The Eatonton Pilot Club hosted its 61st Annual Dairy Festival after COVID caused an abrupt pause to the annual festivities.
“My fellow commissioners and I would like to welcome you to the reemergence of the Dairy Festival from the pandemic,” said Jeff Wooten, Putnam County Commissioner of District 4. “This has always been the main event for Putnam County, which was once the dairy capital of Georgia, and it still is in my mind.”
June is National Dairy Month, and the Dairy Festival recognizes the dairy industry, its contributions to Putnam County and local dairy families.
This year, the Swafford family of Briar Patch Dairy were recognized with a stained-glass award during the morning ceremony.
“They started their dairy journey raising a family in Putnam County based on strong biblical values, work ethics and responsibilities of farm life,” said Amy McElhenney, vice president of Farmers & Merchants Bank. “Congratulations to the Swafford family and thank you.”
During the morning ceremony, Vickie Stanford, a member of the Pilot Club, paid respects to the family of Roy Embry.
Embry was a third-generation dairyman until he retired. His family sat in the front row for the morning ceremony with reserved seats.
The crowd applauded the family to honor who Roy Embry was for the community and his contributions as a dairy farmer. The remembrance speech concluded with the family being given a photo of the sunrise.
“Roy Embry was very special to us as a community, for the Pilot Club, and the Dairy Festival,” said Stanford to the crowd. “For his family, we have a gift. On the day of his memorial service, a beautiful sunrise photo was taken by a family member showing one of his favorite places on the farm. We give this to you and will continue to keep you and your family in our thoughts and prayers.”
Beyond the morning ceremony, there were many activities to enjoy. The festival saw the return of the annual parade and races including the 5K Race and Fun Run.
In the parade, Eatonton-Putnam Water & Sewer won first place in the float competition with their float showing off a water tank that is decorated with cows grazing around it.
Crossroads Baptist Church won second place in the float competition with their float showing off the vacation Bible school theme for June: Jerusalem Marketplace.
After the parade, a range of local entertainers came to the stage to show off their talents.
The entertainers this year included: a demo of karate, Putnam County Barber Vocalists, Georgia Smith as the Uncle Remus Storyteller, a collection of Putnam County High School Vocalists and the Putnam County Ensemble of Praise.
In addition, Southern Swiss Dairy, in Waynesboro, brought 2,000 pints of white and chocolate milk to give out for the Dairy Alliance throughout the afternoon.
“People always come into Putnam County on the first weekend of June,” said Wooten to the crowd. “So, the Dairy Festival has always been a good time for our community to return together and welcome new families who have moved here. Putnam County has and will always be the best place to live and that is evidenced by our community.”
The 2022 Dairy Festival brought a sense of joy and community back to Putnam County after a long pause from the pandemic and honored by the community, the Dairy Festival Family of the Year, the Swaffords’ of Briar Patch Dairy, were recognized for their contributions to the dairy industry.