It was a full house on Saturday, May 6 at the Rock River Township Hall as the community library hosted the first Meet Your Local Farmer event. Eight Alger County farms were represented by either one or two lead farmers about a range of different farming opportunities.

“About a month ago, we started to put something together,” said Rock River Librarian and Organizer of the event Jennifer Wood. “We wanted to make sure we had this local focus specifically on our farmers because they have so much to share.”

The pairing of farmers in an area known for agriculture appears to be an obvious connection, but according to organizers, the emergence of newer farms and finding new ways to support local farmers provided an opportunity.

“The biggest thing is we want to support farmer so they don’t leave. So many people are doing it well and sometimes they just burn out and get out of (farming),” said Mary Kramer-Rabine, one of the presenters at the event. “To have this great local food they produce, it’s a win-win for the buyer and for the community.”

Farmers spoke out about different processes and procedures they used for the products they grow, ranging from animals for meat, mushrooms, herbs, flowers and more. Some farms started out as subsistence farming models while others are showcasing their progress through social media and developing orchards.

Olivia Kingery of Pileated Farms was one of the presenters. She said it was nice to be appreciated and encouraged by the crowd.

“It’s great to see folks come out on a Saturday and learn about local farms. It’s a great energy,” she said.

After positive feedback and engaging questions from the crowd, organizers and farmers are both interested in continuing this kind of event in the future.

“There’s a lot more farmers that didn’t make it out that wanted to,” Kramer-Rabine said. “It would be great to make it an annual event.