Laura Young
ECB Publishing, Inc.
The Kiwanis Club of Monticello gave tribute to farmers at their weekly lunch meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 17. Many members of the Florida Farm Bureau were in attendance to officially proclaim Nov. 14-21, 2021, as Farm-City Week and to announce the 2021 Jefferson County Farm Families of the Year awards.
Farm Bureau Federation District 2 Representative Hannah Love spoke during the program about Farm-City Week as an important way to focus attention on the partnership between rural and urban communities.
“With your help and events like today, we can spotlight agriculture and educate people about the things farmers are doing for the environment, preserving our natural resources and being good stewards of the land,” said Love. She pointed out that Florida produces 300 different agricultural commodities on about two-thirds of the state's land, from oysters in the panhandle to sugar in the south. Jefferson County alone has 1,800 jobs related to agriculture, she said.
Local farmer and Jefferson County Farm Bureau President Ernest Fulford read the Farm-City Week Proclamation, and Judge Robert R. Plaines of the 2nd Judicial Circuit of Florida signed the document. The Proclamation states, in part, “Florida farmers and ranchers help feed the world by producing a bounty of nutritious foods. To do this, they rely upon essential partnerships with urban and suburban communities to supply, sell and deliver finished products to consumers across the U.S. and around the globe. Rural and urban communities working together have built our nation's rich agricultural resources so that they contribute to the health and well-being of our country and to the strength of our economy....We commend the many Floridians whose hard work and ingenuity provide us with food abundance and reflect the true spirit of our state and nation.”
Next, Jefferson County UF/IFAS Extension Agent Danielle Sprague stepped to the podium to present the Jefferson County 2021 Farm Families of the Year awards.
“We weren't able to recognize a farm family in 2020 due to COVID,” she said, “so it only seems right that we award two families the honor this year! Chris and Shaughnessy Tuten and Jenny and Justin Hamrick of 210 Cattle Company were selected as the 2021 Farm Families of the Year for their outstanding farm practices and community service.” After describing the award-winning cattle operation, Sprague presented the Tuten and Hamrick families with plaques and gifts from the Farm Bureau as well as a check from Farm Credit of Northwest Florida. (To read more about the 2021 Farm Families of the Year, see the special Farm-City Week section elsewhere in today's newspaper.)
In the announcements segment of the Kiwanis Club meeting, a member promoted the upcoming celebration, “A Monticello White Christmas,” which starts at 5 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 3. It will include snow from a snow machine! There also will be a parade, tree lighting, caroling, shopping, Santa visits and more. Kiwanis was thanked for their recent donation to the 4-H Club and reminded that the Peanut Butter Challenge was still going on.
Members were introduced to new City Manager Seth Lawless and new Supervisor of Elections Justin “Tyler” McNeill, who were thanked for attending the meeting.
Fulford brought members' attention to a new recycling program that turns denim into products like insulation and referred anyone interested in more information to look at the website bluejeansgogreen.org.
Lunch, catered by The Front Porch restaurant of Monticello, included pasta with a sausage-cream sauce, mixed beans and carrots, plus a tossed salad.
In closing, it was noted that the Kiwanis Club would not meet on Thanksgiving Eve, Wednesday, Nov. 24. Regular lunch meetings would resume on Wednesday, Dec. 1.
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