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FROM STAFF REPORTS

MONTGOMERY — Young artists and storytellers, including a Shelby County student, were honored during the Alabama Farm-City Awards livestream May 12 for showcasing how farmers “Keep Alabama Growing.”

Students from Autauga, Houston, Lawrence and Shelby counties took home top honors in the state Farm-City poster, essay and video contests. The contestants earned the opportunity to compete for state awards by winning their county contests last fall.

Alabama Farm-City Committee Chairman Jeff Helms said the “Keep Alabama Growing” theme encouraged competitors to explore the diversity and importance of agriculture and forestry.

“Since 1955, Farm-City Week has been observed for seven days before Thanksgiving as a time to foster understanding between farmers and their city neighbors,” Helms said. “In Alabama, the poster, essay and video programs have the most lasting impact on the Farm-City mission because they plant seeds of understanding with students who may never live on a farm.”

Alabama Farmers Cooperative (AFC) sponsored cash prizes for the winning contestants and matching awards for their schools. AFC serves farmers, gardeners and homeowners with about 80 Quality Co-op stores in Alabama, Florida and Tennessee.

Junior homeschool student Marion Bell of Shelby County won first place in the Alabama Farm-City Video contest.

Her winning entry can be viewed at YouTube.com/watch?v=dH0d9B1fstc.

Bell qualified for the contest after winning a local Farm-City poster contest.

She won $300 in prize money courtesy of contest sponsor Alabama Farmers Cooperative, which also gave $300 to Bell’s teacher to use in the classroom.