The Farm-City Committee of the Pike County Chamber of Commerce is gearing up for the annual Farm-City Week celebration, Nov. 19-26.

The committee met Thursday morning at the Chamber office to finalize plans for the Farm-City Banquet on Nov. 11 at Cattleman Park.

The banquet will feature the annual Farm-City Awards in the areas of row crops, specialty crops, beef, poultry, timber, conservation and service to agriculture. Young farmer and youth awards will also be presented along with recognition of a recently designated Pike County Century and Heritage Farm.

Awards will also be presented to the winners of the Farm-City poster (elementary) and essay (junior high) contests.

Tammy Powell, contest chair, said the number of essays was down slightly this year but the quality was outstanding.

Jewel Griffin reported that Farm-City coloring books have been delivered to the schools. The coloring books are an effort to make children more aware of the origin of their food and fiber.

Tickets for the Farm-City Banquet are still available by calling the Chamber office at 566-2294 through Monday. Tickets are $12 each and the banquet will include a traditional Thanksgiving dinner.

Powell suggested that since the banquet is on Veterans Day, the program should include patriotic music and recognition of America’s veterans.

Randy Hale, committee chair, said Farm-City Week activities to date include participation in the Pike County Fair with a booth that displayed the commodities produced in Pike County and the Farm-City Swap.

“The Farm-City Swap was a lot of fun,” said David Cole, swap co-coordinator. “Probate Judge Wes Allen and Joe Murphy, a poultry and cattle farmer, swapped jobs. Wes got on the tractor and did some disking and they fed the cows. Joe showed Wes around the chicken houses and Wes was very impressed with how scientific poultry farming is today.

“Joe learned that there are probably misconceptions about what a probate judge does. There’s a lot more to his job than you might think, especially at election time. Wes took Joe to where the voting machines are kept and showed him all that has to be done to get the machines ready. I think they even married a couple.”

Farm-City Week activities will continue over the next few months with the Red Hat and Farm tours and the mini-farm at a county elementary school.