BY TRACY LEE TATE
Times Editor
An educational and fun event was held for the young people of Union County at Promised Land Family Ministries on Oct. 22, 2022 featuring interactive information stations of topics such as planting seeds, keeping cattle, chickens and goats, tractor safety, the roles of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission and the Florida Division of Forestry.
The Faith and Family Festival allowed young people to experience agriculture and the natural world in a safe and loving environment with faith-based presentations. Youngsters formed into small groups and walked a circuit of stations, each with a presentation and hands-on experiences. They learned about planting seeds, regulation of fish and game, keeping farm animals, how to disk and seed a field with a tractor and other agricultural skills. The pace was casual and the presentations designed with young people in mind.
After the walk around the stations, attendees were treated to lunch, fun and games and a drawing for a large selection of prizes. Demetrise Thomas was on hand to talk about healthy snacks and helping her audience construct their own trail mix and yogurt sundaes to try out.
Promised Land Family Ministries would like to thank all of the volunteers, sponsors and donors who made the free event possible. These include: Dungarees, the Florida Farm Bureau. Winn Dixie, North Florida Equipment Rentals, Clubhouse Athletics, the Florida Department of Agriculture, Ag-Pro, Farm Credit of Florida, Emerald Data Partners, 4imprint, Florida Agriculture in the Classroom, UF-IFAS Extension, Robby Worrell Construction, Lake Butler Farm Center, Sonny’s BBQ, Community State Bank, Rural King and B-Squared Baked Goods.
Promised Land Family Ministries is a faith-based 501(c) 3 non-profit located at 6886 SW 74th Way in Lake Butler. Their mission statement is “To strengthen youth and families through Christ-centered experiences in an agricultural and outdoor setting, creating abundant living that transforms individuals and communities. It is run by Rev. John Hall and his wife Rebecca. To find out about future events, learn more about the facility or to explore volunteer or sponsorship opportunities they can be found on Facebook @PromisedLandFM or contacted at www.PromisedLandFM.org or [email protected].
