JEFFERSON — Years of hard work and dedication from agricultural enthusiasts and elected officials were celebrated on July 12 with a groundbreaking ceremony in Jefferson at the home of what will be the Ashe County Agriculture Event Center.
The idea for the agricultural center started to gain momentum around seven years ago when former North Carolina Senator Deanna Ballard was approached by county commissioners on how to get the idea off the ground.
“My involvement started when I met with some of the county commissioners in a conference room in the courthouse back in 2017 or 2018. I asked the question ‘how can I help, what do we need here in Ashe,’ and this was one of the top priorities of the conversation. I was able to dive in, roll up my sleeves and go back to Raleigh and figure out the budget process and figure out when you can get money. It has been a lot of conversations and a lot of hard work by a lot of people,” Ballard said.
NC House Representative Ray Pickett said when he was first elected, this project was brought to his attention almost immediately.
“We have worked together with Senator Ballard at the time and now Senator (Ralph) Hise to get the money appropriated to get this up and make it a reality,” Pickett said. “It’s important because agriculture is such an important part of Ashe County and always has been and this will just make it even better. It will make it more convenient for our cattle farmers especially, but all the other events we can have here is very important.”
The hard work and excitement for the project has been shared by local officials as well. Jefferson Mayor Peter Eller is glad that Ashe County can join the growing list of locations in the High Country to have a facility for agricultural events.
“The agriculture here in Ashe County has a long history and we have always lacked an agriculture center. My opinion is if all of our surrounding neighbors can have one, Ashe County can too and it is very important to the future kids of the county,” Eller said.
Todd McNeill, the Chairman of the Ashe County Board of Commissioners, focused on the agricultural legacy of Ashe County and how a facility like this will help younger generations stay involved in the industry.
“Agriculture is not only Ashe County’s largest industry, and North Carolina’s largest industry, but it is also a cornerstone of our local culture and heritage and traditions that we hold dear in the county. From the tobacco fields of years gone by to cattle and Christmas trees now, we hope that this facility serves all aspects of agriculture,” McNeill said. “It gives us a place for our local youth to grow and foster an interest in agriculture, view agriculture as a viable career choice and keep those traditions alive with space to participate in 4H or whatever program they might be involved in.”
Commissioner Chuck Olive said this facility is just the start of how this property can be used to help local farmers.
“Agriculture is the basis for the economy in Ashe County, without farmers where would we be? This is the first step for a long-term plan to utilize this property to help our farmers and our agricultural heritage,” Olive said.
In addition to elected officials, Ashe County High School FFA members got the opportunity to take part in the groundbreaking ceremony. Paige Roten, the Ashe County High School FFA President, sees the new facility as a positive for the younger generations in the county.
“I think it will give young people the chance to expose themselves to agriculture more and to have that opportunity to grow in agriculture and see where their place fits. I think it will be good for the high school as well in having facilities to do more ag-related projects,” Roten explained.
In January of this year, the Agricultural Center Advisory Board met with commissioners to present their plans for the construction of the new center. The conceptual plans, created by Vannoy Construction, were approved by the commissioners. Advisory board member Judy Bare, who is also the President of Farm Bureau, expects the facility will help keep agriculture as a vital lifeline for economic success of Ashe County.
“We are prayerful that it will raise the awareness of agriculture in Ashe County and keep it the vital industry that it is. It is number one in the county right now and we would like to keep it that way to make sure the farmers have the facilities they need to encourage them to continue with their chosen profession,” Bare said.
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