By Scott Nicholson
The 53rd annual Farm-City Banquet brought together the
best of the urban and rural sectors of the county, with more than
250 people gathering at the Boone United Methodist Church for
dinner and awards recognition.
With the theme of “Bringing Us Together,” Thursday evening
turned into a celebration of agriculture, community service and
sustainable-living and environmental efforts.
Master of ceremonies Dan Meyer, president of the Boone Area Chamber
of Commerce, announced the establishment of the Sue Counts Family
& Community Endowment, with last year’s endowment in
honor of Robert Shipley already meeting its goal of $15,000.
Sue Counts, who recently retired as director of the Watauga County
branch of the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service, received
the Farm-City Spirit Award. A video tribute touted her support
of community programs, environmental efforts, local food, and
creation of Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture.
Local farmer Diane Price said Counts had been instrumental in
sparking a number of agricultural projects.
Counts has been supportive of MountainKeepers and the annual Big
Sweep river clean-ups. She also served as chairwoman of the chamber
of commerce board of directors, and Meyer said Counts had been
instrumental in promoting ecotourism and the choose-and-cut Christmas
tree industry.
Counts said she’d been in the area since 1981 and was proud
to have served in her role with the N.C. Cooperative Extension
Service.
“The people in this community have been absolutely fantastic,”
she said, adding she’d been fortunate to serve the town,
farmers and the community. She told the audience she was delighted
to remain in the area and continue her efforts.
Other awards given out at the banquet include:
FRIEND OF AGRICULTURE: Charles Church
Church was once the second-largest tobacco grower in Watauga County
who made the transition to organic crops. Meyer described him
as “an early adapter.”
“He is a leader in the farm community who is likely to make
positive change and to influence other farmers to make that change,”
Meyer said. “This is what Charles Church has done in converting
from being the second largest tobacco grower in the county to
being a leader in growing organic vegetables. Charles is a leader
in the New River Organic Growers and a leader in the farm community.”
WOMAN IN AGRICULTURE: Helen Moretz
Helen Moretz is a family farmer in Watauga County and was employed
by Wachovia Bank until her retirement. Moretz organized the Farm
Bureau Women’s Committee, and since 2002, Moretz has been
instrumental in organizing the R. Flake Shaw Scholarship Fund
5-K Run. This 5-K Run has brought more than $21,000 to be used
for scholarships for students across North Carolina to attend
college in the agriculture field.
YOUTH IN AGRICULTURE: Daniel Brown
Daniel Brown, 15, is the fourth generation to farm the land on
which he lives and is aspiring to be a leader in the beef industry.
Brown helped his father establish a rotational grazing system
on their farm; he has his own beef cows, calves and heifer; he
is involved in the Supervised Agricultural Experience project
at the Watauga High School FFA Chapter; he helped to start the
Watauga 4-H Livestock Club and he was accepted to the Perry &
Dorris Teeter 4-H Beef Leadership Institute.
WATAUGA COUNTY CHRISTMAS TREE ASSOCIATION TREE FARMER OF THE YEAR:
Simon Smith
Smith operates Wintergreen Tree Farm with an 1864-era cabin, with
a choose-and-cut farm offering spruce, Fraser fir, white pine
and Canaan fir, along with two greenhouses full of flowers, plants
and landscaping shrubs
WATAUGA COUNTY CHRISTMAS TREE ASSOCIATION PAST PRESIDENT’S
AWARD: Ewing Harmon
Harmon helped lead the local tree growers and choose-and-cut industries
during a time of expanded promotion and increased identification
of the industry’s role in ecotourism. He operates Ewing’s
Fraser Fir Farm in Vilas.
CATTLEMEN’S AWARD: Jason Brooks
Brooks and his family raise grass-fed cattle and sell naturally
raised beef at the Watauga County Farmers’ Market. He raises
Angus cattle on his farm in Vilas.
FARM AND FOOD STEWARD AWARD: Watauga County Farmers’ Market
The Watauga County Farmers’ Market has been in operation
since 1974 and is located at the Horn In The West in Boone. The
market is a direct link between local farmers and the consumer.
Local support for farming allows increased awareness of good land
practices, preservation of rural landscapes and lifestyles, and
the minimal use of pesticides.
BEEKEEPERS’ AWARD: Joe Dailey
Dailey started the year with eight hives, added more and sold
10, expanding the population, which is critical in pollinating
a diversity of agricultural and landscaping crops.
BEEKEEPERS’ PRESIDENT’S AWARD: Stephen and Barbara Butler
The Butlers have rescued nine beehives over the past year, according
to beekeeper Burton Moomaw. This effort not only saved those hives
from eradication, but it allows the bees to be spread across the
county to help with pollination.
“ACTIVE AT WORK” COMMUNITY AWARD: Boone Fire Department
The Boone Fire Department has promoted an in-town walking program
for its members which has helped improve the departmental health
and physical fitness, in addition to setting a positive example
for the community.
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS AWARDS
FAMILY LIVING DIVISION: Town and Country Extension Community Association
The Town and Country Extension Community Association is a small
group of women, all over the age of 80, who raise money for local
charities and endowments by selling soup at the annual Heritage
Festival. New projects this year was to donate camp craft items
to Hospice and to help entertain the State Past ECA Presidents
when they visited Boone.
DIVERSITY AREA: I Have A Dream Task Force
Using Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have A Dream”
speech as its inspirational springboard, the I Have A Dream Task
Force, founded in 1998, encourages individuals and groups from
every background in Watauga County to realize their dreams to
build a community that demonstrates unity while celebrating diversity.
I Have A Dream Week, a week of celebrations surrounding the national
holiday to honor King, is the annual key project of the I Have
A Dream Task Force.
