Farm-City Week Ends on a High Note!

Pictured are Mrs. Betty Wilson, Farm City Week Chairperson, Mr. Clinton McRae, Richmond County Cooperative Extension Director, and Mr. Wiley Mabe, Farm-City Banquet Speaker and local businessmen. Mr. Mabe was presented a basket of local goodies to enjoy (much better than a plaque!)

Well, another Farm-City Week has come and gone. We hope that all of you took some time to share what you are thankful for with your family and friends over the Thanksgiving Break, and that you included the great agricultural heritage that we have in this country. We wouldn't have much of anything to be thankful for without the hard work of our farmers, and definitely not the good food that we had at my house!!

We had a very eventful Farm-City Week this year, ending with a wonderful banquet at the Cole Auditorium at RCC. Extension's own Ms. Carol Capel provided the entertainment for the evening with an amazing selection of songs to get everyone thinking about what we need to be thankful for. Mr. Wiley Mabe was our keynote speaker, and he shared his thoughts about growing up in Richmond County, his time spent away from home, and his desire to return. He stated that he owes a great deal of his success to the values he learned and support he recieved from the farming community and feels a strong desire to give back to his community wherever possible. Click here to see pictures from the Banquet!

We had a great time participating in this year's Farm-City Week activities, and hope that you did too. Please mark your calendars for next year, and remember to be thankful for all we have been blessed with in Richmond County!!

Farmer's Luncheon Honors Farmers!!

If you went by the Richmond County Cooperative Extension Office yesterday at this time, you would have noticed many people working hard on the grills, burners and deserts getting things ready for the Farmer's Luncheon! AND A LINE FORMING!!

Cooks Earl Graves, Tommy Peacock, Robert Hill, Myers Waddell, Neal Martin, Gene Shaw, Jamie Lambeth and David Dycus worked hard to prepare a fantastic meal, which included the Farmer's Luncheon Debut of Chevon, or goat meat! Everyone really enjoyed the meal and we want to thank thos who had a hand in preparing or providing it! Special thanks to First Health, Pee Dee Electric, and Purdue Farms for their donations to help make the event a success. Click Here to check out pictures of the event!

After everyone had their fill (or overfill!!) of all the great food, all the agricultural agencies gave a quick update, including Cooperative Extension, USDA Farm Services Agency, Soil & Water Conservation District, USDA Rural Development and North Carolina Department of Agrictulture. Dr. Sharon Morrissey of Richmond Community College spoke and invited everyone to a forum on Agricultural Education to be held in late January.

The Keynote Speaker for the event was Mr. James Haynes, Richmond County Manager. Mr. Haynes spoke on the values and character traits that agricultural live instills in youth and how being raised in a farming community helped lead him where he is today.

Richmond County Farm City Week is nearing its close, and we want to invite everyone to the Cole Auditorium at Richmond Community College for the Farm City Banquet. The Banquet begins at 6:30 and cost $10 which you can pay at the door. Extension's own Carol Capel will be providing a bit of musical entertainment and should not be missed!