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Texas Agriculture Archive

March 1, 2002

Food Check-Out Day: FBs pull out the stops!

By Gene Hall
Publisher

Food Check-Out Day is rapidly becoming The County Farm Bureau promotional event in Texas, and why not? What an important message this day brings for the people of Texas. It's a message that lies at the very heart of all we do in Farm Bureau.

In Bandera County 14 classes of fourth graders in competed in a food drive to help the local food bank. The class bringing the most non-perishable items at each school won an ice cream party sponsored by the Bandera CFB.

We celebrate Food Check-Out Day to show what a bargain food really is in America. The average American earned enough income to buy all his or her food for all of 2002 by February 9. That's only 39 days. That average American is still working, and will work until early May, to earn enough to pay his or her taxes.

Bell County FB collected food and distributed materials at the Albertson's grocery story. They paid to have t-shirts printed with the Food Check-Out logo. These were worn by cashiers in the grocery store, local Farm Bureau representatives and representatives from the Temple Ronald McDon-ald House as they promoted Food Check-Out Day. Enough food was collected to fill the Ronald McDonald House pantry for the rest of the year.

Commissioner of Agriculture Susan Combs joined TFB Vice President Kenneth Dierschke for stops in Waco, San Antonio and Portland (Corpus Christi) for well-attended news conferences to explain the importance of agriculture and the significance of Food Check-Out Day.

Cameron County FB parked tractors at Wal-Mart Superstore and Albertson's Grocery Store in Harlingen. They handed out brochures explaining Food Check-Out Day and collected a truck full of food, which was donated to the Ronald McDonald House in Harlingen.

In working with County Farm Bureaus on this project, one thing is very clear. When Farm Bureau leaders get involved in the Food Check-Out Day project, they have a really good time. For one thing, it's a message in which all our leaders passionately believe. For another, they get to see the amazement that people have when they begin to understand what a bargain and a blessing the American food supply really is.

In Harris County a private school with only 140 students collected 1,500 pounds of non-perishable food for the Houston Ronald McDonald House. Ronald McDonald was at the school for the presentation and also performed for the children. The winning class, of only 14 students, collected almost a third of the food in the event sponsored by Harris County FB.

At press time, we know of 81 County Farm Bureaus who were active in Food Check-Out Day. The number will likely rise above 100 as more CFB leaders report on their activities.

DeWitt County FB collected and donated $580 in cash and 350 pounds of food to a food ministry in Cuero and $418 in cash and 240 pounds of food to a food bank in Yorktown.

I don't have enough space here to list everyone involved, but I've tried to show you just a few truly sensational efforts that our leaders made to spread this important message.

San Patricio County FB parked a tractor at the front door of the H-E-B- Food Store in Portland and displayed the County FB banner. They also sponsored an essay contest for the 4th grade classes in the county. The topic was "Why Agriculture Is Important to My Family." The winner received $50 and the class received a pizza party. They set up a booth and distributed information on FCD at the H-E-B in Sinton.

The Texas Farm purchased a two-page ad in the February issue of Texas Monthly magazine to promote Food Checkout Day. More than a million Texans viewed this ad.

Tom Green County FB held Food Check-Out Day at the local Albertson's Food Store. A local implement company supplied a tractor, which was parked at the store. It was used to display signs about Farm Bureau and Food Check-Out Day. Canned goods and money was collected and given to the San Angelo Food Bank.

As good as Food Check-Out Day was this year, there is room for improvement. This is the ideal activity for a County Farm Bureau. The message is the right one and as these leaders would tell you, they had one heck of a good time telling agriculture's story. Let's all look forward to an even better Food Check-Out Day in 2003!