Pictured below are some of the local farmers who attended the Small Farmer Appreciation Day Luncheon, held on March 20 at the Burnsville Town Center, to showcase Yancey County farmers and their products as part of the state wide Small Farms Week organized by NC A&T University. Jake Blood, Yancey County Economic Development Commission Director, addressed the group and acknowledged agriculture’s impact on our local economy. Agriculture production is an important segment of the Yancey economics with over 33,000 acres in production in 447 local farms as documented by the 2007 state data. With the decrease in tobacco production, farm production has become more diverse as producers seek niche markets that can maximize land resources and production experience. Adam McCurry, NC A&T State University Agriculture Technician, expends 100% of his efforts to work with small scale farm production. Linda Semon, NC A&T 4-H Program Associate, organized the Small Farms 4-H Poster Contest, to help youth and their families learn the value of small farms. Blake Tschudy won First Place in the poster contest and is pictured above with his trophy. The Small Farm Appreciation Luncheon was sponsored by Carolina Farm Credit, Farm Bureau and Yancey County Farmers’ Market.
Photo Courtesy of Jody Higgins, Times Journal
