Ameliasburgh Fair tributes Prince Edward County farmers
Administrator | Oct 02, 2011 | Comments 0
Autumn arrived with a vengeance on the weekend but visitors to the 30th annual Ameliasburgh Fair bundled up to visit with neighbours and pay tribute to Prince Edward County farmers.
Ameliasburgh resident Lyle Vanclief, former minister of agriculture, was the grand opening ceremony guest of honour. Last week he had met with 260 delegates from 30-plus countries who came to the province for the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists congress.
“We talked about how fortunate we are as Canadians…evident too often as we check our waistlines.”
He told of how some of the journalists were from countries where the sole purpose was to gather enough calories each day to keep alive, and other countries where they are simply not able to find the calories.
“So we must remember how fortunate we are as we recognize and honour Prince Edward County farmers. We need to say ‘thank you’ for the close to 600 farms here…We have such diversity of food and we can top it off with a nice glass of wine. How fortunate we are.”
Prince Edward County Mayor Peter Mertens said the bulk of the County would be suffering if it were not for its farmers.
“They are a key part of our economy and we owe them a debt of gratitude for that,” Mertens said. “It is my wish that our good fortune could be expanded to the rest of the world.”
Al Bentley, chairman of the Ameliasburgh Recreation Committee, presented the Arlie Kerwin volunteer of the Year Award to Roy Pennell.
“As we celebrate farmers, I remember when I was a kid that volunteerism started with farmers working as neighbours who would always pitch in. It wasn’t called volunteerism,” said Pennell, “it was just friendship and willingness to help out.”
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