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The Pike County Chamber of Commerce award-winning Pike County Farm City Committee held its first meeting of the 2021-2022 year at the Pike County Economic Development Center Wednesday.

Dana Sanders, Chamber president, said the theme for this year’s Farm City Week is “Down to Earth-Agriculture Sustains Alabama.” The theme will be carried out during the year as the Chamber moves forward with its projects and events.

The committee’s agenda focused on the calendar year and how events and activities will be planned and managed in accordance with concerns related to COVID-19.

Sanders said the tentative date for the 2021 Farm-City Banquet has been set for November 18, at Cattlemen Park. The committee agreed to continue with plans for the banquet, which recognizes individuals and businesses that have made outstanding contributions to the agribusiness community during the past year.

The committee made the decision to seek sponsorships for the 2021 Farm-City Banquet rather than sell tickets as in the past.  Committee members will be available to visit with civic clubs and organizations and share the importance of the farm-city relationship with the membership.

The Job Swap is a popular Farm-City event in which a member of the rural community and a member of the urban committee swap jobs for a day. The Job Swap is a hands-on opportunity for the participants to gain a better understanding of and appreciation for the job the other has and to share what they have experienced with others.

The committee considered options for the annual Farm-City Tour and decided a tour of Universal Precast would be of current interest to the membership.

Farm-City school events were discussed and ways were suggested as to how the events could be held with continuing coronavirus considerations.

Farm Day for all county/city third graders and Treasure Forest for all fifth/sixth graders are popular school programs that bring large groups of students together.

Deborah Huggins-Davis suggested participation as individual schools rather than bringing in all schools together.

The committee agreed to decorate a booth at the Pike County Fair that would highlight agriculture in Pike County. The committee also decided to have a float in the Annual Peanut Butter Festival the last Saturday in October.

The committee’s Touch a Tractor event will be a “go” as will the donation of farm-related books to the public libraries in Brundidge and Troy.