While receiving the Outstanding N.C. Conservation Farm Family of the Year award, surrounded by his family, friends and supporters, Adam Huscusson admitted that like a true farmer, the clear blue sky on Tuesday, May 9, was calling him to get out to his field.
“It started raining this morning at about seven o’clock...I was trying to do some things this morning so we wouldn’t be burning daylight. I had a lot of people ask me how I can stand it right now because everyone knows I’m uptight,” Huscusson said. “I wanna go. There’s a little fella inside of me right now doing backflips, he wants to go.”
Adam, his wife Katy, their two kids, his father Harold and many others got to hear stories and accolades from lifelong friends during the award banquet at Moss Valley Venue.
“It’s more of a humbling experience…we’re so thankful,” Huscusson said shortly before the event. “It’s not just a family of blood, it’s a group of people who allow us to farm on their land, let us use their places as our own to grow our crops.”
The Huscusson family operates H&H Farms, located on Murphy Road. The farm encompasses about 500 acres with 370 acres for corn, plus alfalfa, soybeans, strawberries and more.
According to the N.C. Association of Soil & Water Conservation Districts, H&H Farms implement several conservation practices such as planting winter wheat as a cover crop on every acre so they can double crop. Through Macon Soil and Water, H&H Farms have installed fencing to keep cattle out of streams and installed livestock watering systems to avoid dead spots in the field.
The Huscussons also operate H&H Farmstand, a fruit and vegetable store open Monday through Saturday.
During Tuesday’s event, Mike Breedlove, district supervisor at the Macon County Sewer Water Conservation District spoke about growing up knowing the Huscussons, knowing Katy as a basketball player and valedictorian and Adam as a football player.
“I’m so proud to have watched all what’s been going on here,” Breedlove said. “I’m just happy as a pig in slop.”
The colors were presented by the Honor Guard of VFW Post 7339 and American Legion Post 108 and Katy sang the National Anthem.
County Manager Derek Roland talked about graduating from Franklin High School with Adam and playing on the football team.
“Adam was a nose guard; both of those years he was All-Conference, and he didn’t weigh 175 pounds soaking wet, but when he got on that field, nobody worked harder and nobody was tougher,” Roland said. “To this day I still remember getting hit by Adam Huscusson.”
Huscusson said everyone in attendance had helped him and his family.
“I’d like to tell you that I’m the best farmer in here, and that would be a lie,” Adam Huscusson said after receiving the award. “There’s so many good farmers in this county, there’s so much knowledge. A good farmer uses other really good farmers to try to make it.”