Farm-City Week Banquet

Tonight I attended the annual Farm City Week banquet in New Brockton at the Coffee County Cooperative Extension System building. The week before Thanksgiving is National Farm City Week. National Farm-City Week, always the week ending on Thanksgiving Day, is a time to reflect on our blessings. Since 1955, the National Farm-City Council, together with state and local councils and committees, has encouraged building understanding of our interdependence between rural and urban residents.
They didn't have farm city week when I was growing up on the farm. But 4-H was very big in our schools and we always had a rally in the spring that was a lot of fun and then summer camp.
I learned a lot in 4-H.


Tonight I observed that most people at the dinner were all dressed pretty much the same. It was hard to tell the farmers from the business men and politicians attending. I sat by a lady in her late 80's that I've know all my life, from the Curtis community. She gets invited to a "Real McCoy's" luncheon every year when they honor farmers over a certain age. She said I would qualify since I'm over 70 and grew up on a farm. I declined; too busy already.


The new president of Auburn University was the guest speaker and he gave a highlight of land grant colleges and their importance in the world today. He said they have around 18,000 applications and only accept 800. I wonder if any of these return to the farm when they graduate. My dad was a farmer but didn't go to college. Yet he could do almost anything with all his talents. I learned a lot from him and am a pretty good "fixer uper". I scored the highest in mechanics in my senior class and was so embarrassed!


FFA chapters (Future Farmers of America) are pretty popular in Coffee County Schools and they win lots of contests each year. They have about as many girls as boys in FFA. Tonight they were helping at the banquet, serving as hosts and hostesses, and performing musical selections for entertainment.


When I was growing up, farmers did not receive the respect they get today. People have to eat and I think we are all concerned about farmers and crops. I know I love our farmers!