Agriculture
Festhall finale
By David Lazenby
davidl@cullmantimes.com
It’s last call for the Festhalle.
The first season of the Festhalle Market Platz comes to an end Saturday.
Manager Jimmy Simms said the new farmer’s market will go out on a high note with an event called Farm City Day.
Simms said the market is partnering with the Farm City Committee to put on the event.
“They (FCC) along with the Farmer’s Federation will have booths and displays related to Cullman County Agriculture,” Simms said.
This weekend’s grande finale will top off what Simms said has been an extremely successful rookie year.
“I don’t know how I could be more pleased about how the first year has gone,” Simms said about Festhalle’s growing season.
The seed for the Festhalle was planted in January with a community meeting on the matter and the formation of a market steering committee. It was cultivated during the construction of the largest timber-framed structure in the state that serves as the facility of the Festhalle that opened to the public on June 30.
“There has been so many compliments and comments about how good the market has been,” he said.
Nonetheless, Festhalle organizers are already planning ways to improve the Festhalle for next year.
For the past few weeks, Simms has conducted a survey of market customers to find out what they think about the market, its management, the produce, the events, and what they would like to see in the Festhalle’s future.
“You’d be amazed at how many comments we get from folks that say ‘Jim, I don’t know of anything you can do better — just more of it.’”
Also, Simms said, “The steering committee will meet next month to evaluate the kind of year we had.”
“People really like our concept of what we’ve done to make this more than just a farmers market but make it actually a community pavilion,” Simms said, adding that organizers will next year try to make the Festhalle more of a “destination place.”
“That’s what we want it to be,” Simms said. “We want it to be not just a place to come buy your farm-fresh produce — which it is — but also a place to meet friends and gather with folks and enjoy the company and atmosphere.”
Simms said another goal is to spread the word about the market’s hours of operation. He said, “I’m going to try to do my best in the off-season to advertise that in the communities.”
Simms said the market has been especially remarkable considering the natural woes plaguing produce growers this year.
“From the freeze in April to the drought we’ve been in, what a terrible year to begin a farmers market,” Simms mused.
Simms said he credits city officials, farmers, market supporters and community volunteers for making the market a success.
“Cullman is just a great community. They deserve a place like this,” he said.
- Agriculture
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Festhall finale
By David Lazenby
davidl@cullmantimes.com
It’s last call for the Festhalle.
The first season of the Festhalle Market Platz comes to an end Saturday.
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Utterly amazed
By David Lazenby
davidl@cullmantimes.com
A barnyard, cotton field and antiquated kitchen substituted for classrooms Wednesday as East Elementary School second graders got a hands-on history lesson.
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Cold Springs FFA repeat at fair
By Niamh Bailes
news@cullmantimes.com
Cold Springs High School’s Future Farmers of America club won the Cullman County Fair’s Herdsman Award in September but they are not resting yet. On Thursday, they are going for another win at the Alabama National Fair in Montgomery.
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Plumping up Pumpkins
By Niamh Bailes
news@cullmantimes.com
Whether for roasted seeds, sweet pies or Halloween lanterns, the fall season is not so colorful without the versatile pumpkin. There are as many varieties of pumpkin as uses for the fruit, but they all require similar conditions to grow.
“A lot of people have the idea that pumpkins are drought resistant,” said Arnold Caylor, director of the Experiment Station in Cullman, “but that’s not the case. As people have found this year, pumpkins need a lot of water.”
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Students come home winners at livestock Expo
Cullman County students won big at this year’s Alabama Junior Livestock Exposition, taking 27 slots in the winner’s circle, more than any other county.
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Poor soils and too much or too little water can adversely affect pecan production.
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Avian flu no threat to United States
Alabama Department of Agriculture veterinarian Brad Fields said American's fears of avian flu, more commonly known as bird flu, are largely unfounded.
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Festhall finale
