Farm-City deemed a success

Published 6:00 am Saturday, November 25, 2017

Despite last weekend’s uncooperative weather, Limestone County Extension System’s Farm-City exhibition was a resounding success, according to Extension Director Chris Becker.

“Our goal was to educate people about the importance of agriculture today, the impact it makes on our daily lives and to teach kids where our food comes from,” Becker said.

He estimates that over 150 people attended the hands-on event that featured everything from bigger-than-life tractors to a fire ant expert to a petting zoo. Experts from as far as Auburn University set up educational booths at the exhibition.

“The animals were definitely a big hit,” Becker said. “Petting a farm animal is something some of these kids have never had a chance to do before.”

Fifth-graders from area schools who participate in monthly classroom 4-H programs competed in a poster contest that explored this year’s Farm-City theme, “Agriculture Food for Life.” Nicholas Brock, a fifth-grader from Elkmont Elementary took first place, second place went to Cedar Hill Elementary fifth-grader Clay Young and Blythe Menefee, a fifth-grader from Blue Springs Elementary, took third.

Becker said Limestone County hasn’t put on a Farm-City event for at least 15 years, so the success of this year’s event was a big deal for the Extension office.

“We are definitely going to do this again next year,” Becker said. “How we do it and where we do it may change. We may look at doing it during the middle of the week and bringing in kids from our county and city schools.”

“That would allow us to reach even more kids, and that’s what it is all about,” he added.