Governor Bob McDonnell has announced the first-ever grant from the Governor’s Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development (AFID) Fund to Homestead Creamery, Inc. during a visit to the Franklin County company’s processing facility and market in Burnt Chimney. Over the next three years, Homestead will invest $1.1 million in a facility expansion and upgrade, almost double the number of full-time employees by hiring an additional 20 full-time positions, and increase its purchases of Virginia grown agriculture products by almost $1.5 million.

“Awarding the first-ever AFID grant to a company like Homestead Creamery, with its full commitment to Virginia farmers and Virginia grown products, is the perfect way to launch this new program from my administration’s economic development and jobs creation agenda,” said Governor McDonnell, who proposed the AFID during the 2012 General Assembly session. “Homestead is just the type of company for which this program was built, one that can take the high quality agricultural products Virginia has to offer and turn them into value-added products consumers are seeking. I’m certain the AFID will provide further growth opportunities for Virginia’s diverse agricultural economy, the Commonwealth’s largest industry.”

“The creation of AFID was about incentivizing new and expanding agricultural processing facilities, but it was also about generating additional revenue and growth opportunities for Virginia farmers,” said Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry, Todd P. Haymore. “The Homestead Creamery project is exciting because with the assistance of AFID, Homestead is going to be able to increase its product offerings and double its employment numbers while also increasing its purchases from area farmers, helping those individual farming operations realize greater revenue in the process as well.”

“Homestead Creamery is best known for delicious ice cream and all natural, fresh milk and dairy products,” said president Donnie Montgomery, a third-generation dairy farmer. “On behalf of our company, I thank the governor, our local elected officials and the tobacco commission for their support and confidence. We look forward to growing Homestead with traditional dairy methods that consumers are embracing as they seek all-natural products for their families.”

“Agriculture is big business in Franklin County, and we’re delighted to be the first locality in the Commonwealth with a business benefiting from a new state incentive program that recognizes the economic benefits and contributions of local farmers and growers,” said David Cundiff, chairman of the Franklin County Board of Supervisors and a commissioner of the Virginia Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Commission.

The three-year expansion project will add warehousing and cold storage space and production capacity for new dairy products, including cheese, yogurt and sour cream. The new production lines and processing capacity will enable the company to balance its milk supply and increase the volume and variety of products offered through all of its distribution channels. Homestead projects that more than 45 agricultural producers in the Commonwealth will be impacted by the project as a result of increased production at its operations in Franklin County.

The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Office of Agriculture and Forestry Development Services (AFDS) worked with Homestead and Franklin County to finalize the grant. The Virginia Economic Development Partnership also provided additional analysis of the grant proposal, as well as assisting AFDS and the Agriculture and Forestry Secretariat with counsel in launching the AFID program. Governor McDonnell approved a $60,000 grant from the AFID to assist Franklin County with the project. Matching funds are being provided through a $45,000 grant from the Tobacco Region Opportunity Fund, administered by the Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Commission, and a Franklin County grant of $30,000.

About Homestead Creamery, Inc.

Homestead Creamery, Inc. is a producer and distributer of bottled milk, ice cream and other dairy products that also maintains a store featuring Virginia’s Finest and Virginia Grown products at its production facility in Burnt Chimney. The company distributes to a number of grocery and specialty stores, college dining facilities and also maintains home delivery service of their products and local produce. All of the milk, cream, eggs and produce used by Homestead in its products are 100 percent Virginia grown.

About the Agriculture and Forestry Industries Development Fund

The creation of the AFID was part of Governor McDonnell’s jobs-creation and economic development agenda during the 2012 session of the General Assembly. Funded at $1 million in each year of the biennium, the AFID is broken into two categories with $750,000 going to large grants to assist local efforts in expanding current or attracting new agriculture and forestry processing facilities using Virginia-grown products (http://www.vdacs.virginia.gov/agribusiness/afid.shtml) and $250,000 dedicated to small grants to assist localities in improving local economic development efforts relating to agribusiness (http://www.vdacs.virginia.gov/agribusiness/planning.shtml).

Members of the Women’s Committees in the Midwest District gather at the Floyd County Farm Bureau office for a Capitol Coffee Hour

The Virginia Farm Bureau Governmental Relations Department aren’t the only ones getting ready for the upcoming General Assembly session.

