August 5, 2020 Issue, Page 5 of 9

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Agriculture Wednes: , August 5, 2020 The Elk City News, Elk City, Oklahoma Page 5 Mystery seeds in the mail may be part of a ‘brushing scam’ By Tim Harlow, Star Tri- And then it would be wise to online and sends an unsolic- Candy Conniff got one of her personal information. formation and date the pack- bune, Minneapolis. check their bank accounts, ited item, like the seeds. The the packages at her home “It’s spooky,” she said. “It age was received. Officials with the U.S. credit card statements and seller then writes a glowing in Silver Lake, Minn., on came with my full address USDA is collecting seed Department of Agriculture credit reports, said Bao Vang review of the merchandise Thursday. She said her seeds and phone number on it.” (USDA) and the Better Busi- with the Better Business Bu- online, and uses evidence of looked like acorn squash. As of July 31, more than packages from recipients ness Bureau say packages of reau of Minnesota and North the mailed package to show But without being sure, there 600 Minnesotans had con- and will test their contents mystery seeds showing up Dakota. that the reviewer is a verified was no way she was going to tacted the Minnesota De- to determine if they contain in mailboxes may be part of Vang said such unsolic- buyer. The positive review is plant them in her large veg- partment of Agriculture’s anything that could be of what’s known as a “brushing ited packages, sometimes la- meant to improve a prod- etable and flower gardens Arrest the Pest Line to report scam.” beled as containing jewelry, ucts’ rating and sales, Vang at her home about 60 miles they had received packages concern to U.S. agriculture Anybody who gets one small electronics or other said, west of the Twin Cities. of seeds, said spokesman Al- or the environment, said of the unsolicited packages items, are used in the scams Receiving such a package “J put them back in the len Sommerfeld. Osama El-Lissy, with the containing seeds believed to boost products’ ratings in could be a sign that an indi- package and taped it shut,” The state agriculture de- Plant Protection program of to have come from China online marketplaces. vidual’s personal informa- Conniff said. partment has also set up an and neighboring Kyrgyz- It works like this: A third- tion has been compromised, But it makes her nervous e-mail where recipients can USDA’s Animal and Plant stan should not plant them. party seller finds addresses she said. that somebody might have leave their name, contact in- Health Inspection Service. OCA elects new officers Oklahoma pig farmers provide 2,600 pounds OKLAHOMA CITY - can was elected as South- of Davis and Paul Tuley of During the Oklahoma Cat- Central vice president. The Loco. tlemen’s Association general individuals elected to serve “The OCA is membership of meat to Food Bank business meeting on July 25, as representatives from the ‘owned and driven. I appreci- OCA President Mike Weeks past president's council are ate the willingness of fellow presided as OCA members Bob Drake of Davis and cattlemen to serve as volun- reviewed the committee rec- Mike Frey of Kingfisher. OKLAHOMA CITY- Pig drove a truck with a trailer staff fitting us into their busy teer leaders,” Weeks said in ommendations and elected Each year a new direc- farmers have faced many loaned by Larry & Debra the release. A complete list schedule and making this new officers. Weeks has tor is elected for each dis- obstacles because of the CO- Cheatwood of Vanoss, Okla- project possible.” of OCAOfficers and District served one year of his two- trict. The directors elected homa, to Texhoma, Okla- Directors can be found at VID-19 apandemic. But the FAPC, a part of the OSU year term as OCA President. this year to serve a three- okcattlemen.org. pandemic did not keep them homa, to pick up pigs and Division of Agricultural Members chose Byron year term are: Northwest, from supporting their state deliver them to Stillwater for For more information Sciences and Natural Re- Yeoman of Dover as pres- Jessie Bierig, Ringwood; when so many other Okla- processing. sources, helps to discover, about OCA membership, the ident-elect. Jim Dismukes North Central, Kelli Payne, homans faced great needs, Those pigs were processed develop and deliver techni- of Checotah was elected as Mustang; Southwest, Steve theft reward program or ac- according to the Oklahoma into ground pork and deliv- cal and business information Southeast District vice pres- Standridge, Chickasha; and tivities call 405-235-4391 or Pork Council [okPORK]. ered to the Regional Food ident and Zac Pogue of Dun- South Central, Seth Coffey visit www.okcattlemen.org. that stimulates and supports When pork processing Bank of Oklahoma. The the growth of value-added plants across the country result of this effort was ap- Inmates improve food and agricultural prod- had to operate at a reduced proximately 2,600 pounds, capacity, pigs were stuck on or 10,400 servings, of much- ucts and processing in Okla- farms longer than usual. ok- needed protein given to the homa. themselves, fight PORK staff began to search families served by the food “Tt was an honor to be able for local processing plants bank, the release stated. to