2009 Ag Week Reports and Activities

National Agriculture Week Celebrated
Shannon Williams, Lemhi County Extension Educator

“Celebrate Agriculture” was the theme March 16-20 as people participated in a range of activities spotlighting agriculture during National Agriculture Week.

All week citizens enjoyed the wonderful quilt displays in the downtown businesses. The quilts were past quilts completed by Lemhi County Cattlewomen and raffled off each year for their scholarship fund. The quilts represent the many ranches in Lemhi County. Businesses had opportunities to dress to the theme and then be entered in for a goodie basket sponsored by the Cattlewomen. Monday’s basket was won by Upper Salmon Basin Watershed Project; Tuesday’s was won by the Stage Stop; Wednesday’s by Marie Freitas,; and Thursday’s by Sensations. Citizens also had the opportunity to answer radio trivia and be entered for a gift basket each day of $100 value and sponsored by the Cattlewomen. Monday’s winner was Kathy Casey, Tuesday’s was Debbie Bielby, Wednesday’s was Carey Schwarz and Thursday’s winner was Sandy Schuff.

Monday’s theme was Barn Yard day. The Cattlewomen hosted educational activities at the Leadore School for the youth there.

John Deere Green Day was a hit on Tuesday with it being St. Patrick’s Day. The Seventh Day Adventist School and Tendoy School children dissected snicker’s bar and learned about the agriculture products in the candy bar. They also built an “agriculture web” and assembled coloring books that taught them about producing a hamburger and another about corn-on-the-cob.

Cowboy Heroes was the theme for Wednesday. Salmon FFA hosted a high school assembly featuring Barnyard Olympics. The sophomore class was the champion and received a beef certificate for winning sponsored by the Cattlewomen. Kindergarten thru third grade youth at the Carmen Charter School had fun building the agriculture web and identifying the agriculture products in a snickers bar.

Grown in Idaho on Thursday was a huge success with the Mahoney House serving Idaho potatoes at their fund raiser and giving out potato pins from the Idaho Potato Producers. Pioneer School youth were treated to “edible aquifers” taught by the Natural Resource Conservation Service, Soil and Water Conservation District and Cattlewomen. They also visited the agriculture equipment display at the Junior High. Sixth graders spent the afternoon at agriculture science day workshops. They attended sessions on agriculture equipment, beef production, soils, irrigation, forages, goat production and vegetables.

“Start Your Day with Agriculture” was the theme for Friday as the Lemhi County Cattle and Horse Growers, Lemhi County Cattlewomen and Salmon FFA hosted 300 people to a free drive-thru breakfast. Participants had beef sausage burritos by the “Kitchen” and sponsored by Idaho Beef Council; milk and string cheese sponsored by Idaho Dairy Producers; and apples and bright green lunch bags sponsored by Lemhi County Cattle and Horse Growers, Lemhi County Cattlewomen, Lemhi County Dairy Producers, Dan and Eileen French, and Lemhi County Farm Bureau. Friday wrapped up with the workshop sponsored by Salmon Valley Stewardship hosting James Reed of Idaho’s Bounty at the Salmon City Center. Other sponsors for the week include Pete’s Meats, Country Candy Store, Idaho Potato Commission, Lemhi Soil and Water Conservation District, St. Charles Catholic Church, Salmon Arts Council, Lemhi County Historical Museum, Mudd Honey and KSRA.

The take home message for the week was “Agriculture is the backbone of Lemhi County, Idaho and our nation”. Agriculture provides the food on our tables, jobs in our county, state and country, and we can’t survive without it. The bumper stickers sponsored by American Farmland Trust say it best – “No Farms, No Food”!