Understanding the interdependent relationship between farms and cities

Each year, the week leading up to Thanksgiving is designated as National Farm-City Week and is recognized across the country. Since 1955, the nationally observed week has been dedicated to recognizing agriculture’s impact on everyday life.

Local Farm-City Week events celebrate the connection of the people who grow the food with the people who eat it. Farmers, ranchers and others involved in the agriculture community are honored for their hard work and what they contribute to society and to the American economy.

Many North Carolina communities are involved with Farm-City celebrations, including New Hanover County, which hosts an essay contest, and the town of Plymouth, which has a Farm-City Week festival.

North Carolina Cooperative Extension agent Gerda Rhodes has helped coordinate Washington County’s Plymouth Farm-City Festival for the past 30 years. She says the event “gives us a chance to educate the public about the importance of the ag community in which we live.”

In more recent years, the Plymouth festival has added an Ag Heritage section where people can shell corn, grind wheat, gin cotton, spin wool, and make sausage, ice cream and cracklins. “It has been extremely popular and gives us an opportunity to show how much has changed in agriculture,” Rhodes says.

“The goal is to build an understanding of the interdependence between farmers and consumers,” says Marsha Purcell, with the American Farm Bureau Federation. “Sometimes there are misunderstandings of on-farm practices, or why consumers feel a certain way about farmers, and we hope this helps educate both on why we do things the way we do.”

Each year, a luncheon kicks off the National Farm-City Week. This year’s annual luncheon will be held in Birmingham, Ala., and will feature an agriculture symposium and a live radio broadcast of AgriTalk. Host Mike Adams will moderate a discussion about “Combating Hunger in America” with a panel of industry, academia and nonprofit organizations leaders.

Recently, Farm-City Week has had a stronger influence in classrooms across the country, providing teachers with student activity sheets, placemats and bookmarks to help teach students about how agriculture is important to them. Organizers have worked closely with the Agriculture in the Classroom program to educate students and teachers alike.

“Activities are created that help a child see how food is produced,” Purcell says. “To help them understand that link is very rewarding.”

Most of the week’s activities are grassroots-type events, ranging from banquets to farm tours to job exchange activities. While Farm-City Week starts the Friday before Thanksgiving and ends on Thanksgiving Day each year, community events often happen year-round.

For more information about National Farm-City Week, please visit www.farmcity.org.

National Farm-City Week is November 21-27. www.farmcity.org