Hartford-Litchfield Sister Cities: Is it already Tuesday?

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Is it already Tuesday?

No photos from today from the tour of Sysco in Geneva and the Geneva County High School, but photos from the banquet tonight are below. Great crowd at the banquet and enjoyed hearing about how everyone is enjoying our "good weather" down here!

Following lunch today at the Johnny Hughes Community Center sponsored by the City of Hartford, Debbie Brunson led the group on a tour of the Michelin Plant in Dothan (another favorite of the group). Everyone is looking forward to some peanut and cotton picking later in the week.

Congratulations to Tammie Byrd, Deborah Justice and Vernon Alford named Honorary FFA members!

Thanks to Harrell Milling Co. for sponsorship of the banquet, Paul Spivey at Hartford's Florist and Gifts for the decorations, Deborah Justice at the GCHS lunchroom for the potato salad and beans, and the Hartford FFA for the pork steaks and serving!

On Wednesday are the farm tours and the fish fry headed up by Joe Howell. Thanks, City Bank, for hosting this delicious meal! Then on Thursday is Beach Day! Better get your sleep!

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History of Program

The idea began in January of 1971 when Bruce Cottington, a Litchfield grocery store owner and host of a talk show on local radio station KLFD, was talking about how often he ate peanut butter and drank milk. Looking for a good sales promotion, Litchfield was proclaimed the peanut butter capital of the world, and the Peanut Butter and Milk Festival was begun to promote rural America, good food, agriculture and the dairy industry, and young people.

As a lifetime Future Farmers of America (FFA) member, Cottington naturally involved the FFA.Cottington’s search through Auburn Univ. in Alabama led to Paul Dean, FFA advisor at Geneva County High School in Hartford. In October, Cottington’s family traveled to Alabama to make a presentation to then Governor George Wallace who signed a legislative resolution proclaiming Meeker County citizens as residents of Alabama. (Although they couldn't vote, they were welcome to pay taxes!) They then visited Hartford, Dothan and the National Peanut Festival. Cottington and Dean then developed the idea of a north-south FFA and FHA exchange program.

In 2008, the Sister Cities Program celebrated the 37th year of what has become an annual exchange of people, good will and peanut butter and milk. Hartford students and citizens travel to Litchfield each February for the Peanut Butter and Milk Festival, and Litchfield students and citizens travel to Hartford each November.