QUINCY - Quincy's Farmer-Consumer Awareness Day (FCAD) was started in 1981 after Dennis Higashiyama heard a story on the Paul Harvey show that illustrated how farmers and consumers had drifted apart.

Higashiyama decided to bring the two groups back together, in a fun way, for some understanding about how food actually arrives on grocery store shelves. Since then, the FCAD, which will be celebrated this weekend, has grown to country fair proportions.

For farmers, the FCAD is an opportunity to show off the fruits of their labor and demonstrate the tools and techniques that they use in their work. For the public, it's a great way to learn about where groceries come from and an opportunity to talk to the people who produce them.

Over 33 years, the FCAD has grown immensely, with tours of area processing plants and farms, displays of farm equipment, informational and commodity booths, and a farmer's market.

The celebration has been expanded to include the Grand Parade, the Farm to Market Fun Run, live entertainment, cook-offs, arts and crafts, a car show and booths that showcase locally grown delicacies.