harvest and process these that were available to pro- “We are so grateful for the animals for such a worthy food insecurity cess pork for donation to Oklahoma Pork Council,” cause,” said Brandon Kahle, the Regional Food Bank of said Deb Bunting, interim FAPC meat pilot plant man- Oklahoma. The Oklahoma CEO of the Regional Food ager, in the release. “The State University Robert M. Bank, in the release. “Our pandemic has certainly im- through gardening Kerr Food and Agricultural Products Center answered that call and Prestage Farms partner agencies across Cen- pacted the industry in many tral and Western Oklahoma have seen a large increase in ways.” okPORK is grateful to By Jill Harmacinski, The Center, a facility long nick- Nathan Forrest, 33, of of Oklahoma had pigs to do- new clients during the CO- everyone who was able to Eagle-Tribune, North An- named “The Farm.” Oper- Salisbury came to The Farm nate, according to a release VID-19 pandemic. During make this donation happen, dover, Mass. ated by The Essex County after his fourth conviction from okPORK. these difficult times, it is so the release stated. LAWRENCE, Mass. - The Sheriff’s Department, The for operating under the in- “The reality that we have important that we are able to The Oklahoma Pork manicured rows of vegeta- Farm is often the last stop fluence of alcohol. Previ- people in our great country offer protein to Oklahomans Council, a farmer-led orga- bles and fruits stretch some and a training facility for ously employed as a carpen- who go hungry on a daily living with food insecurity.” nization, represents the in- six acres, easily visible to county inmates, including ter, Forrest worked 90 hour basis is tragic,” said Greg Akey partner in this dona- terests of all Oklahoma pig those traveling north on In- those who are near the end work weeks and was used to Stephens, general manager tion was the OSU Robert M. farmers. Partially funded by terstate 495. of their sentences. being busy. His work in the for Prestage Farms of Okla- Kerr Food and Agricultural federally collected checkof} On Tuesday alone, more The garden is planted garden has led him to solace. homa. “Any entity or indi- Products Center, known as than 500 pounds of produce in April, with help from “It’s peaceful out here,” vidual that has resources to FAPC. dollars, okPORK promotes was harvested from the mas- Pleasant Valley Gardens in said Forrest, noting he, Me- help alleviate this situation “It was challenging to find pork and pork products, sive garden off Marston Methuen, and harvests run jias and a third inmate, who should feel morally obligat- a local processor who had funds research, and educates Street. The size of the gar- from May though Novem- did not want to be identified, ed to help in any way pos- the capacity to help us turn consumers and producers den gives the initial impres- ber. do all the weeding and pick- sible.” these pigs into a product that about the pork industry. For sion it’s part of large scale Everything grown in ing in the garden. The trio Each week for four weeks will benefit the food bank,” more information about this operation. the garden is prepared and volunteered to work in the in June and July, Lloyd said Roy Lee Lindsey, ok- or any other programs of ok- But just three county in- cooked for county inmates garden at the start of the sea- Hawkins, okPORK com- PORK executive director. PORK visit www.okpork.org mates are the driving force and donated to local non- son. munity outreach specialist, “We appreciate the FAPC or call 405.232.3781. behind the sprawling crops, profits, shelters and food Yes, they are “locked up,” which includes more than a banks. Roughly 40,000 he said. dozen fruits and vegetables - pounds is donated to charity “But we have the oppor- potatoes, carrots, onions, to- each year, said Kathy Law- tunity to do what we can,” matoes, squash, watermelon, rence, a senior correctional Forrest said. pumpkins and more. officer, who oversees food Local nonprofits that reap Water, patience and pride preparation. the garden benefits include: are their three successful in- Sgt. Dennis Laubner, a Lazarus House, St. Patrick’s gredients, the small group of corrections specialist, over- Church, Bread & Roses, inmates said during a visit to sees the garden with the in- Neighbors In Need and Peg- the garden this week. mates. He noted with CO- asus House, all of Lawrence; “Tt just makes me happy I VID-19 coronavirus, and The Joyful Ladle, Sacred am helping people, feeding many families facing food Heart Church, Merry Vista families,” said Jorge Mejias, insecurity due to the pan- and Violence Intervention who has nearly completed a demic, “we don’t want any- Program, all of Haverhill; domestic violence sentence thing to go to waste.” Our Neighbor’s Table of and will be released this Mejias said he’s enjoyed Amesbury; Beverly Boot- coming week. working in the garden and straps; Haven From Hunger “Tt makes me feel good the training he’s received. and St. John’s Church, both we are helping society,” said “It’s keeping me out of trou- of Peabody; Merrimack Val- Mejias, 40, of Lawrence. ble and I’ve learned about ley Food Bank of Lowell; The garden is located at the plants and the different And My Brother’s Table of The Correctional Alternative seeds.” Lynn.