NC A&T to Host Small Farms Week
March 19, 2001
Greensboro, NC: The North Carolina
Agricultural and Technical State University campus will be the hub for a number of
statewide activities honoring the nearly 40,000 small-scale farmers of North Carolina,
during the week of March 24 to 31.
The Fifteenth Annual Small Farms
Week is a statewide celebration of small-scale agriculture, and it is coordinated by the
North Carolina A&T State University Cooperative Extension Program.
During the week designated for this
observance by Governor Mike Easley and Commissioner of Agriculture Meg Scott Phipps,
organizers of Small Farms Week activities conduct programs which help farmers catch up on
recent developments in agriculture and create public awareness of the contributions made
by small-scale farmers to the economy of North Carolina.
"Small farms are the quiet, but
major economic force behind many rural communities," said Dr. Daniel Lyons,
chairperson of Small Farms Week and assistant administrator of regional and county
programs for A&T's Cooperative Extension Program. "The people who make these
farms work deserve recognition, and we're proud to play a key role in the recognition
process."
Small Farms Week activities begin on
Saturday, March 24, when a contingent of small-scale farmers and A&T faculty will
travel to Williamston, NC, to join with the Martin County Extension Office in honoring
Willie Woolard, recipient of the 2000 Gilmer L. and Clara Y. Dudley Small Farmer of the
Year Award.
Campus activities begin on Monday,
March 26, at 11 a.m. in the Memorial Student Union, where the A&T Cooperative
Extension Program will coordinate displays for farmers and representatives from
agricultural companies and agencies. Also on Monday, A&T will coordinate town hall
meetings in Raleigh, Winston-Salem and Boone.
On Tuesday, March 27, the eighth
annual Women in Agriculture Symposium will be held in the Memorial Student Union at 10
a.m. The symposium attracts national and regional leaders in the area of women's
involvement in the agricultural economy.
Meg Scott Phipps will deliver the
keynote address at the Small Farmers Recognition Luncheon, on Wednesday, March 28, in the
Memorial Student Union, at 11:45 a.m. In addition to serving as the North Carolina
Commissioner of Agriculture, Phipps and her husband, Robert, are also cattle farmers in
Alamance, raising their family on the Scott homestead.
At the luncheon, the 2001 Gilmer L.
and Clara Y. Dudley Small Farmer of the Year Award will be presented to one of the state's
small-scale farmers. A plaque and cash prize accompany this award.
Before the luncheon, Dr. Alton
Thompson, dean of the A&T School of Agriculture and Environmental and Allied Sciences,
will host a round-table discussion, which will be followed by an educational forum
designed to provide educational information to small-scale farmers.
On Thursday, March 29, government
and nonprofit agricultural agencies will discuss ideas and achievements related to
small-scale agriculture, during a Sharing Breakfast at A&T's F.A. Williams Cafeteria,
beginning at 7 a.m.
Small Farms Week activities draw to
a close on Saturday, March 31, when Thompson delivers his annual Status of Small-Scale
Agriculture Address in Whiteville, NC.
All activities, except the Women in Agriculture Symposium, are open free of
charge to the public. However, advance registration is required.
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Contacts:
Dr. Daniel Lyons, chairperson of
Small Farms Week, (336) 334-7957
Mary Mafuyai-Ekanem, coordinator of
Women in Ag Symposium, (336) 334-7024
Mitch Arnold, news editor, (336)
334-7049