Farmers and farming organizations recently gathered in Long County to educate kids on the farm industry.

Linda Hall, Long County Farm Bureau office manager, organized the event next to Veterans Field.

“We’ve been talking about doing this for a couple of years now and were able to get with Smiley Elementary School to put it together. The media center at the school helped promote it, and it turned out to be a great day,” Hall said.

She said she and Georgia Farm Bureau put the event together because the number of farms is decreasing.

“Most of your kids don’t know what a farmer really does. They go to the store with their mom or dad and buy some eggs or some tomatoes, but they don’t understand what it took to get those eggs and tomatoes to that store,” Hall said.

Though farmers were the focus, other organizations that support farming were represented. Hall also said the school board supported the event, because it brought “a farming field trip” to the students.

Hall said the Farm Bureau hopes to continue the event, focusing on third-graders.

Farms and farmers that participated were the Hosley Hall Farm, Cecil Stafford Farm, Del Ray Farm, Harold Long and Manuel Sneed, who is Long County Farm Bureau president. Others included the Georgia Forestry Commission, Long County 4-H Club, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Canoochee EMC and the Smiley Elementary media center.