crops are produced. The focus for Women's Leadership Committee (WLC) is to get into as many classes as possible. The purpose will be to teach them something about agriculture and help the teacher learn how to use agriculture in teaching reading, writing and math using farm facts, weights and measures and observations.

For more information, contact Katie Aikins at 480.635.3608 or email to katieaikins@azfb.org .

The Book Barn Ag Lending Library
The Arizona Farm Bureau Ag in the Classroom has developed an Ag lending library for grades K-4. This project allows students to learn literacy through agriculture and agriculture through literacy.

The lending libraries are housed in a barn box and each contains 21 books. These libraries are available to teachers FREE of charge and on a 2-week basis.

The following counties have a lending library: Apache, Coconino, Graham, Greenlee, LaPaz, Maricopa, Mohave, Navajo, Pima, Pinal, Yavapai and Yuma.  There is also one located at the Arziona Farm Bureau office in Gilbert.

Teachers are required to pick up the learning library and return it to either the county location they picked it up from or the Arizona Farm Bureau office in Gilbert.  Each library will contain master copies of worksheets and literacy type activities for the teachers to copy and do with their students.

For more information, contact Katie Aikins at 480.635.3608 or email to katieaikins@azfb.org.

Summer Ag Institute
Teachers...enhance what you teach!   Summer  Ag Institute will be held  in June  2011.  Farm Bureau fully supports the efforts of the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension Maricopa County and the Arizona Foundation for Agricultural Literacy in this event. Farm Bureau members host the teachers one night during the week-long institute in a hands-on farm experience.

Jerry Freed, one of the 20 teachers that attended the 2010 institute, wrote a poem about their week-long training and tours.  Jerry is a 6th grade teacher at the Cactus Middle School in Casa Grande.  See the poem here

Summer Ag Institute (SAI) is activity based and encourages teachers to participate in a variety of agricultural activities so they can incorporate what they learn into their classroom curriculum.This five-day program is designed to teach K-12 grade teachers about food and fiber production. Imagine earning 48 hours of CEU's or 3 University credits and receive free classroom materials, that align to state standards, to help educate students about agriculture. 

Apply by February 1 for a cost of $85. After Feb 1 the cost is $125 .Tuition includes room and board. The deadline is May 1 each year. An application and brochure can be found at http://cals.arizona.edu/agliteracy/summer.htm.

Teachers that want to participate, please call Brandon Moak 602.827.8200 x 389 or bmoak@cals.arizona.edu .

The Women in Agriculture Conference addresses the issues women face on and off the farm. The planning committee will meet August 19 to evaluate the 2010 conference and begin planning for next year. The conference will be held in June and the location is TBA. Hosted by the Arizona Farm Bureau Women's Leadership Committee (WLC), the University of Arizona College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the Arizona Cowbelles, Inc and the Casa Grande Valley Cotton and Agriculture Women, the 15th annual conference is open to anyone interested in improving their leadership, professional and personal skills. 

For more information, contact Peggy Jo Goodfellow at 480.635.3609 or peggyjogoodfellow@azfb.org. 
 

The Educator Scholarship is a special project of the Arizona Farm Bureau Women's Leadership Committee.  The purpose of this program is to provide travel expense funds to an educator employed by a school system to attend the National Agriculture in the Classroom Conference for the purpose of using the information gained from the conference to expand their outreach to students regarding the food and fiber system.

Download the scholarship application form and guidelines for submission by March 15, 2011.

For more information, call PeggyJo Goodfellow at 480.635.3609 or peggyjogoodfellow@azfb.org.

The Women's Leadership Committee will hold "The Auction Block"  in November 11, 2010  at the Carefree Resort & Villas, during the Arizona Farm Bureau annual meeting. As their largest annual fund raising event, the auction generates fun and some good-natured competition. Past auction items include: wagons filled with toys, quilts, leather goods, clocks, framed prints, candles, handmade baby items and the ever-popular toy tractor.

For more information about this program contact, Peggy Jo Goodfellow, Marketing Manager/ WLC Program Coordinator at 480.635.3609 or email peggyjogoodfellow@azfb.org .

 

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