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County farmers gather for Agricultural Celebration
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| Dozens of farmers, young and old alike, braved inclement weather Saturday to attend the North Florida History Agricultural Celebration in Mason City. TROY ROBERTS/Lake City Reporter |
Elders discuss changes in farming business over the course of time.
By TROY ROBERTS
troberts@lakecityreporter.com
MASON CITY — A bleak and wet forecast Saturday failed to dampen the spirits of dozens of past and current farmers who took part in the North Florida History of Agriculture Celebration.
Large tractors welcomed passing motorists to the Mason City Community Center on Saturday and handshakes, hugs and smiles welcomed visitors inside. Young and old alike were in attendance, with the older crowd talking about times long past and the changes in agriculture over the years. Country music could be heard over the sound system and lunch was provided by Nettles Sausage.
“This is our roots, this is what we’re about,” said organizer Don Adams. “This is our lives.”
As an agricultural community, Columbia County has changed a lot in the past 50 years, and photos from years gone by were proudly displayed on tables around the community center. Resident Russell Wilson passed around a photo book that contained pictures from the national agricultural strike which began in 1977 and took many local farmers to Tallahassee and to Washington, D.C. Wilson was wearing a hat and jacket Saturday that read “We Support Agricultural Strike” which he’d worn during the strike.
Bob Sweezer and Dan Devereux sat in deep conversation at a table Saturday discussing changes in the industry that they’d seen in their lifetimes.
“I’ve seen it go from horse and buggy to what it is today,” Sweezer said.
Each brought a tractor with them to the event and dozens of visitors surrounded Devereux’s when he was ready to start
his up. The engine of the 1957 Ford 460 roared to life, and the eight vertical silver pipes blew smoke coming from the 514 punchboard and stroked engine.
“It’s basically a hot rod with tractor tires,” Devereux said.
Adams said he hoped the event would lead to other things down the road. He said he wants to build a museum somewhere in North Florida to preserve the area’s agricultural heritage.
“The best place in the world to raise a child is on a farm,” he said. “You have family, education, church and sports. We stick with our family — we plow together, we pick watermelons together and we go to church together.
“A man of the land is about as close to God as you can get because he depends on Him for so many things,” Adams said.
Large tractors welcomed passing motorists to the Mason City Community Center on Saturday and handshakes, hugs and smiles welcomed visitors inside. Young and old alike were in attendance, with the older crowd talking about times long past and the changes in agriculture over the years. Country music could be heard over the sound system and lunch was provided by Nettles Sausage.
“This is our roots, this is what we’re about,” said organizer Don Adams. “This is our lives.”
As an agricultural community, Columbia County has changed a lot in the past 50 years, and photos from years gone by were proudly displayed on tables around the community center. Resident Russell Wilson passed around a photo book that contained pictures from the national agricultural strike which began in 1977 and took many local farmers to Tallahassee and to Washington, D.C. Wilson was wearing a hat and jacket Saturday that read “We Support Agricultural Strike” which he’d worn during the strike.
Bob Sweezer and Dan Devereux sat in deep conversation at a table Saturday discussing changes in the industry that they’d seen in their lifetimes.
“I’ve seen it go from horse and buggy to what it is today,” Sweezer said.
Each brought a tractor with them to the event and dozens of visitors surrounded Devereux’s when he was ready to start
his up. The engine of the 1957 Ford 460 roared to life, and the eight vertical silver pipes blew smoke coming from the 514 punchboard and stroked engine.
“It’s basically a hot rod with tractor tires,” Devereux said.
Adams said he hoped the event would lead to other things down the road. He said he wants to build a museum somewhere in North Florida to preserve the area’s agricultural heritage.
“The best place in the world to raise a child is on a farm,” he said. “You have family, education, church and sports. We stick with our family — we plow together, we pick watermelons together and we go to church together.
“A man of the land is about as close to God as you can get because he depends on Him for so many things,” Adams said.
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