Virginia Farm Bureau Women’s Committees across the state have been holding Capitol Coffee Hours to train their members on answering action alerts electronically.

The Capitol Coffee Hours are an excuse for the ladies to get together and socialize, while also learning how to respond to action alerts and more about Farm Bureau’s legislative priority issues.

Trainings are taking place now with more Capitol Coffee Hours to be scheduled during the 2013 General Assembly, which starts on January 9th. If you’re and member of a county Women’s Committee and interested in attending a training or a Capitol Coffee Hour in your district or county, please contact your county chair, district chair or Field Services Director.

Also, to start receiving action alerts, please contact Kelly Pruitt at 804-290-1293 or kprui@vafb.com

From the Field is a bi-monthly column written by Mark Campbell, Farm Bureau Field Services Director for the Central District. He writes about Farm Bureau member benefits and County Farm Bureau activities.

We just finished the 87th Convention of Virginia Farm Bureau in Chantilly last week. Approximately 800-900 people attend every year, and this year was no different.

Numerous staff from the home office and field that worked at the convention were as busy as elves the week before Christmas making sure everything ran smoothly. There was a lot to do in three days. There were elections for officers, directors, and voting delegates; polices discussed and voted upon; and contests and workshops that took place. The activity was non stop each day from 7:00am to 10:00pm.

Scott Sink from Franklin County was elected as vice-president. Richard Sutherland from Grayson County was elected as a new director and Nate Aker of Wythe County was elected as Chairman of the VFBF Young Farmer Committee. Janice Burton of Halifax County was re-elected as chairman of the VFBF Women’s Committee, and Wayne Pryor of Goochland County was re-elected as President.

One of the things that I enjoy at convention is talking to people from all areas of the state. In one conversation with a farmer from Southampton County, I was pleased to hear that the Southeastern part of the state had better than expected crop yields. Corn yields were variable depending on rainfall and heat impacts on pollination. Soybean and peanut yields were reported to be better than expected. In other parts of the state, farmers reported an extra supply of hay. The dry fall that we have had will obviously cause livestock farmers to feed hay a little sooner than expected. Even though we had some warm days, the lack of precipitation squandered any opportunities to grow much grass this fall. Overall, I heard good reports from farmers on this year’s production.

One other thing that brings great satisfaction to us as District Field Services Directors, since we do a lot of leadership development, is seeing the glow of excitement from first time convention attendees. These first time attendees gain a unique perspective of the entire Farm Bureau organization and its purpose in action. Those first time attendees return back to their county with a renewed motivation to help their county Farm Bureau be active and successful in their part of the state.

Just to give you an idea of how motivational and inspirational attending the convention can be, I will share a quick story of Orange County from a few years ago. One year when the convention was to be held at The Homestead, Orange County Farm Bureau had a two day-one night stay at the VFB Convention as a prize drawing at their county fair. The winner just so happened to be a producer member. The member was so impressed with what he saw at convention that he became a director the following year on the Orange County Farm Bureau board of directors.

If you have never attended a Farm Bureau convention, I encourage you to work with your county Farm Bureau and volunteer to attend. If you have attended a convention, I encourage you to get other producer members to attend. You just may be grooming your next board member, and I know from first hand experience that they will enjoy it.

Until next time,
Mark

The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) released guidelines today for applications for the Beehive Grant Fund created by the 2012 Virginia General Assembly. The General Assembly created the fund to promote the establishment of new beehives in the Commonwealth.

Beginning January 1, 2013, any individual who purchases a new hive or purchases materials or supplies to construct a new hive may apply for a grant from the fund. Each grant will be in the amount of actual expenses incurred for the purchase of items to establish a new hive, up to $200 per hive, not to exceed $2,400 per individual per year.

Appropriations for this program are $125,000 for Fiscal Year 2013 (July 2012 to June 2013) and $125,000 for Fiscal Year 2014 (July 2013 to June 2014). In the event that the amount of funds requested exceeds the amount of funds available that fiscal year, such grants shall be paid in the next fiscal year in which funds are available.

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

• The grants are available only to residents of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

• Applicants must be 18 years of age at the time the application is submitted.

