Flowing Hills Creamery in Belmont was the setting for first day of the Louisiana Women in Agriculture (LWAG) Conference and Expo. Hundreds of women came from all over the great state of Louisiana and neighboring states with investments in all areas of agriculture to participate in the fourth annual conference. On March 12 attendees were treated to agri-tours. Original plans were to hold one bus tour in the morning at the Flowing Hills Creamery dairy. However, interest was so high the LWAG added an afternoon tour.
Morning and afternoon groups observed a presentation that included watching cows being milked and touring the processing facility. Owners and operators Wayne and Leslie Salley took turns leading the tours and fielding questions. The Salley duo and their two sons work daily on the family owned farm in north Louisiana where they process and bottle their own cream-line milk.
“We do this because we love it, and we hope you will, too,” said Leslie Salley. “Our cows have been milked daily since 1979. “The public can purchase Grade A pasteurized non-homogenized milk, whole milk, chocolate milk and butter milk anytime in Belmont.”
If you were asked to list the most important job in the nation, which would you list? Would you list president, lawyer, doctor or scientist? How about the American farmer? Farmers would probably not be on your list. Do you realize less than two percent of the population is directly employed in agriculture? Our farmers are too often taken for granted. We often fail to realize how important farmers are to our daily existence as they provide our food and fiber.
Conservation and management of our natural resources are dependent upon the people who choose farming as a career today, women are playing a very important role in doing just that. This can be seen throughout Louisiana where women may be found, either caring for their own land or managing a family tract. Their role in management varies from cultivating the land to purchasing equipment to marketing the product they produce. For these very important reasons the LWAG continues to grow and provide valuable information to women. The last day session in Alexandria concluded with a day filled with empowering speakers.
All were welcomed by the local USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Many Field Office District Conservationist Drew Coombs and Anita Manshack, Sabine SWCD. At the end of each tour samples of whole milk and chocolate milk were enjoyed. After the milk sampling numbers were drawn for prizes provided by local supporters of agriculture in Sabine Parish. Lucky winners took home fabulous gifts from BOM, Ashley Parrie, Manager, Many Branch; Family Farm & Garden, Chris Walker and Rick McConnell, Managers, Many; Pratt’s Honey Farm, Jim Pratt, Owner, Converse; and Tractor Supply, Ronnie Toney, Manager, Many.
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