WIFE Promotes Agriculture at Local Fair

By Bernice Tuttle

Publicity Chairman

November 7, 2003

Members of the Kiowa County WIFE Chapter were busy promoting agriculture at the county fair recently.

Fannie Murdock coordinated the fair booth that promoted WIFE and American agriculture. "What Amount Does the Farmer Receive from Your Food Purchases?" was the fair booth theme. Over 150 people took the time to fill out the questionnaire to guess what the farmer receives for sugar, milk, flour, chuck roast, candy bars, baked beans and other items. The grocery store prices for the items listed totaled up to $42.57. Of that figure the amount the farmer receives is $7.76. The average percentage is approximately 18 per cent. The amount the grocery store receives for Cheerios is $3.49 and the farmer receives only $.04 which is 1%. For chicken breasts that sell for $2.32 per pound the farmer receives $1.04 that is 45 per cent of the selling price.

The winner of the $50.00 gift certificate to Crow's Stop and Shop Grocery in Eads was Marcella Bellinger of Syracuse, Kansas. The woman's family name was Stinchcomb and they had lived near Brandon, Colorado many years ago.

Mary Ann Richardson and Fran Larrew assembled the float. The theme for the parade was "Pages From The Past". A sod shanty, outhouse, washtubs and scrubbing boards, clothes line, cow chips, cooking pot, horse-drawn plow, and grain sorghum made up the float. Two WIFE members were dressed in clothes and bonnets from days gone by and were scrubbing clothes as it made its way down the street.

For all of their efforts, Kiowa County WIFE received the first place award of $75.00 in the organization classification entries.

Women Involved in Farm Economics is a grassroots organization committed to improving profitability in production agriculture through educational, legislative, communicative and cooperative efforts.