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A Note from Your Executive Director
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!
We had a fantastic Annual Meeting - a big THANK YOU to Bernie Karl, Connie Parks-Karl and the crew at Chena Hot Springs for hosting us!
Thank you to all who attended, donated items for our auction and of course bid on the auction items! It would not have been a successful meeting without all of your participation! If you couldn't make it, check out the photos on
Facebook.
The Bruce Willard Scholarship auction raised $6,497.00! The Alaska Farm Bureau will be offering two $2000.00 scholarships again in 2020! Thank you to everyone who donated and everyone who bid on auction items!
We were thrilled with the chance to be part of the 1st Annual FFA Blue and Gold Banquet! Great company, great food and a great way to support youth in agriculture. We hope to see this event continue and grow.
We've started the 2020 membership year - if you haven't renewed your dues, it's time to do that!
2020 Membership Drive - with prizes for the winners! We hope to have each chapter increase their members by 20% or 20 members. To reach this goal there will be prizes for individuals:
- 1st place: Up to $650 on airfare
- 2nd place: 2-night getaway at your choice of Lands' End Resort or Chena Hot Springs
- 3rd place: One delicious Prime Rib roast courtesy of Mugrage Hay & Cattle
As an ongoing incentive for signing up members, we have the
Paid Delegate Program - any Alaska Farm Bureau member who signs up 5 new members in a membership year receives travel and two nights lodging at the Annual Meeting.
It's the time of year Alaska Farm Bureau is preparing for the Legislative session; monitoring the budget and bills. On December 11th Governor Dunleavy released his proposed Fiscal Year 2021 budgets:
Operating Budget,
Capital Budget,
Mental Health Budget.
While we are very appreciative of Division of Agriculture's funding not being cut, we are working to understand implications of restructuring in the budget; agriculture has been moved under a different division.
Other items of concern in the budget: dairy inspection program is proposed to be deleted again and UAF agriculture programs could take a hit with proposed university cuts. More detailed information on the budgets can be found
here.
Stay tuned for more information as the Legislative Session unfolds
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Wishing you a 2020 full of love and peace!
Amy
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Amy Seitz
Executive Director
Alaska Farm Bureau
37075 Nicholas View Lane
Soldotna, AK 99669
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Friday Forum, Awards Banquet and Annual Meeting
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| Matt Bates & Margee Wolff Credit:Julia Mugrage |
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Friday Forum was full of learning; a great line-up of speakers with great information to share!
We had the pleasure of being joined by a couple folks from American Farm Bureau Federation: Margee Wolff, Vice-President Leadership, Education & Engagement and Marty Tatman, Director Member Engagement.
Margee helped us with some board training Thursday evening and walked us through some Program Planning during the Friday Forum. We are excited to see what great things will be coming out of our chapters by using this planning method!
The objective of YF&R is to provide leadership in building a more effective Farm Bureau through engaging young farmers and ranchers across the country and providing tools and training to be more effective agriculture advocates.
We want to send a huge THANK YOU to all of our speakers at the Friday Forum!
- David Schade, Director, Alaska Division of Agriculture; looking forward for the Division of Agriculture
- Sue Benz, State Statistician; Growth in Alaska Agriculture - 2017 Ag Census
- Jodie Jones DVM MPH DACVPM, Veterinary Medical Officer, USDA APHIS; Expanding Agriculture in Alaska-Importing & Exporting
- Jodie Anderson, Matanuska Experiment Farm and Extension Center, Director; UAF Experiment Farms & Extension Center - Outlook and Opportunities
- Bryan Scoresby, State Executive Director, Alaska Farm Service Agency; Farm Services Agency - Farm Bill Programs Helping Alaska's Farmers
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| Scott Mugrage & Sentor Click Bishop Credit: Julia Mugrage |
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Senator Click Bishop Named Legislator of the Year
The Alaska Farm Bureau is proud to announce that Senator Click Bishop was voted as Legislator of the Year by members of the Alaska Farm Bureau.
