spending christmas at the white house - Carolina Farm Credit

INDUSTRY
Comment on the 2007 Farm Bill
“The 2007 Farm Bill will affect America’s entire
agricultural community, so I believe our entire
agricultural community should have a say in the
process. I welcome input from across the nation
about what is working and what we can do to
improve farm policy.” - Mike Johanns, Secretary
of Agriculture.
USDA intends to develop
recommendations for the new farm bill and
believes that public input is essential to this
process. USDA provides its customers with a
form to submit feedback on a series of questions
related to the 2007 Farm Bill.
You may provide your comments through
December 30, 2005. Please visit the USDA
Mike Johanns, Secretary of Agriculture
website at www.usda.gov and follow the
links marked Farm Bill Forums to find the
comment form on their website. You may also
mail your comments to: U.S. Department of
Agriculture Farm Bill Official Comments
1400 Independence Ave., S.W. Washington,
DC 20250.
2005 Cooperative Youth Leadership Conference
The 2005 Cooperative Leadership Camp was
held this summer at White Lake, N.C. Marsha
Williams, Loan Officer from the Wilkesboro
Branch of Carolina Farm Credit, assisted as
a counselor. Carolina Farm Credit sponsored
Alisha Benfield of Hiddenite, N.C.
The campers received extensive training
in formation and operation of cooperatives as a
form of doing business, in setting up their own
T-shirt cooperative, as well as enjoying a full
week of traditional camp activities. During the
week, they heard several distinguished speakers
including North Carolina Commissioner of
Agriculture Steve Troxler; Chief Deputy
Secretary of State Rodney Maddox; and former
NFL superstar Dave Rowe.
Carlyle Teague, Executive Director of
the Cooperative Council was appreciative of
the members of the Cooperative Council who
selected and sponsored the leaders to attend this
camp; and from all reports, it was an outstanding
group of campers.
Ashton Little of Jefferson, N.C. was
selected as the outstanding camper. Skyline
Telephone Cooperative in West Jefferson
sponsored him. As recipient of this honor,
Ashton received the Thad Eure Cooperative
Leadership Award, which included an expense
paid trip to the 2005 National Institute on
Cooperative Education (NICE) in Lexington,
Kentucky, July 31-August 3, 2005.
Selected to join Ashton in representing
North Carolina at the NICE conference were
Amanda Alons, sponsored by Tri-County TMC;
Anthony Bauguess, Roaring River, sponsored
12 | December 2005, Carolina Farm Credit
Following his address to participants, NC Commissioner of Agriculture Steve Troxler took time to visit
with Marsha Williams, left, counselor; and Alisha Benfield, camper; representing Carolina Farm Credit.
by Wilkes Telecommunications; Kirby Grady,
Rose Hill, sponsored by Cape Fear Farm
Credit; Mary Margaret Morris, Winterville;
and Chris Rose, Whitakers, both representing
East Carolina Farm Credit. Dylan Floyd, Fair
Bluff, sponsored by Cape Fear Farm Credit;
and Ashley Williams, Pantego, sponsored by
Tri-County TMC, were selected as alternates.
Marsha Williams, Carolina Farm Credit, and
Carlyle Teague served as chaperones.
Hunter Cooper, Calhoun Falls, S.C.
sponsored by AgSouth Farm Credit, was
selected to represent the nine South Carolina
participants in camp on the NICE trip. Janessa
Smith, Aiken, S.C., representing Aiken Electric
Cooperative, was the S.C. alternate.
These leaders were selected from the 41
youth representing North and South Carolina
cooperatives at the conference. Counselors
were provided by North and South Carolina
cooperatives. They were Marsha Williams,
Carolina Farm Credit, Wilkesboro; David White,
Surry-Yadkin EMC, Dobson; Katie McEwen,
Raleigh, and Michael Harris, Nashville, both
from East Carolina Farm Credit; Garrett Gasque,
Conway, S.C., Horry Electric Cooperative; and
Jennie Gentry, Statesville, N.C. State Grange.