The Grant County Copper CowBelles met February 21^st for a brown bag luncheon meeting.  There were two guests, Deborah Van Tellingen and Mary Hudson.  The Pledge, Creed and Prayer were read and members spent a moment catching up on personal news.  The revised minutes for August 23, 2016 and October 25, 2016 will be sent out by email requesting any further corrections and will be formally approved at the March meeting.  President Pat Hunt urged everyone to check their emails more often for current news as Pat and Linda send out updates frequently.  Correspondence was a note from Kim Clark for her thank you gift for her Presidency last year.

There was much discussion about the upcoming Shindig, April 22^nd.  Projected income and expenses were discussed as well as the catered meal, decorations, auction items, advertising and an item for the scholarship fund.  March 11^th was set to meet at the storeroom to inventory decorating items.

Joan Woodward, Bobbie Neal-Little and Rosella Escobedo agreed to head the scholarship committee this year, Pat will forward all the materials they will need.  Pat reminded everyone of upcoming events:  District III meeting, March 25; McKeen Ranch Days (volunteers needed!) April 25-26; WALC, May 30-June 1 and Midyear in Ruidoso, June 19-21.  Kim Clark was thanked for her work on the yearbooks which will be sent out very soon.

Kathy Davis, Vivian Myers and Tammy Ogilvie were thanked for helping Pat with Chocolate Fantasia held February 11^th in downtown Silver City.  A note was sent to Charmeine, manager of the Silver City Food Coop, thanking her for inviting us to participant at their table.  We sold 4 cookbooks at the event and handed out beef information.

Via: Silver City Daily Press

Copper CowBelles keep ringing their bells for beef

Don’t be fooled by the adorable name, the Copper CowBelles are a powerful group of Grant County women busy with the task of convincing the community to love beef as much as they do.

They have ads promoting beef on the radio, give out certificates for free beef, have three different Copper CowBelle signs welcoming visitors to Grant County, have adopted the median on U.S. 180 across from Western Bank, and maintain a presence each year at the Grant County Fair and this past year, at the Tamal Fiesta.

And although this extremely active organization, made up of 30 Grant County women, turned 40 last year, its members say that it has largely stayed the same throughout the years because of an unfaltering belief in its strong values — beef promotion and the protection of western ranching heritage.

Read full article here.

 

President’s Message

Thanksgiving is a time for families, fellowship and gratitude. I’m thankful that I count all of you among my friends!

I want to thank each and every one of you for the time and effort that you have given to the CowBelle organization. This working group of women work hard to support the livestock industry. We support it with our labor and finances. We support it through information and publicity. We encourage the producers. And, we do all in our power to instill in the coming generations the love of the land and life. We are stewards of American agriculture and our western heritage.

I would like to invite you to our annual Christmas luncheon. It will be at the Extension Service on Tuesday, December 13th – gather at 11:30. Bring a potluck dish and come and join your fellow Belles in friendship.

I thank you for allowing me to lead you for another year. I am happy to pass the reins once again over to Pat Hunt. She will do an excellent job in 2017. Let’s do all we can to assist her, our organization and industry.

All the best,

Kim Clark

The following members were elected as the 2017 Officers, thank you and congratulations!!

President:  Pat Hunt                            1^st VP:  Judy O’Loughlin

Secretary:  Rosella Escobedo             Treasurer:  Beverly Medford

Linda Pecotte has agreed to be in charge of the Newsletter!  Several people have volunteered for committee chairs.  Be thinking about what role you want to play this coming year.

1st Annual Baking Contest at the Grant County Fair sponsored by candidates Rebecca Dow and Billy Billings.

The Copper Cowbelles, the local chapter of the national organization dedicated to the livestock industry promoting beef and beef education, has selected 3 awardees for their annual scholarship. Four hundred dollars will be awarded to each applicant. This year’s scholarships are in memory of past Cowbelle members, Helen Downs and Winnie Foy Momsen.

