Farm City Week harvested the last of its planned events for the week with a banquet at Cole Auditorium on Tuesday night.

The banquet wrapped up the week long agricultural celebration which began on Saturday with the Farmer’s Day Parade in Ellerbe.

“Everything went really well this year,” said Page Burns, interim county extension director

The banquet’s centerpiece was a presentation from Dr. Jim Clark, NC 4-H Museum and History Center Committee Chair.

His main focus was on what it means for Richmond County to collect its agricultural and 4-H history. He often uses the term, “proofreading” to describe the process of disseminating its history.

“We want to allow the people of Richmond County to see what’s in their front yards and let them in their place in 4-H history,” Clark said.

One of Clark’s larger goals is to garner both community and monetary support for a museum and exhibit at Camp Millstone in Ellerbe which will capture the history of 4-H in the state on North Carolina.

“We’re really trying to excite interest locally,” Clark said.

Clark and Brad Dixon, assistant director of development with NC State University, had gone before county commissioners earlier this year to ask for support with the project which will function through N.C. State, according to Dixon.

So far the project has raised at least $115,000 for the overall project, Dixon said.

The museum is currently a white farmhouse nestled on the grounds at Camp Millstone, but through concept art and 3-D models which Clark and Dixon brought to the banquet, they have larger ideas in mind.

Plans are for a multi-building complex over several acres.

“We’ve had some success so far,” Dixon said. “The local community has supported us.”

The project is still in the initial stages of development, according to Clark, but the history behind it will help bring it to the forefront.

Gina Simmons’ third grade class from Monroe Avenue elementary also attended the banquet to put on a puppet show, “The Turkey and the Pig Who Set Up House” for attendees.

Additionally, Bob Dotson and Cripple Creek performed their brand of folk-bluegrass at the banquet.

Roughly 80 farmers, members of local government and agencies joined the Agricultural Co-op at the banquet and exceeded what Burns had anticipated.

“We’ve had a greater turn out at the events over last year,” Burns said. “Maybe it’s the recession reconnecting people to the farming community, but who knows.”

Much of next year’s plans are still in the planning stages and won’t be discussed until closer to the events but Burns explained she would like to involve schools to a greater extent.

“It’s important for young people to know where their food comes from,” Burns said. “And to know it comes from somewhere before the grocery store. We’re trying to build connections.”

Staff writer Bryan Stewart can be reached at 997-3111 ext. 15 or by e-mail at bstewart@yourdailyjournal.com.