Scarecrows abound in Colusa County

COVID-19 may have put many people in a holiday slump this year, but not when it comes to Halloween.

The Colusa County Chamber of Commerce paired with The Farmer’s Daughter this year to sponsor the annual scarecrow contest, which beat everyone’s expectation when it came to participation and fundraising.

“We raised almost $1,000,” said Sadie Boggs Ash, founder of The Farmer’s Daughter.

Businesses, residents, schools, and clubs throughout the county decorated 80 scarecrows, including 11 in Stonyford, exceeding the Chamber’s previous record of 50 entries.

This year, cross bars were provided with an entry fee as a fundraiser for the Farmer’s Daughter, which cancelled its 5K run in November due to the pandemic.

The Farmer’s Daughter was originally formed to raise awareness about colon cancer and money for colon county research, in memory of Laurel Ash Stevens, who died from the disease in 2017 at the age of 34.

The organization has since morphed to become a vehicle to help various local causes and non-profit organizations, with an emphasis on supporting a healthy community and quality of life in Colusa County, whether that means raising money, providing support, or volunteering at events.

“What I’ve learned is that there are some amazing people in this community,” Ash said. “We’re trying to work work with other established nonprofits to help them with what they need.”

The funds raised from this year’s scarecrow contest will go to support Studio ABC, which operates the art docent program at school.

This Saturday, some of the scarecrows entered in the contest will be on display for a “Scarecrow Walk” on the Colusa County Courthouse lawn at the Gazebo, located at the corner of Sixth and Jay streets.

People are invited to stroll through the display from 11 AM to 2 PM, Ash said.

Judging the scarecrow contest was originally scheduled for Monday, but was postponed to Thursday or Friday because of the high winds. ♣