for Farm City Awards

By JAINE TREADWELL

Features Editor

Published Sept. 21, 1999

Harvest time is a good time to say thank you to those who provide us with food and fiber at the cheapest cost of any country in the world.

Although the number of men and women who live and work on farms has dropped so low that they are not even included as a category in the United States census, the importance of the farmer and the family farm has not diminished.

Each year, a week in November is set aside to recognize the necessary relationship between farm and urban communities.

The Pike County Farm City Week Committee, which is an arm of the Pike County Chamber of Commerce, met Wednesday to discuss plans for Farm-City Week Nov. 19-25.

And the most important matter of the meeting was to open nominations for the Farm-City Week Awards.

The awards will be presented at the annual Farm-City Week Banquet to be held in November.

"The farmer is a major contributor to the economic system in Pike County," said Brenda Steed, chairperson of the Farm-City Week committee. "So many local businesses are dependent on the farmer, and, all things considered, farming is big business in Pike County."

The county can boast a good crop of dedicated farmers.

"We have many outstanding farmers to choose from when making nominations," Steed said. "They use good farming practices and are up-to-date on the suggestions made by government agencies. It is impossible for a few people to know all of the farmers who are deserving of this award. Therefore, we want to encourage people from all segments of the population to nominate those they feel are worthy of being recognized."

Nominations may be made in 11 categories: Agribusiness, beef, conservation, cotton, farm of distinction, forestry, peanuts, poultry, service to agriculture, youth and young farmer.

In order to encourage more nominations for the awards, the committee is making it easier to make a nomination.

Nomination forms are available at the Chamber office, local banks, the farmers’ co-ops, South Alabama Electric and other farm related businesses. The forms may be picked up, filled out and returned to the stated address.

Or, a nomination can be made by simply calling the name of the nominee into the Chamber office at 566-2294 and a form will be mailed to the nominee.

"We want to make it as easy and convenient as possible for people to make nominations," Steed said. "Everybody knows someone who should be recognized with a nomination. We won’t have a successful Farm-City Week or Farm-City Banquet without a representative number of nominations. So, we encourage everyone to take a few minutes and thank a farmer for all they do for us."

The deadline for receiving nominations is 4 p.m., Oct. 8.