The Benton Partnership will be hosting the annual Farm to Fork dinner and award event on Saturday, October 19th, 2024, at Marshall County High School. The Farm to Fork event is an excellent way for Marshall County to collaborate with the local farmers to recognize and honor our agricultural community and their hard work throughout the year. Local farmers donate the food for the dinner each year. Marshall County High School’s Culinary Class prepares the Farm to Fork meal. The Marshall County Exceptional Center will prepare desserts. Ann Riley says, “It’s awesome to see the kids come together, preparing a meal and then cleaning up. They do such a great job.”
Ann Riley was inspired in 2017 to start this event after reading about a similar event in another small town. Riley says, “It’s a great way to recognize and honor our local farmers from all different walks of life. We include the young and the old farmer.” This event has grown tremendously over the past 8 years.
Following the dinner, Farm to Fork will host a presentation at the Kenneth Shadowen Performing Arts Center. Commissioner of Agriculture Jonathan Shell will speak on the importance of local agriculture. Awards include Farmer of the Year, Young Farmer of the Year, Junior Farmer of the Year, Woman of the Year in Agriculture, and Agri-Business of the Year. These awards bring attention to our local farmers, businesses, and high school students wanting to pursue Agriculture in the future. Last year’s award recipients include The Junior Farmer of the Year, which was awarded to Hunter Conner, who has been farming with his dad since he was a child. Tyler McKenty was named Young Farmer of the Year. He is the operations manager of West Kentucky Aquaponics. The 2023 Woman in Agriculture Award was presented to Taylor Joseph.
Scholarships will also be awarded to the local high school students in the following areas: FFA (Future Farmers of America), culinary, and media. Last year, over $4000 in scholarships was awarded to local students. If you purchased a ticket to the Farm to Fork Annual Dinner, doors will open at 5:30 p.m., and the dinner will begin at 6:00 p.m. If you have not purchased a ticket, those will be available at Benton City Hall: $40 dollars for a single ticket and $300 for a table of 6. The entrance of the event will be located by the band room.
Written by Abby Miller, Senior at Christian Fellowship School
