City met country on Thursday, Aug. 4, 1976.

The occasion was a chicken barbecue at the Frosty Acres campgrounds in Mariaville. Members of the street and sidewalk set had been hanging out with the barn and tractor gang since 1951, when Cooperative Extension agent Walter Durniak proposed the first gathering. He wanted to promote good relations between farm and city folks, and had received backing from Schenectady’s Chamber of Commerce, beekeepers, vegetable growers and local granges. Service organizations joined later.

Food at the picnic, attended by 600, made everyone happy. Durniak and Woody Fulton made William Golub happy — the chairman of the board of the Golub Corp. was honored for promoting 4-H programs in the area. Golub had contributed seeds and plants to 4-H groups and had allowed them to sell goods from their gardens in his supermarkets. Golub told people at the mixer the exercise taught young people the value of free enterprise.

The chairman also said cooperation between local businessmen was important in the promotion of mutual interests.

J. Roger Barber, New York state’s commissioner of agriculture, agreed with the cooperation point. He said people working together would ensure support for the local farm industry.

That would also help out the consumer. Local produce was fresher, more readily available and less expensive than fruits and vegetables hauled in from outside the Capital Region.

Nobody complained about the food points. Not with chicken, corn on the cob and other summer foods on their plates.