Also this month:
* Hard Work and Faith
Drive Past Small Farmer of the Year
* NC A&T to Host Women
in Agriculture Symposium
* NC A&T School of
Agriculture Honors Pioneers
* Simple Safety on a
Shoestring Budget
* El Niño May Mean
Profits to North Carolina Growers
Other News Links:
Press Release Archive
Cooperative Extension
Press Releases
Agricultural Research
Press Releases
General Links:
NC A&T School of Agriculture
Agricultural Communications
Mitch Arnold, news editor
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Greensboro, NC: The North Carolina A&T 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 21 to 27.
The twelfth annual Small Farms Week is a statewide celebration of small
scale agriculture coordinated by the North Carolina A&T State University
Cooperative Extension Program.
During a week designated for this observance by Governor Jim Hunt and Commissioner
of Agriculture Jim Graham, organizers of Small Farms Week activities conduct
educational programs which help farmers learn of recent developments in
technology, and publicize the contributions made by small-scale agriculture
to the economy of North Carolina.
"In addition to stabilizing communities, small farms contribute millions
of dollars to the North Carolina economy," said Dr. Daniel Lyons,
chairperson of Small Farms Week and assistant administrator of regional
and county programs for A&T's Cooperative Extension Program.
Small Farms Week activities begin on Friday, March 20, when a contingent
of small-scale farmers and A&T faculty will travel to Halifax County
to join with the Halifax County Extension Office in honoring Larry Pierce,
the recipient of the 1997 G. L. Dudley Small Farmer of the Year Award.
Campus activities begin on Monday, March 23, when Dr. Daniel D.
Godfrey, dean of the NC A&T School of Agriculture, will join small-scale
farmers and agencies which work with this audience, for a live teleconference
from the B.C. Webb Auditorium on the NC A&T campus. The teleconference
is scheduled from 7 to 8 p.m., and is open to the general public.
On Tuesday, March 24, with the Women in Agriculture Symposium. The
Symposium will be held in the Webb Hall Auditorium from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.,
and will focus on issues and policies affecting the roles women play in
agriculture. Jill Long Thompson, USDA's Under Secretary for Rural Development,
will deliver the keynote address at 10 a.m.
The highlight of Small Farms Week occurs on Wednesday, March 25,
with the announcement of the recipient of the 1998 G.L. Dudley Small Farmer
of the Year Award, during the Small Farmers Recognition Luncheon, which
will be held at the F.A. Williams Cafeteria. A plaque and cash prize accompany
this award.
Representatives from U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman's office
are expected to be on hand for the presentation.
Also on Wednesday, the A&T Cooperative Extension Program will host
an agricultural display session, at the F.A. Williams Cafeteria, from 9
to 11:30 a.m.
On Thursday, March 26, government and non-profit agricultural agencies
will discuss ideas and achievements related to small-scale agriculture,
during a Sharing Breakfast at the F.A. William's Common, beginning at 7
a.m.
Following the breakfast, A&T School of Agriculture students will lead
a program entitled, "Agriculture, Technology and Trade: The Past,
Present and Future of African Americans in Agriculture," in the Webb
Hall Auditorium from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Among the featured speakers will
be Mike Espy, former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture.
On Friday, March 27, the A&T School of Agriculture will host
area high school students during the Agricultural Education Contest Program
and Experiential Workshops, which will be held in the Carver Hall Auditorium.
Also on Friday, Dr. McKinley Mayes and R.E. Jones will be inducted into
the School of Agriculture's Hall of Fame during the fourth annual Hall
of Fame Banquet.
Small Farms Week activities draw to a close on Saturday, March 28,
when Dr. Daniel D. Godfrey, dean of the A&T School of Agriculture,
delivers his annual status of small-scale agriculture address in Oxford,
NC.
All activities, except for the Hall of Fame Banquet and the Small Farms
Luncheon, are open free of charge to the public. Advance registration is
required.
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Contacts:
Dr. Daniel Lyons, chairperson of Small Farms Week, (336) 334-7957
Mary Mafuyai, coordinator of Women in Ag Symposium, (336) 334-7024
Azell Reeves, coordinator for Hall of Fame Banquet, (336) 334-7041
Mitch Arnold, School of Agriculture news editor, (336) 334-7049
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