Annual Quincy event salutes farmers

QUINCY - Quincy kicks off its annual agriculture celebration event with some new offerings this year.

Now in its 27th year, the Quincy Valley's Farmer-Consumer Awareness Day begins Friday with a pre-game tailgate party and potato bar beginning at 6 p.m. for $5.

The Quincy Valley Lions Grand Parade goes through downtown Quincy Saturday at 10 a.m. to the Quincy High School grounds, where the majority of the celebration takes place.

The event also includes local winery festivities and tours, a farm-to-market run, a corn and potato cook-off, a car show, food booths, exhibits, an animal petting zoo, the Kiwanis produce sale, a quilt show, guided tours and a tractor pull. Shuttle parking is available. The majority of events take place Saturday.

Also new this year is a fireworks display Saturday night at Lauzier Park, and Sunday morning offers "Faith of Our Fathers," which includes brunch, games, music and interdenominational worship starting at 11 a.m. on the festival grounds at the high school.

"We just decided we wanted to do that," explained Grace Kok, member and secretary-treasurer of the appreciation event committee, of the new faith program.

Kok believes the efforts of the committee and community enjoyment have contributed to the day's longevity.

"I don't know, we're just doing this to promote farming in the area and it just has worked very well," she said. "The committee is very diligent and dedicated to the farmers, because that's what it's all about in Quincy, is a farming area. Then it's also a day to get together and visit, there's a lot of that going on."

The event's aim is to promote agriculture, Kok noted.

"It's about the farming, where their product is coming from," she said. "A lot of kids say, 'Oh, we just go to the store and buy it.' They have no idea how it's produced. They have no idea it starts as a seed and they have to till it and they have to work the ground. A lot of these kids don't know anything about it, and that's what we're trying to promote with our tours and information."

Kok expects 5,000 to 6,000 people to be in attendance.

"We always have a very good turnout," she said.

For more information, call 509-787-4246, e-mail quincyfcad@hotmail.com or access the Quincy Valley Chamber of Commerce Web site at www.quincyvalley.org.

In the beginning

According to Quincy Valley's Farmer-Consumer Awareness Day committee documents, the event began in 1981 when a local farmer heard a woman tell radio announcer Paul Harvey the world should get rid of farmers, and people could just go to the grocery store for their food.

Local farmers made it their goal to educate consumers about the value of agriculture. The event sprang forth from there.