Plans are being formalized for the 24th-annual Farmer’s Appreciation Banquet to be tentatively held early November in Winnsboro, said David Rigdon, president of Winnsboro-Franklin Chamber of Commerce.
The 23rd-annual event showcases parish farms which makes up a vast majority of the local economy.
“Agriculture is one of the greatest keys of our community and local economy,” Rigdon said. “The Chamber is proud to recognize this annually at our Farmer's Appreciation Banquet each fall.”
Tickets will be sold for the event with complementary tickets for farmers and one additional guest.
Farming is Franklin Parish’s largest industry by far, bringing in approximately $132 million in 2020 plant enterprises.
Of that amount, corn remained king, garnering some $66 million, while soybeans produced approximately $28 million for the local 2020 economy.
In Franklin Parish, 93,259 acres of corn were planted, and 50,044 acres of soybeans were planted.
Cotton, once top crop for Franklin Parish, contributed some $10 million for the parish.
Locally, 10,518 acres of cotton were planted in 2020.
Sweet potatoes made approximately $17 million, while rice, thought to be a south Louisiana plant, brought some $6 million in Franklin Parish.
Additionally, fisheries and wildlife enterprises made up $630,476 of the parish’s 2020 economy.
Included in the fisheries and wildlife enterprises was aquaculture at $361,100. Aquaculture includes catfish which has made a recent comeback locally after diving in the early 2000s and 2010s.
Hunting licenses brought in $255,900 to the local economy.
Key components of the Farmer’s Appreciation Banquet are the awards for the first load of harvested corn and soybeans and the first cotton bale.
“We are excited this year to have the opportunity to reestablish the prizes for first harvest in cotton and corn, and new this year, the addition of first soybean harvest,” Rigdon said.
The following are guidelines for each category:
Guidelines for first load of harvested corn
* Corn must be grown in Franklin Parish by a resident of Franklin Parish.
* Corn must be weighed on scale with scale ticket by a Franklin Parish elevator (Greenfield Holdings or The Andersons)
* Corn must be a minimum of 900 bushels.
* Corn must have a minimum moisture content of 17.5 percent.
* The winner will be the first load with the bushel / moisture content with a scale ticket from either Greenfield Holdings or The Andersons.
Guidelines for first load of harvested soybeans
* Soybeans must be grown in Franklin Parish by a resident of Franklin Parish.
* Soybeans must be weighed on scale with scale ticket by a Franklin Parish Elevator (Greenfield Holdings or The Andersons).
* Soybeans must be a minimum of 900 bushels.
* Soybeans must have a minimum moisture content of 14.5 percent.
* The winner will be the first load with the bushel / moisture content with a scale ticket from either Greenfield Holdings or The Andersons.
Guidelines for first bale of cotton
* Cotton must be grown in Franklin Parish by a resident of Franklin Parish.
* Cotton must be ginned by a Franklin Parish gin (Browning’s Gin or Associated Producers Cooperative Gin).
* Bale of cotton must have a weight between 480 and 540 pounds.
* The winner will be the first bale delivered to the Franklin Cotton Warehouse and be certified as the first bale delivered to the Franklin Cotton Warehouse.
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