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Texas
Agriculture Archive
February 21, 2003
Food Check-Out efforts successful
By
Mike Barnett
Editor
Abundant food grown by farmers and ranchers...reasonable prices for consumers. That message was simple and unmistakable as consumers across Texas were reminded where food really comes from and how big a bargain it really is on Food Check-Out Day, Feb. 6.
Volunteers from over 50 County Farm Bureaus used a variety of means to convey locally that it takes the average family only 37 days to buy a year's supply of food, while it takes 117 days just to pay state, local and federal taxes.
What a powerful message, and one that farmers and ranchers continue to make their own at the beginning of February each year.
This year's Farm Bureau effort was the most far reaching as county volunteers rolled up their shirt sleeves and participated in various events including food drives, purchasing groceries for lucky individuals and donating money to local charities.
A distinctive new twist was added this year as several counties conducted "Farmer's Share" breakfasts and lunches. For example, the Bosque County Farm Bureau sold barbecue sandwiches for 19 cents, to demonstrate the small portion farmers receive from the products that feed the nation. The cost was 35 cents for breakfast at the Lampasas County Farm Bureau.
Kudos to those County Farm Bureaus that elected to tell the amazing story of Texas farmers and ranchers. Hopefully, all county Farm Bureaus will jump on the bandwagon next year!
The following is a list of county Farm Bureaus who had informed the state office of their activities by Feb. 12:
• Archer County—Donated 25 lbs. of chili meat to the Archer City Service Center (serves meals to senior citizens) for a chili fundraiser.
• Atascosa County—Purchased groceries from Wal-Mart and H-E-B and donated to the local CAM center. News article and photo in newspaper.
• Bandera County—Held a canned food drive contest between the 4th grade classes in county with four schools participating. Students received a blow-pop for non-perishable food contributions and the class collecting the most food received an ice cream party compliments of the Bandera County Farm Bureau.
• Bosque County—Sold barbecue sandwiches for the farmer's share (19 cents) at the local county Farm Bureau office. Served over 150 people. Most people refused change from $1. Monies collected went to a local food pantry.
• Caldwell County—Collected food at the local office and donated to the Caldwell County Christian Ministries.
• Calhoun County—Donated $200 to the local food pantry. Pictures and story in local newspaper.
• Cameron County—Donated $210 and a box of food to the local Ronald McDonald House in Harlingen.
• Coke-Sterling County—Donated $25 to the local food bank.
• Coleman County—Donated money to Meals on Wheels and Loaves and Fishes. Article and photo in local newspaper.
• Collin County—Donated $100 to the local food bank.
• Cooke County—Invited county and city officials to a breakfast and made a presentation on Food Check-Out Day.
• Coryell County—Held a "Farmer's Share Meal" event on February 12. Board of directors served hamburgers at the local Farm Bureau office.
• Dallas County—Donated $100 to the Ronald McDonald House in Dallas.
• Dawson County—Both supermarkets in town matched the county donation and "Meals on Wheels" shopped for groceries.
• Deaf Smith County—Food Check-Out Day ad in local newspaper.
• Delta County—Donated $60 in canned food to Human Resources Services pantry.
• Denton County—Bought breakfast for the first 30 people to enter Ruby's Diner. Put up banner and passed out Food Check-Out Day brochures. Board was present to answer questions.
• DeWitt County—Collected 294 lbs. of food and $415.90 cash at H-E-B in Cuero and in Yorktown collected 60 lbs. of food and $211.90 in cash.
• Floyd County–Directors cooked and served a breakfast for the county at no charge, but took donations. All donations went to the local Ronald McDonald House.
• Goliad County—Gave two $25 gift certificates for food purchases at local Super S Food Store.
• Guadalupe County—Collected non-perishable food at the local Wal-Mart and donated to Christian Cupboard in Seguin.
• Hockley County—Donated $150 to the Hockley County Food Box. United Supermarket matched the donation with $150 in food gift cards.
• Hopkins-Rains County—County Farm Bureau and Agworkers sponsored a breakfast for 35 individuals at the local ag building and presented a short program. Received front page coverage in the local newspaper.
• Jones County—Donated $100 to each of three Meals on Wheels programs in Jones County.
• Hamilton County—Purchased $50 in food for two customers at the Super S grocery store in Hico. Also collected food at two grocery stores in Hamilton for the local food bank; the Hico and Hamilton 4-H clubs helped collect food items in order to make it a community effort.
• Hemphill County—Set up table at Lowe's Pay N Save, passed out brochures and took food donations which were delivered to the local food pantry, Sharing Is Caring.
• Houston County—Presented check for $100 to the Share Organization.
• Jim Wells County—County matched $100 donation in food items from H-E-B, which were donated to Alice Food Pantry. Also matched $100 in food items from Super S and these were given to the Senior Citizens of Orange Grove.
• Lamar County—Gave $100 each to a shopper at Brookshire's and Super 1.
• Lampasas County—The board of directors cooked and served a "Farmers' Share" breakfast. About 50 local business and community people paid the farmer's share or 35 cents for this breakfast.
• Lavaca County—Donation made to Manna Food Pantry. Photo and news story in local newspaper.
• Lubbock County—Collected food items at United Super Markets and donated it to the local Ronald McDonald House.
• Lynn County—Donated $150 in groceries to the local senior citizens center.
• Martin County—Board members, agency manager and local grocery store donated over $200 worth of food to the local food bank. Pictures and article in newspaper.
• Matagorda County—Purchased $100 worth of groceries at the local H-E-B and donated to the local food pantry.
• Medina County—Presented $300 check to the Medina County Food Pantry. County judge signed proclamation and photo will be in local newspaper.
• Midland County—Collected food items at a local grocery store and donated to the Baptist Crisis Center.
• Polk County—Purchased $50 in food items for the Mission Center in Livingston.
• Red River County—Presented check to each of three local food banks.
• San Patricio County—On Feb. 4, traveled to the Super Wal-Mart in Calallen and met with Ronald McDonald. Directors passed out flyers explaining Food Check-Out Day. Picked a shopper at random and purchased her food items totaling $26.38. Local TV coverage of this event. On Feb. 5, directors were at Taft Elementary School for the Ronald McDonald stage show and the same at the Stephen F. Austin School in the afternoon. Later in the day, the directors passed out brochures at the H-E-B in Portland and picked a shopper at random and purchased their food items. H-E-B made a donation to the Corpus Christi Ronald McDonald House.
• Smith County—Donated $200 to PATH.
• Terry County—Collected and delivered $366.32 worth of groceries to Ardeth Swain Food Box. News release and photo in local newspaper.
• Titus County—Placed Food Check-Out Day ad in local newspaper.
• Travis County—Donated $250 in groceries to the Ronald McDonald House in Austin. Covered by local Fox TV station.
• Van Zandt—Donated $100 to a local benevolence fund in the county. News release and photo in local newspaper.
• Wilbarger County—Collected food for the United Samaritan Services of Vernon.
• Williamson County—Food Check-Out Day release in the Taylor Daily Press.
• Young County—Donated $50 to the Graham Area Crisis Center in Graham and $50 to the Crisis Center in Olney. News release and photos in local newspaper.
• State FB Office—Employees of the state office in Waco collected a pick-up load full of food and donated it to the Ronald McDonald House in Temple.