• Funds received through the Beehive Grant Program are subject to state and federal taxes.

• New hives funded through this program, either fully or in part, shall be installed and remain within the Commonwealth of Virginia.

• A qualifying purchase must include all of the following qualified items, provided the items are used to establish a new hive: hive boxes, frames and foundation.

• The following items also will qualify if purchased in conjunction with the items above: bottom board, inner cover, outer cover, queen excluder and feeder.

• Non-qualified items include hand or electric tools, honey bees or queens, hive stands, raw materials used to fabricate a hive component, used hive components and personal apparel or equipment.

• Qualified items must be used to establish a new hive with a viable colony of honey bees within one year of the date the items were purchased.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Requests for grants from the fund may be submitted electronically to VDACS utilizing the online application that will be accessible at www.vdacs.virginia.gov.

Applicants may also send completed applications or required documentation to:
Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
Office of Plant Industry Services
Beehive Grant Program
102 Governor Street, Room LL55
Richmond, VA 23219
FAX: 804.371.7793
Processing may be delayed for those applications that VDACS receives by mail or fax.

Governor Bob McDonnell today announced a new initiative to help farmers implement high-priority conservation practices and improve water quality statewide.

The new Virginia Enhanced Conservation Initiative (VECI), managed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), will boost existing state agricultural cost-sharing programs that provide farmers financial and technical assistance to implement stream exclusion and pastureland conservation practices.

“Virginia farmers now have a new avenue to increase profitability and conservation on their lands,” McDonnell said. “By focusing on the practice of streamside livestock exclusion, we are helping producers protect their financial interest and do their part to protect Virginia’s precious waters.”

“Under the initiative, farmers can be reimbursed up to 100 percent of the cost to install systems that manage grazing and keep livestock out of nearby waterways,” said Doug Domenech, Secretary of Natural Resources. Reimbursement for installing identified “stream-exclusion” systems previously has been capped at 75 percent under the state’s cost-share program.

“Keeping livestock out of rivers and streams is critical to reducing water contamination and pollution, and to improving water quality throughout the state,” said McDonnell. “Studies have also shown that keeping livestock out of streams leads to healthier herds and fewer veterinary bills.”

“Farmers are long-standing stewards of their lands and the natural resources of the Commonwealth,” said Todd Haymore, Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry. “Oftentimes, cost is the greatest impediment to farmers adopting additional best management practices. In appreciate the partnership we have with Secretary Domenech and our natural resources agencies and programs such as VECI which are instrumental in providing farmers the resources they need to continue to keep agriculture as Virginia’s largest industry while also responsibly caring for its environment.”

Approximately $3 million will be available for the enhanced reimbursement under VECI. To apply, farmers must first have an approved program year 2013 contract under the DCR Virginia Agricultural Best Management Practices Cost-Share Program (VACS).

“We realize that cost can be a barrier to the implementation of this practice across the state,” said DCR Director David A. Johnson. “The Virginia Enhanced Conservation Initiative will encourage more farmers to install these systems and reap the benefits of healthier herds and better pasture management.”

Stream-exclusion systems include features that prevent livestock from entering nearby waterways. Components include fences, watering troughs, vegetative buffers, wells and pumps.

Since 1984, DCR has partnered with Virginia’s Soil and Water Conservation Districts to run the agricultural cost-share program. Funded by the state and delivered locally by districts, the program helps farmers implement dozens of best practices, such as erosion-control systems, cover crops, animal-waste facilities and more.

“The agriculture community has been a strong partner in improving the health of the Chesapeake Bay and southern rivers,” said Domenech. “We are pleased to work with our agricultural stakeholders in this effort.”

Interested individuals should contact their local district office for more information about VECI, as well as other incentive programs. To locate the nearest district office, visit www.vaswcd.org.

The Coal and Energy Commission will be meeting jointly with the Uranium Mining Subcommittee on Tuesday, December 11, 2012 at 5:00 PM at the Olde Dominion Agricultural Complex, 19783 US Highway 29 South, Chatham, VA, 24531 (http://www.theodac.com) for the purpose of receiving the Governor’s Uranium Working Group Report. No action on the report will be taken at the meeting. Written questions will be taken from the audience after the presentation from the Uranium Working Group. Another legislative meeting will be scheduled in Richmond prior to the beginning of the 2013 legislative session. The discussion of any possible action or recommendation related to the Governor’s Working Group Report will take place at this meeting.

