CULLMAN – Children petting animals, adults pushing strollers with dozing babies, folks visiting, or just sitting on benches doing a little people watching, vendors selling and others carving fruits and vegetables, and the highlight of the festival, giant pumpkins and watermelons which draw lots of oooohs and ahhhhs from everyone, this is the Farm Y’all Festival.
This year’s festival, now in its fourth year, went off without a hitch on Saturday. According to Cullman Area Chamber of Commerce Director of Small Business & Workforce Solutions, Ben Smith, an estimated 1,500 people were in attendance.
“It was a great day -from a packed farmer’s market to a new Farm Y'all pumpkin weigh-in record,” said Cullman Area Chamber of Commerce President, Leah Bolin. “Old and young alike came out to enjoy the day.”
The weather even cooperated, although temps hovered in the 90s. A bit of a breeze and the shade available from tents and trees in Depot Park kept people comfortable. Many spent their time under the high-peaked roof of the Festhalle Market Platz, where business was brisk all day long.
The crowd enjoyed the culinary demonstrations, sponsored by American Proteins. The program was conducted by several chefs including Chef Ron Foust of Stonebridge Farm, who did his usual superb job while Travis Kress, one of Cullman’s hard-working farmers explained the benefits of the Cullman sweet potato. Then there was fruit carving by Rozie Hartley of Stone Bridge Farms, assisted by Leah Bolin and the Watermelon Queen, Madison Laney, followed by Chef John Wilson of Wallace State's Culinary Dept. with Farmer Arnold Caylor.
Chef Matt Heim of All Steak and Alabama Cattlemen's Association Rep. Erin Beasley presented "Navigating through the Sea of Red," after which Raydonna Sims of the Cullman Extension Office ended the demonstrations with a preserving program from the extension’s new, state-of-the-art mobile kitchen.
Jim ‘N Nicks, Squeezers, Alabama Italian Ice, Devil Dawgs Concessions and various other vendors were also big hits with festival goers. Smiling faces covered in watermelon juice and tall glasses of sweet/tart lemonade were frequent sights, as were kids riding miniature tractors and petting Milky Way, the Peinhardt Farm cow who stood patiently as curious children rubbed her gently while they learned more about where the milk for their cereal really comes from.
Growers from several states entered the pumpkin and watermelon competitions. Prizes ranging from $250 to $1,250 were awarded to the winners and those who placed in the contest. At the end of the day, a giant watermelon was dropped from a crane onto the parking lot near the park. Children raced to play in the splattered red results.
Live entertainment was sponsored by Dairy Queen and provided by Mountain Melodies, The Folk Junkies and the Fairview FFA String Band, as well as DJ music, which could be heard throughout the park, setting the tone for the festival. There were also horseshoe and cornhole tossing, watermelon seed spittin’, an inflatable bouncy house and other games and attractions for kids of all ages.
Farm Y’all celebrates Cullman’s long and successful position as one of the top agricultural counties in the state. Sponsored by Tri-Green Equipment and hosted by the Cullman Area Chamber of Commerce and Visitor’s Center, the event attracts visitors from several states, as well as the surrounding counties.
Sponsors include American Proteins, The Great Pumpkin Commonwealth, Cullman 4H Club and Polarcool.
Winners of Pumpkin and Watermelon Weigh-In Contests
Pumpkin
1. Rick Jolivette / 1,652 lbs.!!
2. Jason Terry / 1,137
3. Bill Brinkley (KY) / 1,249
4. Bruce Terry (TN) / 1,137
5. Spencer Glasgow (AL) / 389
6. Jeremy Lindley (AR) / 104
Watermelon
1. Chris Kent / 264
2. Frank Mudd /256
3. Jason Terry /236
4. Charles Bentley /218
5. Daniel White/204
6. Jerry Vaughn /203
7. Rhett Boyd /148
8. Jeremy Lindley / 132
9. Durwin Brock /123
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