Agriculture celebrated during Quincy's FCAD

QUINCY - Quincy took time to celebrate their agricultural industry, and the people behind it, over the weekend.

Farmer Consumer Awareness Day, now in its 33rd year, kicked off Friday night with the Chef Challenge at White Heron Cellars. Festivities continued the next day with agricultural tours, a parade and live entertainment, among other activities before concluding with a balloon launch and fireworks show Saturday night.

FCAD committee member Chet Pedersen said he was glad to see such a good turnout this year.

"Thirty-three, 34 years ago I never dreamed we'd have a day like this with so many people enjoying themselves," he said during the event.

Consumer Awareness Day was started in 1981 as a way to highlight the farm to market process. And Pedersen introduced the public to two individuals who work behind the scenes to make that process a success: Carl Yeates and Alex McGregor.

He said the Yeates family was among the first farm families in the area. Carl has not only continued the farming tradition over the years, but has contributed to the community by being active in his church and in the Rotary club, he said.

For that, Carl Yeates, his wife Mickie and their children and grandchildren were named the 2014 Farm Family of the Year, said Pedersen.

Yeates said he's always enjoyed being a part of the Quincy community.

"I grew up in Quincy and our six kids have all grown up here in Quincy," he said. "The thing I love about Quincy is you can make it everything you want it to be. You can do anything you want to do."

Yeates said he is fortunate some of his kids have decided to make Quincy their home as well.

Pedersen said the FCAD committee wanted to honor McGregor because he has been a, "strong advocate for the agricultural industry."

McGregor is president of The McGregor Company, which serves growers in Washington, Idaho and Oregon with seed, crop inputs, equipment and research. The company has had a presence in Quincy since 2004, when they joined with Quincy Farm Chemicals.

McGregor said Consumer Awareness Days is a great way to celebrate agriculture and the people who make it happen.

"Agriculture is the cornerstone of our economy, employing over 160,000 people in this state," he said. "It's neck to neck with aerospace as the largest business in sales volume."

McGregor said agriculture is especially important in the Basin.

"Farm families have made the Basin an agricultural cornucopia," he said.

In the early years, farmers worked hard to bring water to the Basin. The water eventually started flowing, and the pioneer spirit continued, said McGregor.

"People came with big hopes and determination," he said. "With stamina, hard work and perseverance families and their descendants survived and changed this into a remarkably productive land."

One in four containers of peas, carrots and corn consumed in the country for example, hail from the region, said McGregor. The Basin is also a top producer of potatoes, grain and even spearmint, he said.