Governor Bob McDonnell has received and transmitted to the General Assembly the final report of the Uranium Working Group regarding a conceptual regulatory framework should the General Assembly act to lift the current moratorium on uranium mining in the Commonwealth. The Working Group was not asked to make a recommendation on the overall question of the feasibility of uranium mining in the Commonwealth. The report was requested by the General Assembly a year ago. The Governor will now review the report in the weeks ahead. The report is available HERE. In addition, the Governor has issued the following statement upon receipt of the report.

“Almost a year ago, the National Academy of Sciences issued a long awaited report on uranium mining. While the NAS report provided much useful information, it offered very little specific to the issues in Virginia, and left many questions unanswered. For that reason, members of the General Assembly asked me to task the appropriate Executive Branch agencies with providing substantial, additional information and to determine what a comprehensive regulatory program for safe uranium mining might look like, should the current moratorium be lifted by the General Assembly in the years ahead.

In response, I promptly directed establishment of a Uranium Working Group from the subject matter experts in the departments of Mines Minerals and Energy, Health, and Environmental Quality. This Working Group was tasked with providing a detailed scientific policy analysis that would inform the General Assembly what a regulatory framework for uranium mining might look like if they decide to lift the moratorium. We identified 18 specific questions for the Working Group to address and authorized it to hire appropriate technical experts as needed to assist in their work.

For the past 10 months, the geologists, hydrologists, biologists, health scientists, attorneys, and other regulatory experts at DMME, VDH and DEQ – together with experts from around the country pursuant to two contracts for expert assistance entered into by the Working Group retained after a competitive bidding process – have examined the issues put before them. They have reviewed previous reports and scientific literature, visited the Coles Hill site, met with federal and state regulators and regulators from other states and countries, and met together numerous times to discuss their findings and determine what more they needed to know. In addition, as they completed their review of specific topics, the Working Group held six public meetings, in different parts of the Commonwealth, to share the information they had, respond to public questions, and hear public comment. Significant input was also received and reviewed through the Working Group’s web site (http://www.uwg.vi.virginia.gov), which now offers a tremendous volume of related materials, including reports from the experts hired to assist in their analysis, a bibliography of other materials reviewed, and the comments, questions and responses received from the public during their work.

As requested by the General Assembly and our office, the Working Group developed a conceptual regulatory framework that identifies the statutory and regulatory measures that would be necessary if a legislative decision is made to lift the moratorium. One element of their work – the examination of potential socioeconomic impacts – has been delayed by the difficulty in finding a suitable, objective expert to undertake the necessary survey work that has not already been employed to do work by stakeholders on one side of the issue or the other. As a consequence, and because the Group was unwilling to limit the original scope of this portion of their work, an addendum to the Group’s final report will be provided when the contractor’s work is complete, hopefully in mid-January.

The Working Group was not asked for, and has not provided, an ultimate policy recommendation on whether or not the moratorium on uranium mining in the Commonwealth should be lifted. If the General Assembly decides to lift the moratorium, it will be necessary to amend and adopt statutes and authorize the subsequent development of actual regulations pursuant to the Virginia Administrative Process Act. Only after regulations are developed, proposed, adopted and approved after a lengthy public process could an application for a permit to mine uranium in Virginia be developed and submitted for consideration.

Today the Working Group has delivered its final report to our office pursuant to its deadline of December 1, 2012. At the same time, we are delivering the report to the members of the General Assembly and made available to the public. It will also be posted to the Working Group’s web site. I look forward to reviewing the full report, meeting with our agency experts to discuss their work, and hearing the views of the experts on the Coal and Energy Commission’s Uranium Subcommittee in the coming weeks. I understand that this issue is critically important to many Virginians, and that it raises appropriate concern among many in the vicinity of Coles Hill and beyond. I believe it is crucially important that all voices be heard in the decision-making process ahead. For that reason, in addition to meeting with my staff in the coming weeks, I will meet with stakeholders on both sides of the issue, and will review the public input received to date, before deciding whether or not I will make any recommendation on uranium mining in the Commonwealth. I have formed no prior opinion on whether mining should be permitted, as I have awaited, like most should, the publication of this report. As I have previously noted, the overriding consideration is whether uranium mining and milling can be conducted with a high degree of public safety, and whether suitable assurances can be given that the air, water, health, and well-being of the citizens will be protected.

