The 55th Annual Farm City Celebration at the Blair Farm was a huge success. Despite a few intermittent showers, over 200 folks came out to celebrate Watauga County's agricultural heritage. Cecil Gurganis and his gang played bluegrass and mountain music unplugged under the hemlock tree, the Pasta Wench and Bare Essentials had local food samples on hand, miniature goats, alpacas, cows, donkeys and chickens got the kids' attention, and the Friends of the Blue Ridge Parkway helped participants celebrate the Parkway's 75th anniversary as well. The Historic Blair Farm in Boone was the chosen locale again for this year's celebration. Bandana's served up a delicious local foods dinner with potatoes, cabbage, tomatoes, and strawberries from High Country growers, Charles Church and Ernie Dollar.
At the awards ceremony at 4pm, the annual champions of local agriculture were recognized for their commitment to the community:
*Friend of Agriculture Award: Watauga County Farmworker Health Program
*Youth in Agriculture: Nathan Bolick
*Urban Gardening Award: Megan Ward; Joanne Puliatti
*Cattlemen's Award: BW Miller
*Alimanestiano Agritourism Award: Dutch Creek Trails
*LE Tuckwiller Award: Operation Medicine Cabinet
*Community Volunteer Award: Dianne Brown
*Women in Agriculture: Jane Campbell and Nancy Moretz
*Farm and Food Steward Award: High Country CSA
*Beekeeper of the Year: Steve and Barbara Butler
*Youth Volunteerism Award: Matthew Michel
* Growing Healthy Communities Award: Recovery Education Center
Many thanks to Bandana's for catering the event and all of our sponsors: Triple T Pumping (for donating port-o-johns), Wachovia and BB&T Banks, Carolina Farm Credit, the Watauga County Farm Bureau, Bare Essentials, Southern Ag, the Boone-Blowing Rock Lodging Association, and Watauga County 4-H.
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