WV Farm Bureau Magazine March 2015 | Page 2

bytes Survey Aids Research on Food Check-Out Donations Help Families Cover Crops Farmers are invited to share their thoughts on of Sick Children cover crops—whether or not they use cover crops themselves—in a national survey, now in its third year of collecting valuable data on the increasingly popular management practice. The results, which will be released this summer, will help growers, researchers, agricultural advisors, ag retailers and policymakers more effectively address questions about cover crops and learn about best practices. The online survey at http://2014-2015covercropsurvey.questionpro.com takes a short time to complete. Farmers who complete the questionnaire are eligible for a drawing for one of two $100 Visa gift cards. Data from this year’s survey will be compared to information from the two previous years in an effort to identify trends in cover crop practices and/or attitudes toward cover crops. Other questions will help conservation leaders zero in on details of cover crop practices. SARE, ASTA and scientists from Purdue University helped develop the questionnaire and will also help analyze the results. The editors of Corn+Soybean Digest are distributing the release to their subscribers, inviting a broad base of farmers to participate. All answers are anonymous; respondents will be directed to another website at the end of the survey to enter the $100 Visa gift card drawing. American families spend less on food than families in any other nation. To celebrate that each year, West Virginia Farm Bureau holds “Food Check Out” events across the state. Dates for this year are March 26, Huntington; March 28, Morgantown; and April 17, Charleston. Farm Bureau Food Check Out volunteers spend weeks collecting food and monetary donations to purchase meats, canned goods, paper goods and other non-perishable items to donate to the three Ronald McDonald Houses in Charleston, Huntington and Morgantown. Families of children being treated at nearby hospitals can stay at Ronald McDonald Houses free or at minimal cost, and have nutritious food to eat and a warm bed to sleep in, along with laundry and shower facilities. This allows them to concentrate on what’s most important, and removes some financial worries from their shoulders. Would you like to help? Call the Farm Bureau office at 800-398-4630 and we’ll tell you how! Any donation is appreciated. Articles for NewsBytes must be submitted by the 15th of the month prior to publication. Time-sensitive announcements must be submitted no less than 8 weeks prior to the date of the event. Electronic submissions, including photos, are preferred. Send to [email protected].