JULY 30, 2009 ISSUE
It’s a Farm City, and We’re Living in It
54th Annual Farm City Celebration at Blair Farm August 15
The annual Farm City Celebration will take place at a new location this year—Blair Fam in Boone. The new location features ties to local agricultural history and will be the site of a free Mini-Country Fair on August 15 before the banquet and awards ceremony. Photo by Patrick Pitzer
On Saturday, August 15, the 54th annual Farm City Celebration will take place on the grounds of Blair Farm, located on Deerfield Road across from the Boone Golf Course. The theme for the 2009 celebration is “Growing Youth, Growing Agriculture” to honor the 100th anniversary of the 4-H Clubs of North Carolina.
“We chose the Blair Farm this year because we wanted to have some outdoor exhibits and activities for families before the banquet begins. We moved [the event] to earlier in the year so we could have warmer weather,” explained Karee Mackey, interim director of Watauga County Cooperative Extension. “Also, the Blair Farm is one of the oldest structures in the county and it has ties to agriculture as well as ties to the old sauerkraut factory where the offices of Cooperative Extension are located today. It hits on all of that history perfectly.”
From 2:00 to 4:00 p.m., all are invited free of charge to attend a Mini-Country Fair that will include live animals, demonstrations and exhibits. Alpacas, miniature goats, chickens, ducks and rabbits will be some of the animals present. Demonstrations will include a weaving and spinning exhibit called “From Shear to Shawl.” Other exhibits will include the Audubon Blue Bird project, a water cycle demo, a bee observation hive demo, a Farmers’ Market exhibit, a Christmas Tree exhibit, a 4-H booth, a FFA (Future Farmers of America) booth and many others. Members of The Watauga Historical Society will conduct a house tour of the Blair Farm as well. Mark Freed of the Watauga Arts Council will provide live music during the afternoon.
From 4:00 to 5:00 p.m., the Farm City award winners will be announced. Awards this year include Youth in Agriculture, Women in Agriculture, Youth & Adult Volunteer, Agri-Tourism, Urban Gardening, the Farm & Food Steward award presented by the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association, the L.E Tuckwiller award that recognizes towns or communities for outstanding community development sponsored by the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce, along with awards for Growing Healthy Communities, Friend of Agriculture and Active at Work, which is presented by the Be Active Appalachian Partnership.
“There is no charge for the fun before dinner,” said Mackey. “But we would love to have people stay for the banquet and dinner, especially because we are featuring local produce and local chickens.”
From 5:00 to 6:00 p.m., an old-fashioned country-style dinner will be served featuring locally grown food catered by Bandana’s. Advanced tickets are $12 for adults and $6 for children 12 and under. A limited number of tickets are available for the dinner, said Mackey, so attendees are urged to buy dinner tickets early. To purchase tickets, call 828-264-3061 before Thursday, August 13.
“I hope people will come to support local agriculture and local community groups. This event is about community connections and it’s a great family time,” said Mackey. “For kids, this helps them appreciate where their food comes from and helps them appreciate and understand what people in the community do for each other.”
Farm City Celebration is presented annually by the Watauga County Cooperative Extension Service in conjunction with the Town of Boone, ASU, Watauga County and the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce, in a common effort to celebrate the historic and present ties between those who grow food and those that consume it and to share the common goal of growing healthy communities. Until this year, Farm City took place in November.
Want To Go?
Date: Saturday, August 15
Time: 2:00 to 6:00 p.m.
Location: Blair Farm, Boone
Cost: $12 for adults in advance/$6 for children 12 and under in advance
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