Finally, I want to commend the great efforts of the Working Group. The agency staff who participated in this important work did so with a high level of professionalism, openness and evenhandedness. They have completed their task with great diligence and thoroughness and met their deadline. As I begin to evaluate the report, I thank them for their tremendous work and I am confident it will help me, the General Assembly, and the public reach an appropriate decision on this matter.”

Gov. Robert F. McDonnell raised a glass of Virginia sparkling cider and toasted the efforts of Virginia Farm Bureau Federation to pass a constitutional amendment to protect private property rights.

“It’s cider month, so it’s only appropriate to make a toast to great cider makers in Virginia and to you for putting your heart and soul into enshrining private property rights in the [state] constitution,” McDonnell told participants in the VFBF Annual Convention in Chantilly on Nov. 27. “I want to salute you for the significant work you’ve done on passage of the amendment. I don’t think it would have happened without the efforts of the Farm Bureau.”

Question 1 on the Nov. 6 Virginia ballot passed by 75 percent. The amendment requires all government and private condemning authorities to ensure that any eminent domain takings are for public purposes rather than private gain. It also requires that property owners be paid fair market value for their land; limits takings to land necessary for public purposes; and requires compensation to landowners for lost business and access.

“It’s a battle we all started together back in 2005 with the Kelo v. New London decision,” McDonnell said, referring to a U.S. Supreme Court case that allowed a Connecticut town to take people’s homes for private development. “We finally got it on the ballot for the voters, and I’d say a 3-to-1 majority is a terrific effort. And I commend you for that.”

McDonnell also praised Farm Bureau for entering a partnership to present the State Fair of Virginia after the previous owners declared bankruptcy. “You did in eight weeks what no one else thought was possible and put on a State Fair. It was really a terrific effort on your part.”

He also commended the organization for helping sponsor the annual Governor’s Conference on Agricultural Trade, which attracts trade officials from around the world. Virginia’s agricultural and forestry exports totaled $2.35 billion last year, McDonnell said, and he plans to continue promoting Virginia products globally.

“You keep working hard and produce some of the best farm and forestry products, and we’ll continue to promote them around the world,” he said.

The fifth annual Governor’s Conference on Agricultural Trade will be held March 7 and 8, 2013, in Richmond.

Virginia farmers will recognize some of their peers during the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation Annual Convention Nov. 27-29 at the Westfields Marriott in Chantilly.

Young Farmers with a talent for problem-solving will participate in the final round of the VFBF Young Farmers Discussion Meet. The competition simulates a committee-style discussion about a predetermined agricultural topic, with judging based on participants’ consensus-building skills.

Additionally, a young farmer or farm couple who are successful in production agriculture and as leaders in their community will be recognized with the VFBF Young Farmers Achievement Award.

The Achievement Award and Discussion Meet winners will compete on the national level in January at the 2013 American Farm Bureau Federation Annual Convention in Nashville.

At a Nov. 27 dinner, Gov. Bob McDonnell will recognize the Farm Bureau members who helped encourage state legislators and voters to support an amendment to Virginia’s constitution to protect landowners from eminent domain abuse. County Farm Bureau members mailed more than 14,000 postcards to their state legislators last winter and distributed more than 10,000 “Vote ‘Yes’ on Question 1” yard signs this fall.

The amendment, which will take effect Jan. 1, 2013, requires all government and private condemning authorities to assure that any eminent domain condemnation is for public purposes, not for private gain.

During a Nov. 28 banquet, Farm Bureau will present its annual Distinguished Service Awards, which recognize individuals who have worked diligently to support the organization and Virginia’s agriculture industry.

The theme of this year’s convention is “Freedom to Farm: Cultivating the American Dream.” On the agenda for Nov. 27 is an educational workshop about how world economies are influencing agriculture, and another workshop about ways farmers can engage in national conversations regarding the nation’s food supply.

