Local farmers thanked for sustainable contributions with festival

Agrisoma hosts a similar music event in Fayetteville, N.C., as part of its Farm to Flight Tour. (Contributed photo)
Agrisoma hosts a similar music event in Fayetteville, N.C., as part of its Farm to Flight Tour. (Contributed photo)

Agrisoma Biosciences Inc. is hosting a harvest celebration at Northwest Georgia Amphitheatre on Saturday, Sept. 22 to say "thank you" to all the locals who have aided its efforts to develop sustainable energy and create a cleaner future.

The Canada-based agricultural tech company sells carinata seeds, which are used to produce biofuel for aircraft. The company works with farmers all throughout the country, and especially throughout the Southeast, to grow the oilseed crop, which is similar to canola.

"The Southeast USA division is doing really well, and they just want to celebrate the farmers and the growers that are making it happen for them," said Kristina Barber, owner of Maverick Management, which is organizing the event.

photo Agrisoma has hosted similar celebratory events throughout the Southeast as part of its Farm to Flight Tour. (Contributed photo)
photo Carinata is a non-food crop that is grown by local farmers and used by Agrisoma to make biofuel. (Contributed photo)

The family-friendly harvest festival is part of Agrisoma USA's Farm to Flight Tour through rural areas in states like Alabama, Mississippi and South Carolina. The event will be a day filled with live country, bluegrass and gospel music from artists such as Jeff & Sheri Easter, The Perrys, Kolt Barber, the Browders, Mercy Mountain Boys and Rightpath Bluegrass. Concessions will be on-site.

The festivities come in the wake of Agrisoma's latest achievement. On Sept. 14, the company partnered with United Airlines and World Energy for its second international commercial flight powered by biojet fuel. The nonstop San Francisco-to-Zurich flight replaced 30 percent of the petroleum jet fuel needed with the carinata-based fuel.

"This flight is another milestone for the aviation industry's move toward low-carbon fuels," Agrisoma CEO Steve Fabijanski said in a news release. "At 11 hours, it is the longest transatlantic biojet flight undertaken to date, and, with the fuel-efficient Boeing 787, represents the lowest carbon footprint commercial flight across the Atlantic."

In addition to thanking local farmers for their hand in such accomplishments, Barber said the event will be a chance for those growers to get out and spend time with others in the community.

"It's not just a concert; it's meant to be about community engagement," she said.

All are welcome and encouraged to join in the day's proceedings. Though the event is free, organizers ask those who are able to give a donation of $10.

Festivities will begin at 3 p.m. and continue until 10 p.m.

Email Myron Madden at mmadden@timesfreepress.com.

Upcoming Events