First Farm Friday and Ernest concert fills court square

Hundreds of people were on the court square on Aug. 5 for the annual First Farm Friday event and the last concert of the summer series featuring Ernest, a country music singer.

Deb Bigelow, with the Coshocton Soil and Water Conservation District, was handing out cards to children. Each card had different stations of the event and after the children had visited each station, they could turn in their card for frozen custard from Whit’s. She said they printed 300 cards and, early in the evening, only had about 50 left.

“This event is important to help people understand the importance of agriculture and how food is grown,” Bigelow said. “Some kids have never been close to farm machinery and being able to see it up close gives them a new perspective of farmers and farming. I think the kids learn something at every table.”

Coshocton County Extension Office had a table to ask kids trivia questions about the agriculture in Coshocton County. One that seemed to surprise kids and parents is that hay is the number one crop, not corn. “Only 20% of farms have corn,” said Emily Marrison.

Ryan and Alexa Medley brought two sheep to Farm Friday.  “Deb (Bigelow) asked me to bring sheep,” he said. “We wanted to have several species of farm animals. We are seeing more sheep and goats locally as they are easier on farms and need less space.”

Coshocton County Master Gardeners Volunteers were sharing information with families about the importance of pollinators. Many people may not realize that beetles, butterflies and even hummingbirds are also pollinators and not just bees.

Gail Piper said, “It’s a great way to share gardening and agriculture information with the public. We have gotten so far removed from agriculture that lots of kids don’t know where their food comes from. Events like this help us get the word out to the community on how they can develop their own gardens.” The Coshocton County Master Gardeners Volunteers are also looking for new members. For more information, check their Facebook page or call 740-622-2265.

Kelsey Duhamell brought her 11-month-old son, Colt, to the event. His happy squeals showed how excited he was to see the animals. “I wanted to educate Colt about farming and agriculture and wanted him to see all of the animals.”

Jade Dreher brought her five children to Farm Friday. “It’s a great community supported event – one where we can learn and have fun together.”

Jenna Regula and her mom, Cathy Saylor, brought Regula’s 2-year-old daughter, Avery.  “She loves farm stuff and it’s a good experience for her,”  Jenna said. Avery said she liked the goats best.

Category: People & Places