Ag week to be celebrated (3/5/05)

Next week will be all about ag.

Jay County’s annual agriculture week celebration will include a long list of familiar activities — including a breakfast and dinner and ag presentations at all seven of the county’s elementary schools.

Among the highlights will be the Ag Day Breakfast Tuesday morning, and the annual Farmers Night Dinner on Thursday.

The activities are planned to highlight the contributions and impact of agriculture locally, regionally and nationally.

Culminating the public activities will be the Farmers Night event, which will be held at the Jay County 4-H Building at the Jay County Fairgrounds beginning at 6:30 p.m.

In addition to a meal prepared by Jay County Extension Homemakers, the special speaker at the event will be Donya Lester, who serves as the executive secretary for the Purdue Agricultural Alumni Association.

Lester promotes agriculture through speeches to a variety of civic groups and organizations across the state. She has been directly involved in agriculture since her 1995 marriage to Daniel Gwin, a Montgomery County specialty grain producer. The couple live on a farm near Linden, about 20 miles south of Lafayette.

A native of northwest Georgia, Lester was active in 4-H livestock and livestock judging projects. She graduated in 1981 from the University of Georgia with a bachelor’s degree in animal science. She received a master’s degree in 1983 from Virginia Tech University in animal breeding and genetics.

Her previous positions include director of performance programs for the International Brangus Breeders Association in San Antonio, Texas. She also worked at the University of Georgia College of Agriculture.

Drawing the biggest crowd during agriculture week will be Tuesday’s breakfast, which will be held from 5:30 to 9 a.m. in the 4-H Building.

The cost is $1, and the menu, which has remained unchanged for years, includes scrambled eggs, sausage, toast and drinks.

The lines are long, but move quickly. Tickets are available at the door.

In an effort to teach and promote agriculture among the younger county residents, a long list of presentations at county elementary schools is scheduled.

Among the diverse topics to be presented and discussed are bees, greenhouses, veterinary, earthworms, donkeys and alpacas, along with more traditional fare such as grains, pigs, cows and sheep.[[In-content Ad]]Here is a look at the key activities for next week’s Jay County Agriculture Week celebration:

•Tuesday — Ag Day Breakfast, 5:30-9 a.m., 4-H Building, Jay County Fairgrounds. Cost: $1 per meal. Tickets available at the door. Menu: Eggs, sausage patties, toast, tomato juice, coffee, milk.

•Thursday — Farmers Night Dinner, 6:30 p.m., 4-H Building, Jay County Fairgrounds. Cost: $5. Tickets available from Ag Committee members, Jay County office of Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service, 504 W. Arch St., or Jay County office of the Farm Service Agency, West Votaw Street. Menu: Ham, chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy, cole slaw, green beans, corn, noodles, ice cream, pop and coffee. Special speaker: Donya Lester, executive secretary, Purdue Agricultural Alumni Association. In that role, Lester directs the associations activities and promotes agriculture through speeches to organizations around the state.

•Monday through Friday — Presentations at Jay County Elementary Schools. Topics will include bees/greenhouses, veterinary services, earthworms, donkeys/goats, soils, alpacas, rabbits, popcorn, chickens, grains, beef, turkeys, pigs and sheep.