Summer Ag Tour 2019: June 2019

Saturday, June 29, 2019

Where are we going 2020?

The plans for Summer Ag Tour 2020 are underway! We will be heading to the "4 Corners" States: Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Arizona. If you know of any interesting places or have contacts in the agricultural world in those states, please share with us.

A special thanks

We would like to extend a special thanks to all the parents and chaperones that went on the Summer Ag Tour 2019 with us. Without these folks the trip would not have been possible. They not only helped to supervise the kids, but were drivers and co-pilots, navigators, entertainers and supporters.

We appreciate all your help.

Mrs. Tina Byrnes
Mr. Andy Newsome
Mrs. Kim Newsome
Mr. Hilton Barber
Mrs. Allison Barber
Ms. Jordan Heinke
Mrs. Heather Holder
Mrs. Amy Davis
Mrs. Paula Retter
Ms. Carissa Retter

We hope you will join us again next year.

We would also like to thank all the people that hosted our group this year. Your input, expertise and willingness to share your world of agriculture with our students is much appreciated.

Shannon Hollis and Brad Collins at OSU OBIC
Amy Jo Baughman and Cody Myers at OSU Ag Campus
Sandy Kuhn at the Delaware County Fair
Jennifer and Brian Brown at the Little Brown Jug
Members of the Delaware County Fair Board
Jess and David Elson at Elson Farms
Lindsey Hoover and Uncle Doug at Tea Hill Farms
BJ and Marlene Eick at Herdmark Media
Dan Koman and Olivia at Wooden Nickel Buffalo Farm
Anna and Gordon Post at Post Apple Farms
Diane Cooper at Strawberry Tyme Farms
Kit Brown and Don at Salmon and Trout Club Hatchery
MaryAnne Van de Geval at Great Lakes Farm
Chris Hiemstra at Clovermead Apiary
Caroline Tjepkema with US Customs and Border Protection
Patty and Crystal Ripley at Hillcrest Dairy and Ripley Family Farm
Mark Renodin at Six Mile Creek Vineyard
Dr. Blake Nguyen at Cornell Teaching Barn
Ben and Curt Hepler at Hepler Beef
John Benscoter at NRCS and Hepler Beef
Evie Goff and the Dairy Ambassadors at Hepler Beef
Jim Barbour with Pennsylvania Farm Bureau at Hepler Beef
Members of the Susquehanna County Farm Bureau at Hepler Beef
Lisa Mosca with Food Moxie
Joe Dinorscia and Amanda Alonso at Laurel Valley Farm
Kathleen Eshbach with Old Order Amish Tours
The Amish Families who met and spoke with us
Michael and Alma Gelorme at Heaven's Hill Alpacas
The team (Bailey, Corey, Kaitlyn, Abby, Morgan, Eric, Chef Ashley, Mandy) at Certified Angus Beef
Mandy and Aaron Atterholt at Atterholt Beef Farm
Lindsay Bowen and Hillsdale FFA Members
Anna Marconi at Waterman Agricultural and Natural Resources Lab
Becca Miller at Waterman Dairy

How far did we travel?

Below is a summary of our travels and the miles traveled each day. (The miles don’t account for wrong turns, U-turns or travel to meal destinations!)