This past year he worked hard advancing, promoting, and protecting Alaska agriculture - largely with his work as a member of the Senate Finance Committee and as chair of budget subcommittees for the Department of Natural Resources and Department of Environmental Conservation - the main departments that house agriculture programs.
During this year's budget deliberations in the legislature, Senator Bishop, working with farmers, was a champion in restoring funding for key agriculture programs.
Senator Bishop knows all too well, that the state imports roughly 90 percent of its food - thus putting Alaskans at risk if there is any disruption in the food chain. He firmly believes the state needs to work toward attaining food independence, to the greatest extent possible, and believes in the value of promoting an industry like agriculture that has enormous potential to play an even bigger role in the Alaska economy.
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Marie Rice Voted Agriculture Appreciation Award Recipient
This year's recipient of the Agriculture Appreciation Award is a long-time farm bureau member Marie Rice.
Between the office of secretary & treasurer, Marie Rice has probably held a Farm Bureau office longer than anyone else in Kodiak. She has hosted most of the Kodiak Farm Bureau potlucks for chapter meetings.
Marie has long been a supporter of ag programs to reach children through 4-H and Ag in the classroom. She has been active in the Kodiak State Fair Board, Community gardens, raising crops in her garden and high tunnel, directly involved in facilitating acquisition of hoop houses throughout Kodiak. She has directly assisted in local landscaping projects - helping with City landscaping downtown, the main person to landscape around the Kodiak Hospital when it was newly built. She has supported ranching without fail.
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ALASKA FARM BUREAU BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Alaska Farm Bureau's 10-member Board of Directors work hard managing the business of this organization. Board members meet all day the Thursday before Annual Meeting Events to review the previous year, plan the coming year's budget and take care of other items of business.
Highlights of the Board of Director's actions:
- Continued funding of the Agriculture Education Mini-Grant Program at $11,500.00 to increase ag education to youth around the state.
- Continued funding of the Chapter Grants at $3000.00 to assist chapters in enhancing Farm Bureau membership, promoting the Alaska Farm Bureau and/or promoting Alaska agriculture.
- Developing a cost share program to assist some Alaska Farm Bureau members in attending American Farm Bureau Federations leadership training events.
- Approved a request to form two Kenai Peninsula Chapters - bringing the number of Alaska Farm Bureau chapters to seven.
Alaska Farm Bureau's 2020 Board of Directors:
- Scott Mugrage, President
- Joe Buck, Vice-President
- Rita Jo Shoultz, Secretary/Treasurer
- Paul Knop, Delta Junction Chapter
- Jerry Marlow, Fairbanks Chapter
- Fritz Wozniak, Fairbanks Chapter
- Beth Van Sandt, Kenai Peninsula Chapter
- Lorne White, Kodiak Chapter
- Paula Williams, Mat-Su Chapter
- Carol Kenley, Mat-Su Chapter
Clockwise from FL: Joe Buck, Rita Jo Shoultz, Paula Williams, Scott Mugrage, Amy Seitz, Beth Van Sandt, Carol Kenley, Paul Knopp, Lorne White, Jerry Marlow (not pictured: Fritz Wozniak)
Credit: Rep. Geran Tarr
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PHOTO CONTEST WINNERS
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People's Choice: Lazy Day Friends
Brittany Johnson
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Farm Scenery: Serenity Blooms
Paula Williams
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Country Children: Farmall Fotoshoot
Julia Moore
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Farm Animals: Grazin in the Grass
Kelli Foreman
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ALASKA FARM BUREAU 2020 PRIORITIES
Legislative
- House Bill 16 - allowing the inclusion of value-added products in the definition of herd share
- Line item in budget to support FFA
- Line item in budget to support Experiment Farms & Extension Center
- Confidentiality for Animal and Crop Records
Congressional
- Streamline the logistics of complying with import regulations at the border
- Fact sheet explaining rules & procedures
- Letter to congressional delegation urging exemption for Alaska on requirement to have a veterinarian at the border
Alaska Farm Bureau
- Legislative accountability of use of University funds for ag programs - research, CES, etc.
