Madison County citizens will celebrate the county’s ag culture and heritage Saturday with the annual “ag day” at the Madison County Freshman Academy.
The event will open with the roar of tractor engines, with a 9 a.m. tractor parade beginning in the school parking lot. Tractors will travel down Madison Street to Hwy. 29, then turn around and come back.
“Those of us involved in agriculture love what we do,” said Cindy Jones, Madison County High School ag instructor and Young Farmers Advisor. “The Madison County Ag Day Celebration gives us (the ag community) a chance to share with the community at large our passion for the production of food and fiber that contributes toward the good life we enjoy. It’s a day filled with activities and exhibits that highlight the broad scope of agriculture.”
Ag Day displays will officially open at 10 a.m. There will be a mobile Dairy Classroom. The Madison County Trailriders will provide “horse rides” (free to watch, but a donation is requested if you want to ride). There will be farm equipment displays from local vendors, FFA and 4-H demos, as well as displays from the Master Gardeners, the Cooperative Extension, Boutier Winery and a Log cabin demo.
A hay ride to the new Ag Center and back again will be offered. The Madison County Middle School FFA will man the concession stand and sell hotdog lunches. And the Madison County FFA Alumni will sell baked goodies.
Several groups from the University of Georgia will be on hand, including representatives from ag engineering, the vet school, plant pathology and the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources — which has asked for three spaces and plans to bring turtles and snakes, organizers said.
Meanwhile, the Madison County FFA is hosting animal exhibits “that are more than just a petting zoo.”
“We will have ‘fitting for show’ demonstrations for show calves and pigs, and an exhibit of goats,” said Jones. “The latest Ag Center info will be displayed as well. The local horse drill team, coached by Danny and Virgina Roberts, will perform on the Ag Center property.”
BOC chairman Anthony Dove said the ag day event helps highlight how vital agriculture is to Madison County.
“It’s our livelihood in Madison County,” said Dove.