Recipients must be a sophomore, junior, senior, or graduate student in a college level school, a graduate from a Grant County high school and pursuing an agriculturally related field of study. They must maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or better in their college classes and submit a transcript with their application.

Ryan McCauley, Sabrina Thuerauf and Tanah Lowe are the 2016 recipients.

Read more here: www.grantcountybeat.com/news/news-releases/31420-copper-cowbelles-scholarship-awardees-2016

Contact a local CowBelle or stop by Aunt Judy’s Attic in Silver City to get your new cookbook!

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Cookbook Acknowledgements

We thank our dedicated CowBelle members, local ranching families and friends for their generous contribution of recipes and photos. Many members of the CowBelles have long histories of ranching in Grant County and the surrounding area. We would like to recognize Pat Bennett for getting the cookbook project started several years ago, and passing her work on to the Committee when she moved. We give a special thank you to Rhonda Lackey, a local artist, for the original cover design reused from our previous edition. A special thank you to JoAnn Miller, Cookbook ChairBelle, for all her long hours of collecting, organizing and finalizing the end product. We would never have made our printing deadline without her!

The Cookbook Committee members who gave so much of their time and enthusiasm to complete this cookbook for your enjoyment are:

• JoAnn Miller
• Pat Bennett
• Pat Hunt
• Genea Caldwell
• Megan Miller
• Judy O’Loughlin
• Linda Pecotte

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I would like to personally recognize the Cookbook Committee for the hard work and dedication put into this second edition, especially JoAnn Miller, her daughter Genea and her granddaughter Megan. I would also like to acknowledge Linda Johnston Lundy and Nancy Thomas for their dedication to publishing the 2006 edition, which was used as a template. I hope that you enjoy this Cookbook enough to keep a copy for yourself, and give others away as treasured gifts to family and friends.

For more information on the Grant County Copper CowBelles go to: coppercowbelles.org

All the best,

Kim Clark

2016 Copper CowBelle President

The Yarbrough Band is a Las Cruces-based award-winning classic western band whose favorite shows are the ones where people get up and dance. Their goal is to keep the tradition of Classic Country dance music alive in the Southwest. You can find the Yarbrough Band performing throughout New Mexico and southeastern Arizona at county fairs, wedding receptions or local events. Their music appeals to people of all ages. At rodeo dances, for example, you will find just as many, if not more, youngsters on the dance floor as old-timers.

The band began in 2007 as a family three-piece band with a young Jacy on vocal and fiddle, Dawson on the guitar and father Jason on vocals and bass. Over the years they have had a number of talented musicians join the family. Currently, Mike Matthews is on drums and vocals, Bill Radcliffe on guitar and the legendary Jimmy Tomlinson is on the Pedal Steel. The Yarbrough Band describes themselves as a “tight-knit, fun lovin’ family band” heavily influenced by older country artists like Merle Haggard, Buck Owens and Patsy Cline.

The Yarbrough Band will perform Saturday, April 30 at the annual Copper CowBelles Shindig. A long-standing tradition in Grant County, this dinner, dance and silent auction is sure to have something for everyone. The Shindig was originally started as an event for local ranchers to get together and socialize. Today, the event appeals to individuals from all walks of life and the highlight is the dance.

Kim Clark, Copper CowBelle President states, “If you like to dance, the Yarbrough Band is a treat. They play a mix of classic country covers and a few original songs that have a way of getting people out of their chairs and on their feet.”

You can get tickets to the dinner and dance at Aunt Judy’s Attic, Western Bank, Farm Bureau Insurance; Susan Sumrall or Mimbres Feeds in Deming. Ticket prices are $30 in advance and $35 at the door. The doors open for the dinner at 6 pm and the Yarbrough Band starts up at 7:30. This event at the Flame Convention Center in Silver City is a fundraiser for the CowBelles and proceeds support local agricultural projects throughout the year. For more information, go to www.coppercowbelles.com or the Copper CowBelles Facebook page.

“Many people in Grant County come up to me and state that they look forward all year long to attending the CowBelle’s Shindig, and dancing to the Yarbrough Band,” stated Clark.