- Increase support to the peony industry - education, outreach & research
- Increase local farm products in schools
- Support SWCD funding
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Article Headline
Click
here for more information about joining the Alaska Farm Bureau.
Membership starts at $40 per year.
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MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS
Office Depot/Office Max: Alaska Farm Bureau members save up to 75% off on office, home and school supplies at Office Depot OfficeMax!
Enjoy
exclusive pricing and discounts on office essentials, toner, paper, cleaning products, break room items, furniture and more.
Save online and in-stores.
Exclusive Benefits Include:
- UP TO 75% OFF Best Value Products - plus thousands of items discounted below retail
- Contract Pricing on HP Ink & Toner - save on the products you need
- Discounted Copy/Print Services - B&W: 2.5¢ | Color: 22¢ | Finishing: 35% off | Signs & Banners: 20% off
- Cleaning & Breakroom Items - 400+ products with savings up to 51%
- Promotional Products - last column pricing
- Next Business-Day Delivery - FREE on qualifying orders over $50
- Reusable In-store Discount Card - save at any Office Depot OfficeMax store
Dungarees - new Alaska Farm Bureau membership benefit partner! Alaska Farm Bureau members save up to 15% on orders from
Dungarees.com - place your order and enter the member customer code AKFRB on the last page of checkout.
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts - Whether you are looking for an upscale hotel, an all-inclusive resort or something more cost-effective, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts has the right hotel for you!
As an Alaska Farm Bureau member, you will save up to 20% off the Best Available Rate* at over 8,000 participating hotels worldwide. Discover the benefits of booking your vacation with Wyndham Hotels & Resorts as an Alaska Farm Bureau member. Our vast portfolio of hotels and resorts offer a variety of accommodations to meet your travel needs. Wherever people go, Wyndham will be there to welcome them.
To take advantage of this valuable travel discount rate please call 877-670-7088 to connect with a dedicated travel expert and be sure to mention you are a Farm Bureau member or go to
www.wyndhamhotels.com/farm-bureau
to book. Save up to 20% no matter which way you decide to book your vacation.
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EVENTS
Would you like to post an event of interest to producers in Alaska? It's free for members. Email Amy your event info for possible inclusion on the website and email newsletter.
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80 Acre Farm For Sale:
80 acre farm for sale in Two Rivers, Alaska. $480,000-$520,000 depending on financing- owner financing available. 30 acres brome hay, 2 acres peonies,2 acres vegetables, 3 high tunnels, small barn, unfinished shop, 30 year old unfinished log house, well, septic, electricity. Contact Joni at 907-488-9202
2019 Hay for Sale:
Brome with a little mixed grass/Timothy for sale. 65 pound square bales 2019 cutting. In the Barn never rained on. $ 12.00 per bale. Call 907-723-1132 Jim or 907-518-4232 Gayle. Located south of Delta Junction. B'n'B Ranch.
100% Alaska Grown Wine:
Alaska Berries, located near Soldotna, is the first and only Estate winery in Alaska. An estate winery is one that grows ALL of its fruit used in its wine.
Our business hours are Wed thru Sun from 12:00-6:00pm. We are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Come visit our tasting room and sample our wines before you buy. Sorry, but we are not shipping wine at this time.
Call Brian @ 907-252-8511
Brome/Timothy Hay: Brome & Timothy hay in square and round bales. We also have straw in square and round bales. Call for prices for pickup or delivery. Scott @ 308-362-9060
We Buy Berries:
Bear Creek Winery is family owned and operated and has a limited farm to table element. Our award-winning wines are so popular that we cannot grow enough berries to keep up with demand, so we also buy berries from local farmers. Please keep us in mind if you are thinking of growing or need a buyer for any of the following crops:
Both Red and Golden Raspberries, Black Currants, Gooseberries, Strawberries, Apples, and Blueberries.
Call us at 907-235-8484
Would you like to post a free classified ad and reach producers in Alaska? It's free for members. Email Amy your classified ad for possible inclusion on the website and email newsletter.
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