N.C. Cooperative Extension-Alexander County Newsletter October 2025

What is Farm-City Week?

The first Farm-City Week was born in 1955 when Charles Dana Bennett, businessman from Vermont and Merle H. Tucker, Chairman of Kiwanis International Agriculture and Conservation Committee, were seated together on a train headed from Chicago to Washington, D.C. In 1955, the net farm income was declining. Farm costs, debts and property taxes were on the rise. Charles and Merle were having discussions about the poor public image of agriculture, the strong urban influence on ag policies and a growing population with no direct ties to agriculture. To them, it seemed that farm and city people were drifting farther and farther apart and they felt that positive public relations between farm and city dwellers must be improved. Mr. Bennett made these issues public and soon after that the National Farm-City Committee was created and coordinated by Kiwanis International. The Kiwanis coordinated Farm-City until 1988 when the American Farm Bureau Federation assumed the responsibility. These same efforts continue today by trying to establish a better understanding between the agriculture community and urban dwellers. Across the entire country Farm-City events are planned by Cooperative Extension, Agri- Businesses, Farmers, Youth Groups, Civic Groups and other organizations to educate the public about the interdependence of agriculture and industry. Each year National Farm City Week is proclaimed by the President as being the week leading up to and including Thanksgiving Day.

This year Alexander County will celebrate Farm-City Week with a banquet on Thursday, October 23, 2025 at The Emerald Hill located in Hiddenite, NC. A meal will be served as well as a live auction to benefit programs of Alexander 4-H and ACHS FFA. Davidson County farm Will Brinkley, also known as the Tarheel Farmer on TikTok will be our featured speaker. He will share his story of how he got into farming and why being an advocate of agriculture is important. There are sure to be a lot of laughs, so you will not want to miss this opportunity.

Green Thumb Gazette Newsletter

The October edition is now available. For more information on October and November garden tasks and what to be on the lookout for click the link below. This months newsletter also includes upcoming events along with several horticulture educational topics. If you find this newsletter helpful and you would like to receive it each month contact Cari Rosenbalm at cari_rosenbalm@ncsu.edu to be added to the mailing list.

October 2025 Newsletter

Local Team Brings Home National Title
Recently three local Alexander County young men travelled to Athens, GA to compete in the first annual National Youth Cattle Working Contest. They were representing NC as the 2025 State Champions. During this competition they were tasked with vaccinating, tattooing, ear tagging, DNA sampling, and deworming 2 cows and 1 calf. They also had a team problem to complete that would be a real world cattle production scenario. These young men did a fantastic job executing all portions of the contest and walked away National Champions. Meet the team members:

Brennen Little is an agricultural producer from S&H Timber & Farms in Taylorsville, North Carolina, where his family operates a cow/calf beef cattle operation and contracts 6 poultry houses with Wayne Sanderson Farms to raise broilers. With practical experience in both beef and poultry production, Brennen is passionate about advancing efficient and sustainable farming practices. He is currently a freshman pursuing a degree in Livestock and Poultry Management at the Agricultural Institute at North Carolina State University, where he is building the knowledge and skills to strengthen his family’s operation and contribute to the future of agriculture in his community. Brennen is the son of Anthony Little and Traci and Kyle St.Clair.

Micah Chapman is an agricultural producer from Chapman Jersey Farm located in Taylorsville, North Carolina, where he works alongside his family on their dairy and cow/calf beef operation. Micah also assists his family with their poultry operation where they contract 2 pullet houses with Mountaire Farms. With hands-on experience in diverse areas of livestock and crop production, Micah is deeply committed to advancing agricultural sustainability and productivity. He is currently a freshman pursuing a degree in Agronomy at North Carolina State University, where he is building the technical expertise to strengthen his family’s farming operation and contribute to the future of agriculture in his community and beyond. Micah is the son of Daniel and Amy Chapman.

Weston Brown is an agricultural producer from Red Rock Farm located in Hiddenite, North Carolina, where he works with his family to manage a cow/calf, grass fed finished beef operation and a small flock of sheep. In addition to his family’s livestock operation, Weston manages 2 of the 5 pullet houses contracted with Mountaire Farms, gaining valuable experience in large-scale poultry production.With a strong passion for sustainable farming and livestock management, he is committed to advancing both his family operation and the broader agricultural community. Weston is currently a freshman pursuing a degree in Agricultural Business at Wilkes Community College, where he is developing the skills and knowledge to enhance farm operations, strengthen agribusiness practices, and contribute to the future of agriculture in his region. Weston is the son of Fudd and Allison Brown.

They, along with their advisor JD Sink, have put in countless hours of practice and preparation for this event. A huge thank you to the Alexander County Farm Bureau for their sponsorship along with the Alexander County Cattlemen’s Association and the beef producers that provided animals for them to work in order to prepare. These young men have represented the Beef Industry, Alexander County and North Carolina well!