During the convention’s opening luncheon, keynote speaker Stuart Rothenberg, a political writer, will talk about how the recent presidential election could affect farmers. The luncheon also will be used to recognize print and broadcast news professionals with the 25th annual VFBF Journalism Awards for exemplary coverage of agriculture.

During general sessions of the convention, delegates from Virginia’s 88 county Farm Bureaus will discuss and vote on the organization’s state and federal legislative policies for the coming year.

Stay tuned to the blog for live updates from convention next week. And if you’re a producer member attending the convention, stop by the Governmental Relations booth in the exhibit hall to learn more about our 2013 critical issues.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Delegate Ed Scott and Farm Bureau members

From the Field is a bi-monthly column written by Mark Campbell, Farm Bureau Field Services Director for the Central District. He writes about Farm Bureau member benefits and County Farm Bureau activities.

Yesterday started out as a typical day with a schedule of assisting a County Administrative Assistant in the Louisa County Farm Bureau office with the end-of-year tax package, developing a budget for that same county Farm Bureau, and finishing the day with the Senatorial District Meeting in Zion Crossroads.

The Senatorial District Meetings are regional meetings where Farm Bureau producer members meet with Virginia delegates and senators to discuss Farm Bureau’s priority issues for the upcoming General Assembly session. The meeting started at 5:30 p.m. for orientation of the issues for Farm Bureau members. The issues were property rights and trespass, funding for Soil and Water Districts, additional funding for agriculture BMPs, and additional funding for predator control, especially east of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

I got to the meeting location one hour in advance to get set up. Upon arriving, the first thing I saw was bare wooden tables with no tablecloths. I quickly remembered that I should have brought some plastic roll-out tablecloth that I had used at this location before, since they don’t provide table linens. Luckily, there was a Wal-Mart across the road. I thought they might have what I needed. After a little searching I found the holiday section of the store where there were some tablecloths, but not the quick, inexpensive, cut to preferred size roll-out tablecloths. Most were all fabric. Alas, I found some that would work. Now my dilemma was which kind to pick. Do I go with the ones with the Santa Claus and elves or do I go with the ones with the holly and pine branches? I went the conservative route and chose the holly and pine branches tablecloths, and I purchased all they had.

At about 5:15 p.m., Andrew Smith from the VFB Governmental Relations department called me on my cell phone and said “aahhh, are you going to be here soon and are there no tablecloths?” I replied, “Not to worry. I am pulling into the parking lot now.” Problem solved.

Approximately 41 people from several counties in central Virginia were signed up to attend, and everything was perfect when they arrived. Counties represented were Albemarle, Cumberland, Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa, Madison, Orange, and Spotsylvania. The legislators and legislative aides of those legislators that could not attend arrived at 7:00 p.m. They were Senator Bryce Reeves, Delegate Ed Scott, Delegate Peter Farrell’s legislative aide, Stefanie Kitchen; Delegate Rob Bell’s legislative aide, Jordan Dix; and Senator Garrett Jr.’s legislative aide, Susan Lascolette.We had a delicious dinner prepared by a caterer from Madison County that I use quite a bit for Farm Bureau meetings. We even had leftovers, which were quickly snapped up by members at the end of the meeting.

There was good discussion on all issues from members and legislators. Senator Bryce Reeves and Jordan Dix, legislative aide to Delegate Rob Bell, especially thanked Farm Bureau members for their yeomen’s work on getting the constitutional amendment on eminent domain passed by such a wide margin.

Several members were very knowledgeable about the agriculture BMPs, watershed implementation plan, cost share conservation programs, and soil and water districts. Brad Jarvis of Madison County was one member who gave detailed information on these areas. Members with this wealth of knowledge on issues and testimonials provide the legislators a keen understanding of the issues.

 After a successful meeting, I looked back on my day–a day that involved analyzing financial statements, crunching budget numbers, picking out tablecloths, and discussions of policies with state legislators. That’s a day in the life of a Farm Bureau fieldman.

To cap off the day, I cranked up a little George Strait and Jason Aldean on the radio for the drive home. I will have a few days off for the holiday and weekend with some down time and relaxation of splitting wood, synchronizing cows to get them ready for A.I. breeding, and, of course, spending time with family on Thanksgiving.

I wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving and the time to cherish your family.

Until next time,
Mark