Greene County commissioners back proposed Farm Fest if organizer forgoes alcohol sales and carries insurance

A resident proposing a community "Farm Fest" asked the Greene County Board of Commissioners for permission to use county-owned property next April, and the board voted unanimously to support the event with two conditions.

The proposer said the daytime event, planned for the junior high and adjacent ball field, would feature local farmers and food trucks, activities for children and scholarships funded through nonprofit fundraising. "I'm proposing to do a farm fest ... next April," the speaker told the board and described a plan for vendor parking, portable toilets and a mobile stage supplied by the organizer.

The board’s chair told the proposer the county will not allow alcohol sales on county property. The chair also required the organizer to provide liability insurance naming the county for the single event day. With those two stipulations in place, a commissioner moved to offer support and the motion carried by voice vote.

County officials and the proposer clarified logistics after the vote, including that the event will use a mobile stage on the ball field rather than the town stage and that the organizer will work with town authorities where needed for operations and safety. The board did not set a permit fee during the meeting and directed the organizer to finalize contracts and insurance as requested.

The board’s action was limited to offering support under the stated conditions; no county funding was approved at the meeting.