By Danélle Cutting

Rowan Cooperative Extension

During almost every school garden class, gardening program or public event, I get on my soap box about everything you have or have eaten coming from a farm.

Our current population is about five to seven generations off a family farm. That means that most of today’s youth will not know what it means to milk the cows before dawn, stack bales of hay, the joys of conversation when shelling beans on the porch, or how to make jelly from muscadines. It is kind of sad, but it makes me think about how we, as citizens, need to appreciate our farmers, especially our local ones.

Three years ago, the Cooperative Extension decided to host its first Farmers’ Appreciation Breakfast. This is a day that we give thanks to all of our farmers in the community for their hard work and dedication throughout the year.

If you are a farmer in the Rowan County area and are available Thursday, March 17, you are cordially invited to attend our third annual Farmers’ Appreciation Breakfast at the Millbridge Ruritan Club (690 Sloan Road, Mount Ulla). We will begin at 7 a.m. for the farmers to have fellowship and time to network, with the main program starting at 7:30 a.m.

We are also looking for any photos of Rowan County farmers. If you have some great photos you can share, please email them to amy_albertson@ncsu.edu by March 15.

Joe Hampton, local farmer and research operations manager superintendent of the Piedmont Research Station, with responsibilities over the Western Research Stations, will be the speaker for the event. The program will also feature the new Cooperative Extension director, Amy Lynn Albertson.

The Farmers’ Appreciation Breakfast is a partnership between Rowan County Cooperative Extension, Rowan County Chamber of Commerce, local farms and agribusinesses. The breakfast will consist of locally sourced items and it is free to all Rowan County farmers, but there is a charge for Rowan County Chamber of Commerce members of $15 and non-members, $25.

The registration deadline for the Farmers’ Appreciation Breakfast is March 15. For Chamber of Commerce members and interested parties, please contact the chamber to register. We would like for all Rowan County farmers to register with the Cooperative Extension office at 704-216-8970. I hope that you will join us in this day of celebration to honor our local farmers. If you have any questions concerning the Farmers’ Appreciation Breakfast or to RSVP, call the Cooperative Extension office at 704-216-8970.