Area farmers halted work briefly Friday morning to gather collectively for prayer and fellowship in a Blessing of the Harvest event at the Bulloch County Center for Agriculture. Organized by the Bulloch County Agribusiness Committee through the Statesboro-Bulloch Chamber of Commerce and sponsored by AgSouth Farm Credit and Georgia Farm Bureau, the event was held to kick off the 2016 harvest season. Dr. Tom Marshall, a Portal High School ag teacher for 27 years, opened the event and said man has gathered throughout the history of civilization to ask for a harvest blessing.