Monroe County Agriculture: Ida High graduate keynote speaker at ag banquet
59th Monroe County Agriculture Banquet: The Ag Banquet is back after a two-year pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic and government shutdown! This year’s banquet is the 59th and will be held 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 5, at the Prince of Peace church, 1920 Dunbar Road, Ida. The keynote speaker is a former Ida High School graduate Elizabeth Rumley (Springsteen/ Woelmer) who is now a senior staff attorney at the National Agricultural Law Center in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
She is a graduate of Michigan State University, the University of Toledo College of Law and her LL.M. in Agricultural Law from the University of Arkansas School of Law. Her presentation is based on the very first Ag Banquet topic, “The Future of Agriculture.” At the National Ag Law Center, her primary research and scholarship focus in on legal issues in animal agriculture and she teaches environmental law classes at the University of Arkansas.
Lehmann’s Greenhouse will have four colors of poinsettias on the tables that will be given away at the end of the evening, including red, white, marble and pink. Calder Brothers Farm Dairy will have their iconic glass bottles of white and chocolate milk and Back in the Day will cater the dinner with festive Costco cake served for dessert. All the county FFA chapters have been invited and Monroe Community County College and Greenstone Farm Credit Services will pay for any members who wear their iconic blue jackets.
Tickets remain priced at $10 and are available at: Greenstone Farm Credit Services and Monroe County Conservation District in Monroe, Masserant’s Feed and Grain in Newport, Maybee Farmers Inc in Maybee, Shettenhelm Farms in Milan, Ida Farmers Coop and Monroe County Farm Bureau in Ida, Agri-Parts of Temperance, Ottawa Lake Co-op in Ottawa Lake, MAC and Nutrien Ag Solutions in Blissfield, Carleton Farm Supply in Carleton, Leckler’s in LaSalle, Wilbur Ellis in Dundee or from Ag Council members Bob Potter, Al Matthes, Richard and Mary Janssens, Frank Deutsch, Bob Ferencz, Ned Birkey, Phil Selter, Ron Stadler, Walt Irodenko, Glen Wickenheiser or Ron Lunsford. Tickets will not be sold at the door.
Long time Monroe (Evening) News reporter Dean Cousino will be recognized at the banquet for his service to farmers and agriculture with a memory book. Anyone wishing to sign their best wishes to Dean or write a note or humorous story involving Dean can do so at the banquet.
December 14 Pesticide Training and Review Class: Monroe County Community College and the Ag Council is sponsoring a December 14 class for farmers and commercial pesticide applicators wishing to earn re-certification credits towards their restricted pesticide certification. Speakers include; Craig Anderson and Ben Tirrell of the Michigan Farm Bureau, Ana Heck of MSU and Ned Birkey.
This class has been approved by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development for 8 credits in the categories of: Private Core, Commercial Core, Commercial 1A, 1B, 3A, 3B and commercial category 6.
Interested persons should register at MCCC by calling Life Long Learning at 734-384-4229. The cost is $35 which includes coffee and rolls and lunch. The class runs from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Anyone with questions can contact Ned Birkey at: birkey@msu.edu or 734-260-3442.
Ned Birkey is MSU Extension educator emeritus and a regular contributor to The Monroe News.
This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Monroe County Agriculture: Ida High graduate keynote speaker at banquet
