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TheTrue Citizen, Wednesday, December 2, 2009 — Page 11
FSA urges farmers to vote in
county committee elections
From Staff Reports
The deadline to return the
ballots for the 2009 FSA county
committee elections is Dec. 7.
Burke County, which has
three committee seats from
each of its three local adminis
trative areas, has one seat up for
election.
Candidates for the seat,
which will represent the
Vidette, Rosier and Midville
areas, are Dean Johnson, Ginny
Franks and Darien Cobb.
Burke County committee
members who will retain their
seats are Henry Hopkins and
Walter Wimberly Jr.
County committee members
serve three-year terms and will
provide input and make deci
sions on, among other things,
the local administration of new
disaster and conservation pro
grams under the 2008 Farm
Bill. County committee mem
bers also provide a link between
the agricultural community and
the U.S. Department of Agricul
ture (USDA). Farmers and
ranchers who serve on county
committees help deliver FSA
farm programs at the local level,
applying their knowledge and
judgment to make decisions on:
commodity price support loans
and payments; conservation
programs; incentive indemnity
and disaster payments for some
commodities; emergency pro
grams and payment eligibility.
FSA committees operate within
official regulations designed to
carry out federal laws.
To be an eligible voter, farm
ers and ranchers must partici
pate or cooperate in an FSA pro
gram. A person who is not of
legal voting age, but supervises
and conducts the farming op
erations of an entire farm may
also be eligible to vote. Agri
cultural producers in each
county submitted candidate
nominations during the nomi
nation period which was held
last summer and ended on Aug.
3.
Eligible voters who do not
receive ballots in the coming
week can obtain ballots at their
local USDA Service Center.
Dec. 7 is the last day for voters
to submit ballots in person to
local USDA Service Centers.
Ballots returned by mail must
also be postmarked no later than
Dec. 7. Newly elected commit
tee members and their alternates
will take office Jan. 1, 2010.
More information on county
committees, such as fact sheets
and brochures, can be found
at www.fsa.usda.gov/elections
or at your local USDA Service
Center.
Home & Garden Tips
Tips on the Selection and Care of Christmas Trees
By Roosevelt McWilliams
County Extension Agent
Since the beginning of time,
trees of all kinds have symbolized
life. Evergreen came to symbol
ize immortality, because they did
not die when winter came. To cel
ebrate this triumph of life over
death, people began bringing the
evergreens into their homes. The
first recorded reference to the
Christmas tree dates back to the
1500’s in Europe.
The tradition was eventually
brought to the United States. In
1804, U.S. soldiers stationed at
Fort Dearborn (now Chicago)
hauled trees from surrounding
woods to then- barracks at Christ
mas. From there, the popularity of
the live Christmas tree proliferated.
Today it is more popular than ever.
To insure a safe and happy holi
day season, here are a few tips on
the selection and care of fresh
Christmas trees. By following
these suggestions will make
choosing a fresh tree more fun and
you will get the best value for your
money.
How to select a fresh tree?
• Determine where in your home
you will display your tree so that
you will be able to tell what size
and shape you need.
• Do freshness test. Hold a
branch about 6 inches from the tip.
Pull your hand toward the tip, al
lowing the branch to slip through
your fingers. Very few green
needles should come off in your
hand if the bee is fresh.
• Another freshness test is to lift
the tree a couple of inches off the
ground, then bring it down
abruptly on the stump end. The
outside green needles should not
fall off in substantial numbers.
Remember, inside needles do turn
brown and shed naturally every
year.
How to care for a fresh tree? The
most important thing to remem
ber is that real trees need water just
like a fresh bouquet of flowers.
• Make a fresh cut across the
base of the trunk 14 inch up from
the original cut. When a free is first
cut, a seal of sap occurs naturally
over its stump, which keeps mois
ture in the free. It’s important to
break that seal to allow the tree to
take up water needed to keep it
fresh throughout the holidays.
• Until you are ready to deco
rate, keep your tree outdoors,
standing in a bucket of water and
protected from the wind and sun.
This will help the free retain its
moisture.
• Keep plenty of water in the
stand. A Christmas free may ab
sorb a gallon of water in the first
24 hours it’s up and between two
pints to a gallon of water a day
thereafter. Check the stand daily
and supply fresh water as needed.
If the water supply mns out, a seal
will form on the cut surface of the
tree trunk and a new cut should be
made.
• Position your free away from
the heat sources such as fireplaces,
radiators and television sets.
Recipes from Louise
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Wash 0 Wax Special
JONES BROTHERS
DETAIL SHOP & HAIR SALON
“A Clean Car Rides Better”
105 13th Street
between McDonalds & Best Western
554-1640
By Louise McClain
Special to The True Citizen
Are you looking for some fes
tive finger foods to serve at a
neighborhood Christmas party or
a family get-together? Then look
no further. These dishes will de
light your guests and have them
asking you for the recipes to
serve to their own families all
year long.
Bread Bowl Fondue
1 unsliced round bread (1 lb.)
8 oz. process cheese (Velveeta), cubed
2 cups (16 oz.) sour cream
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1 cup diced fully cooked ham
14 cup chopped green onions
1 can (4 oz.) chopped green chilies
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 TBSP vegetable oil
1 TBSP butter or margarine, melted
Assorted fresh vegetables
Cut the top fourth off the loaf
of bread; set top aside. Carefully
hollow out bottom, leaving a Vi-
inch shell. Cube removed bread;
set aside. In a bowl, combine the
process cheese, sour cream and
cream cheese. Stir in the ham,
green onions, chilies and
Worcestershire sauce. Spoon into
bread shell; replace top. Wrap
tightly in heavy-duty foil and
place on a baking sheet. Bake at
350 degrees for 60-70 minutes or
until the filling is heated through.
Meanwhile, toss reserved bread
cubes with oil and butter. Place
in a 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-inch bak
ing pan. Bake for 10-15 minutes
or until golden brown, stirring
occasionally. Unwrap loaf and
remove bread top; stir filling.
Serve with vegetables and
toasted bread cubes. Yield: 5
cups.
Festive Crab Cups
1/3 cup cream cheese, softened
14 cup canned crabmeat, drained,
flaked and cartilage removed
2 TBSP chopped green onions
1 pkg. (2.1 oz.) frozen miniature phyllo
tart shells
1/3 cup whole-berry cranberry sauce
In a small bowl, combine the
cream cheese, crab and onions
until blended. Place the tart shells
on an ungreased baking sheet.
Drop 1 tablespoon of the crab
mixture into each shell. Top each
with 1 teaspoon cranberry sauce.
Bake at 375 degrees for 12-15
minutes or until heated through.
Yield: 15 appetizers.
Meet our Waynesboro Staff.
AgGeorgia Farm Credit is blessed with an eager and courteous
staff. We work hard to make sure our members receive the
newest loan products available on the market, keep your
interest rates low, keep your patronage program strong, and
provide you with service beyond compare.
Come experience the AgGeorgia Farm Credit difference.
Jlu AgGeorgia
rtljr Farm Credit
176 Highway 80 West | Waynesboro, Georgia
706.554.2107
www. aggeorgia. com
(From the left) Back row: Jim Hodges, Gaines Story, Dominee Thomas; Front row: Melissa Redd, Alice Getzinger
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