As the master of Whately Grange, I would like to thank the many organizations that participated in Ag Day in Whately.
These groups include the Whately Agricultural Commission, Whately Parent Teacher Organization, the Whately Elementary School and three of its employees who were there, the Whately Historical Society, and all the farmers.
I also would like to thank the Gazette and the Recorder for the newspaper coverage as well as FCAT and Frontier Regional High School for their efforts in filming Whately farmers and the event.
The film was aired many times on various channels. The day was designed to celebrate the farmers and it was a great success. This was the Grange’s way of saying “Thanks to the farmers.”
When I signed Whately Grange up for “an agricultural day,” it was suggested that we have a master gardener in for an informational session. To honor the 27 farmers in Whately, their efforts, their employees and the financial impact that farming in our community was more of what I had in mind.
The elementary school children had contests to enter and prizes were awarded. One of the 14 tables at the exhibit was dedicated to children where they made flower pot crafts, colored and checked out two cows. Each farmers’ table had something to explore and two sugar farmers had samples of maple syrup to taste. I must thank all Whately Grange members who helped state grange representative who came to the event, the Whately Select Board that sent the Grange a letter of support, and the Whately Police Department who cruised the parking lot.
Thank you to Walter Thayer, a tractor restorer, whose employees brought two 1950 vintage tractors.
RUTH LEAHEY
Whately
The author is the Whately grange master.