YOUTH DIVISION: Boone Composite Squadron of Civil Air Patrol
The Boone Composite Squadron of Civil Air Patrol was founded in
2000 by the late Robert Kennedy, a Boone Police Department major,
who combined his love for youth programs and aviation. The 25
cadets are 12 to 18 years of age and dedicated to discipline themselves
with physical training, leadership development, aerospace education
and emergency services search-and-rescue training.
ORGANIZATIONS AWARDS: High Country Press
Daniel Boone Days 2008 was created by Ken Ketchie and Sam Calhoun
of the High Country Press. The festival celebrated the town of
Boone, the region and a namesake historical figure whose persona
embodies many of the characteristics of the people of Appalachia.
ORGANIZATIONS (COMMUNITY SERVICE) AWARDS: Mountaineer Ruritan
Club (Superior 1st)
The Ruritan Club has been serving the Cove Creek Community for
more than 40 years. The 27 members conduct various fund-raising
projects throughout the year, particularly through the fish fries
held monthly April through October. This organization gives three
$1,000 scholarships to deserving high school seniors and adults
seeking continuing education, as well as other donations to the
PTOs of each of the three community schools in the western part
of the county. Some of the other donations for 2008 have gone
to Watauga County Library Endowment; Jacob Holmes-Young Scholars
Program; Special Olympics; Little League; and Parks and Recreation
sponsorships for a needy child.
ORGANIZATIONS (COMMUNITY SERVICE) AWARDS: Rotary Club of Boone
(Superior 2nd)
The Rotary Club of Boone, founded in 1948, has been an active
supporter of the community by giving scholarships, promoting leadership
and service to Watuaga County youth, giving financial support
for community groups, and participating in street clean-ups and
blood drives.
YOUTH VOLUNTEERISM AWARD: Jennifer Rominger
Rominger is a junior at Watauga High School and is currently serving
as president of the Future Farmers of America. She attended a
National Leadership Conference for Future Leaders in Agriculture
in Washington, D.C. this past summer. Rominger has organized special
service projects for the FFA. She plans to attend NCSU and become
a large-animal veterinarian.
COUNTY VOLUNTEERISM AWARD: Mary Boyer
Boyer has worked with the Latino/Hispanic population most of her
life, starting with her service in the Peace Corp in Honduras
in the 1960s. Boyer has given time and energy to Latino/Hispanic
women and children who come each week to the Agricultural Conference
Center to learn English, donating at least 16 hours per week to
teach both English as a Second Language and Spanish as a Second
Language.
SOIL CONSERVATION DISTRICT FARM FAMILY OF THE YEAR: Scott Farm
The Scotts are a multi-generational farm family working a 30-acre
farm in Bethel since 1887 and they lease more than 140 additional
acres of hay and grazing pastures for their 100 cattle. Their
best-management practices have led to conservation projects helping
protect the quality of their land and streams.
AGRITOURISM AWARD: Blue Ridge Equestrian 4-H Horse Show
The Blue Ridge Equestrian 4-H Horse Show completed its fourth
year in 2008, bringing riders from all over North Carolina, Tennessee
and Virginia together. About 75 riders compete in the show and
most of them are under 18 years of age.
L. E. TUCKWILLER AWARD: Town of Boone
The Tuckwiller Award was named for former county extension director
L. E. Tuckwiller, an active promoter of the agricultural and farm
industry in Watauga for more than 31 years. The town of Boone
won the Tuckwiller Award for its efforts in “making the best
even better.” This year, the town established an Adopt-A-Flowerbed
program, expanded the Adopt-A-Street program, and promoted recycling,
water conservation and energy conservation. with the addition
of three adoptable streets.
CHANGE A LIGHT-CHANGE THE WORLD: Blue Ridge Electric Membership
Corporation
Brian Crutchfield, who oversees Blue Ridge Electric Membership
Corporation’s sustainability efforts,talked about the advantages
of using compact fluorescent light bulbs to save energy and help
the environment. Blue Ridge Electric gave one CFL to each banquet
attendee.
The Farm-City Banquet was sponsored by the North Carolina Cooperative
Extension Service, Appalachian Brian Estates, B. Park Terrell
Insurance Agency, Bandana’s, Bank of Granite, Carolina Farm
Credit, MTN, Pat Beaver and Bob White, Piedmont Federal Savings
& Loan, Wachovia and Watauga County Farm Bureau.
Look for more photos in the Wednesday edition of the Watauga Democrat.
SIDEBAR LIST
The Friend of Agriculture Award: Charles Church
Woman in Agriculture Award: Helen Moretz
Youth in Agriculture: Daniel Brown
WCCTA Tree Farmer of the Year: Simon Smith
WCCTA Past President’s Award: Ewing Harmon
Cattlemen’s Award: Jason Brooks
Farm & Food Steward: Watauga County Farmer’s Market
Beekeeper of the Year Award: Joe Dailey
Beekeepers’ President’s Award: Stephen and Barbara Butler
“Active At Work” Community Award: Boone Fire Department
Community Development Awards
Family Living Division: Town and County Extension and Community
Association
Diversity Award: I Have a Dream Task Force
Youth Division: Boone Composite Squadron of Civil Air Patrol
High Country Press
Mountaineer Ruritan Club
Boone Rotary Club
Youth Volunteerism Award: Jennifer Rominger
County Volunteerism Award: Mary Boyer
Conservation Farm Family of the Year: Scott Farms
Agri-Tourism Award: Blue Ridge Equestrian 4-H Horse Show
L.E. Tuckwiller Award: Town of Boone
Spirit of Farm-City Award: Sue Counts
|
Get Firefox