<b>By DOUG GRAVES<br>
Ohio Correspondent</b> </p><p>

SIDNEY, Ohio — Just how do you stress to city folk that their food originates from the farm rather than a grocery store?<br>
A few groups in Shelby County, Ohio, believe you get the message across with beautiful, live music.<br>
The Gateway Arts Council of Shelby County, along with the Shelby Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD), Ohio State University extension of Shelby County, Shelby County Farm Bureau and USDA Farm Service Agency, presents Images from the Land, an innovative integration of live music and movies from local farms.<br>
The music is compliments of the Sidney Civic Band, and the movies take viewers through the four seasons in Shelby County as local farm families till, plant and reap the fruits of the land.
When labor ends, scenic landscapes fade to farmers’ markets and the local county fair.<br>
This event will take place at Sidney High School on March 29 at 7 p.m. and March 30 at 2 p.m.<br>
Admission is free.<br>
“We are probably three generations away from the farm,” said Lynda Adams, the SWCD. “Some are farther removed from the farm than that.”<br>
Part of Adams’ duties are to enter the classroom and educate young children about the importance of soils in the area.<br>
“In our classes, we often make chocolate chip cookies and when we speak about the ingredients, I ask the kids where flour comes from – but when they respond that flour comes from flowers, we have a story to tell,” she said.<br>
And no better way to tell the story, Adams says, than a mix of good music and a strong message.<br>
“The merging of music with agriculture is a good cultural merge,” she said.<br>
According to Adams, the concert and imagery will give the audience a behind-the-scenes look at local agriculture and the families who make their living from the land. By portraying the efforts of seven local farm families, viewers will see how food gets from the gate to the plate.<br>
“Local photographer Pat Elsass followed our families for a year to get an up-close and personal look at the people who transform seeds into salads, and pastures into pints of yogurt,” Adams said.
This family event will also feature tributes to local 4-H, FFA and FCCLA programs. Civic band director Phil Chilcote will lead the music to accompany the photography by Elsass during this free, two-day showing.<br>
“We’ve done this thanks to local funding,” Adams said. “Business and industry has played a part in funding, as have some private individuals who wanted to contribute in memory to those they have known who farmed.”<br>
Sidney High School is located at 1215 Campbell Road in Sidney. For more information about this event, contact the Gateway Arts Council at 937-498-2787.