As summer slips away and autumn falls into place, our minds shift to the hallmarks of a new season – in this case, that means festivals, fairs, different foods, changing activities and different scenery. We are fortunate to live in a state that has a diverse geography. As the seasons change, so do the activities and seasonal foods that our state’s farms have to offer!
See more: Four Fall Recipes Starring Seasonal Vegetables
Particularly in the western part of the state, autumn is an opportunity for our apple growers to shine. Who doesn’t love a warm apple cobbler made with locally grown apples? Get out and visit one of our local apple growers if you have the chance. Many apple farms open to the public for picking or other fall events, and those farmers would love to meet you and show you what they do.
The fall also means it’s time for students to go back to school, and we can never pass up an opportunity to emphasize that North Carolina Farm Bureau and county Farm Bureaus strongly support agricultural education, all the way from kindergarten to the 12th grade. We are engaged with the many wonderful FFA programs across the state that promote agricultural literacy and leadership development in high school students.
Looking Forward to Autumn
Our very own Ag in the Classroom program focuses on providing agricultural curricula to students from preschool through 8th grade. We believe that an investment in agricultural education initiatives is an investment in tomorrow’s farmers, so that they may produce the best food and fiber products for generations to come. At the same time, agricultural education is beneficial for the students who might not pursue careers in agriculture. Today’s students are tomorrow’s consumers, and an agricultural education will help them make informed, confident choices about the food they buy when it comes time for them to shop for themselves.
See more: Why You Should Go Apple Picking at Justus Orchard This Fall
The coming months are also very active for our county Farm Bureaus, who will host annual meetings of the membership throughout the fall. A list of these meetings is included in this magazine. These important meetings kick off North Carolina Farm Bureau’s grassroots policy development process, which determines how we best advocate for farmers and rural communities across our state. I am so proud of the advocacy efforts that have taken place thus far in 2022, and I am really looking forward to 2023!
