Farm Compliance

Country singer/entertainer Michael Peterson entertained the crowd at the National Farm-City Week Kickoff Luncheon in Washington, D.C.

As keynote speaker, Peterson spoke eloquently about the value of agriculture and those involved in it. He also entertained attendees by performing from his repertoire of popular songs and chart-topping singles which includes “From Here to Eternity” and “Drink, Swear, Steal & Lie.”

“Our Farm-City Council partners at the state level play a critical role in helping non-farming consumers understand the vital importance of U.S. agriculture to our economy,” said National Farm-City Council Chair Al Pell. “We’re pleased to honor several state organizations today for their outstanding work in accomplishing the Farm-City mission.”

Pell presented the following organizations with national awards for outstanding accomplishment: Frederick County Farm Bureau Women, Maryland; Coffee County Farm-City Committee, Alabama; Chambers County Farm-City Committee, Alabama; Long Island Farm Bureau, New York; and Chautauqua County Farm Bureau, New York.

State awards for outstanding accomplishment were presented to Reno County Farm Bureau in Kansas and the following organizations in South Carolina: Greenville County Farm-City Committee, Lexington County Farm-City Week Committee, Richland County Farm-City Week Committee, Beaufort County Farm-City Week Committee, Saluda County Farm-City Week Committee and Darlington County Farm-City Week Committee.

Also at the luncheon, the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture presented its first annual “Book of the Year” award to Chuck Leavell for his book The Tree Farmer. Children’s book author and tree farmer Leavell is well-known for his other career as keyboardist for the Rolling Stones.

Terry Gilbert, a Kentucky farmer and Foundation board member, presented the book award to Leavell.

“The Tree Farmer depicts that we have the ability to produce to enhance our lives. And we should be proud of that,” she said.

National Farm-City Week is the week leading up to and including Thanksgiving, Nov. 16-22. It is a nationally designated observance of the interdependence among agriculture, the people who grow the food and the people who eat it. Farm-City events and celebrations will take place in communities around the nation during this week.