Meet Candidate Kim Morden. Read on to know why she wants to be our local Mrs. Asparagus.
"I am running for the title of “Mrs. Asparagus” for two reasons, first to advocate for the festival and secondly to campaign for and educate people about the asparagus industry. When I ran for the title three years ago and received the honor of being the runner-up under
Heather J.R. Green, my reason for running was purely to promote our struggling asparagus and agricultural industry. Since then, the festival has been in jeopardy due to budget concerns and a lack of volunteers. The
National Asparagus Festival has become an annual tradition that many local residents and tourists look forward to each year. It is an important community event and if we wish it to continue, money must be raised, volunteers need to be found, and the requirements of the NAF board must be made known. As queen, I could help make this happen. I will attempt to acquire grant funds or donations and assemble a volunteer task force and advocacy group through a creation of a web based blog or interactive web page. To achieve my second goal, I will use my skills as an educator, to visit area school districts to teach children about the importance of the asparagus industry and the rich history our area has in asparagus production. I will make local, state-wide, and even national appearances, if possible, to lobby for growing, selling and eating home grown asparagus. I believe “Mrs. Asparagus 2010” needs to be passionate about the industry and festival. As a lifelong resident, who has her roots firmly planted in Oceana County, that passion is home grown in me."
