Farmer-Consumer Awareness Day started in 1981 by a frustrated farmer.  Quincy farmer Dennis Higashiyama was listening to Paul Harvey on the radio.  Harvey was relating the story of a lady who had complained to her grocer about the high cost of food.  The grocer explained some of her grocery money helps him pay his bills and his employee’s wages, some of the money goes to the processors who package the food, and some goes to the farmer.  The woman then retorted that we ought to get rid of the farmer.  The surprised grocer asked where she thought the food cam from.  “From Safeway, naturally.”

Higashiyama thought of an idea of having a day where the public could see first hand what agriculture is all about.  His idea was to let the public know that farmers are not getting rich, and they don’t want to be taken for granted either. 

In the past 25 years, the event has grown successfully with tours of area processing plants and farms, displays of farm equipment, informational and commodity booths, and a farmer’s market with produce going at wholesale prices.

The celebration has been expanded to include a parade, a fun run, an afternoon of entertainment on a stage, displays of arts and crafts, a car show  and a large number of food booths.

The celebration is held annually on the second Saturday in September. 

Parade and Booth applications are available on-line or by contacting the Farmer Consumer Awareness Day (FCAD) committee at P.O. Box 1865, Quincy, WA  98848, (509) 787-4246 message phone, or (509) 787-9338 fax.  Click here to download FCAD Flyer