Crenshaw County Extension Agency holds annual holiday fair
Published 9:45 pm Thursday, December 15, 2022
Crenshaw County Extension Agency held their annual Holiday Fair
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Kristin Sanders, Live Well Alabama SNAP-Ed Educator for Crenshaw and Pike counties, sold pepper jelly and pickled peppers made from the 4-H gardening club’s end of season peppers as a 4-H fundraiser.
The Crenshaw County Extension Agency held their annual Holiday Fair Tuesday at the Tom Harbin Ag Center. County extension agencies are the primary outreach organization for the land-grant mission of Alabama A&M University and Auburn University.
The Crenshaw County Extension Agency hosted their inaugural open house on Mon. Nov. 28.
By Haley Mitchell Godwin
The Crenshaw County Extension Agency hosted its inaugural open house on Nov. 28 followed by its annual holiday fair on Dec. 7.
During both events, extension agency representatives offered information about what the extension agency does.
During the open house, community members received goodie bags, registered for door prizes, and were served refreshments. The Crenshaw Extension Team t discussed research-based educational programs, workshops, and services provided by the agency in an effort to enable people to improve their quality of life and economic well-being.
The holiday fair, held at the Tom Harbin Ag Center from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., featured around fifteen vendors selling handmade items, including soaps, lotions, jewelry, and more.
Terry Dewrell, co-owner of Dixieland Kettle Corn LLC, showcased her kettle corn, available in 35 flavors, at the fair.
Dewrell said the holiday fair serves as a great opportunity for those in the community to learn about the variety of items available for purchase locally.
“This is just a small sampling of our local vendors and locally-made products,” Dewrell said. “I hope this event helps people to find out about these small businesses and the things they can buy right here at home. I would like to think that people come to these kinds of events and see others making and selling things, and then are inspired to do the same and maybe put their passions to use.”
Dewrell also noted many of the vendors at the fair could benefit from the workshops and other programs the extension agency has to offer.
The 4-H Garden Club used their end of season peppers to make pepper jelly and pickled peppers sold at the fair as part of a 4-H fundraiser.
Amanda Evans, Crenshaw County Extension Coordinator, was pleased with the turnout but hopes to go bigger and better next year.
“We really want this holiday fair to continue growing,” Evans said. “Every year we get a little bigger but we are looking at ways we can attract more vendors and more patrons. This is a great opportunity for the agency to come together with the community and I want to thank the vendors and everyone that came out for the event, and kept some of our tax dollars at home.”
For more information about the 2023 holiday fair, or what the extension agency offers, call the Crenshaw County Extension Office at (334) 335-6312.