6/18/19 Tampa to Columbus 1,037 miles

Airport to OSU OBIC 11 miles

OSU OBIC to OSU Ag Campus .5 mile

OSU to Little Brown Jug 23.8 miles

Little Brown Jug to Hotel 36.6 miles

Day 1 total 1,108.9 miles

6/19/19 Hotel in Bucyrus, OH to Elson Farms 50 miles

Elson Farms to Tea Hill Farm 17.4 miles

Tea Hill Farm to Herdmark Media 11.3 miles

Herdmark Media to Hotel 9,8 miles

Day 2 total 88.5 miles

6/20/19 Hotel in Wooster, OH to Wooden Nickel 150 miles

Buffalo Farm

Wooden Nickel to Post Apples Farm 36 miles

Post Apples to Niagara Falls Visitor Center 93.9 miles

Niagara Falls to Hotel 22 miles

Day 3 total 301.9 miles

6/21/19 Hotel in Buffalo, NY to Strawberry 88.3 miles

Tyme Farms Ontatio, Canada

Strawberry Tyme to Trout Hatchery 52.2 miles

Trout Hatchery to Great Lakes Farm 1.2 miles

Great Lakes Farm to Clovermead Apiary 20.6 miles

Clovermead to Lavender Farm 13.7 miles

Lavender Farm to Hotel 159 miles

Day 4 total 335 miles

6/22/19 Hotel in Buffalo, NY to Ripley Farm 153.9 miles

Ripley Farm to Hotel 10 miles

Day 5 total 163.9 miles

6/23/19 Hotel in Cortland, NY to Cornell 20 miles

Cornell to Six Mile Creek Vineyard 6.1 miles

Vineyard to Hotel 23 miles

Day 6 total 29.1 miles

6/24/19 Hotel in Cortland to Cornell Dairy 22.5 miles

Cornell to Hepler Beef 66.9 miles

Hepler Beef to Hotel 74.2 miles

Day 7 total 163.6 miles

6/25/19 Hotel in White Haven, PA to Philadelphia 93.8 miles

Gardens around the city

Philadelphia to Laurel Valley Farms 47 miles

Laurel Valley to Hotel 31.1 miles

Day 8 total 171.9 miles

6/26/19 Hotel in Lancaster, PA around town 2.8 miles

Amish tour 20 miles

Lancaster to Hotel 229 miles

Day 9 total 251.8 miles

6/27/19 Hotel in Bell Vernon, PA to Heaven’s 27.1 miles

Hill Alpacas

Heaven’s Hill to Certified Angus Beef 130 miles

CAB to Atterholt Farm 20.5 miles

Atterholt Farm to Hotel 15.9 miles

Day 10 total 193.5 miles

6/28/19 Hotel in Ashland, OH to OSU Waterman 84.9 miles

Agricultural and Natural Resources Lab

Waterman to Ye Olde Mill 45.2 miles

Ye Olde Mill to Airport 63.9 miles

Columbus Airport to Tampa 1,037 miles

Day 11 total 1231 miles

Total Driving Miles 1,965.1 miles

Total Flying Miles 2,074 miles

A Chaperone's persepective - Mrs. Amy Davis

The last 11 days on the Summer Ag Tour of 2019 have been such an enlightening experience for all that attended. There were so many amazing experiences, from meeting with Certified Angus Beef to seeing Niagara Falls to visiting the supplier of Plant City Strawberries in Canada. I was able to watch as students not only learned but saw the connections of the agriculture industry. We have all heard about the flooding in Ohio on the news, but our students saw it first hand and heard from every aspect of industry, from soybean and corn producers to trout hatcheries to dairy farms and everyone in between; they all talked about the weather and the impacts it was having on their way of life. Our students have discussed and commented about the flooding and the impact it has made. We saw a lot corn in Ohio that was barely up to maybe 6” high. The farmers told us it was behind and they had fields that would not even be able to be planted. As we traveled to drier ground, we saw corn that was 2 to 4 feet high. It was then that students really begin to see and comprehend just how behind those in the flooded areas were behind. When we came back to Ohio to leave, we found out it had rained another 6” while we were gone, impacting their hay production now. This trip allowed these students to get a real grasp on this current situation and the implications it will have on corn and hay prices this fall.

One of my favorite moments of the trip was listening as all the students went “Awhhh” as they walked into the mushroom-growing room. The 6 levels of mushrooms in the 60 degree room was breath taking. More than any of us ever imagined. None of us had ever seen mushrooms in production before and we were all amazed as we learned about them. Several students commented, why would you pick strawberries outside in Plant City in the heat if you could pick mushrooms in 60 degree weather year round.

I also enjoyed listening to students talk in the vans as we traveled from one location to the next about the job opportunities and all the different careers available to them in agriculture. One student even said there are a lot more things to do than just animals. There is so much more to our industry than just livestock and this trip exposes them to hundreds of different jobs and the chance to meet and visit with at least 40 different individuals about their career.

The students on this tour learned more in eleven days than I can teach in 180 one hour blocks. They were able to see and hear about so many aspects of the industry as well as view scenery and farmland that was absolutely gorgeous. It was an amazing experience that expanded my knowledge as well as all the students about agriculture. I would also like to take a moment to thank Mr. and Mrs. Hamilton for all the time they put in to planning and organizing this trip. As an ag teacher, I know the long hours above and beyond that they put in and planning this trip adds even more. I am so grateful that they go the extra mile to make this learning opportunity possible. They have done more for each of these students and chaperones than they will ever know. Having the opportunity to chaperone allows more than just the students the opportunity to learn and grow their agriculture knowledge. These have been an amazing eleven days that I hate to see come to an end, but I can’t wait to share the knowledge I gained with my students in the fall.

Day 11 - The final day!

We began this day early, as usual, to travel from Ashland to Columbus to visit OSU's Waterman Agricultural and Natural Resources Laboratory. Becca Miller from the Waterman Dairy showed us around the dairy from newborn calves to milk cows. It was interesting to see the differences between the dairies that we visited on this trip. One thing that was different at Waterman was the waste disposal system. They had a large tank of water at the high end of the barn and it would flush the barn two times a day. Waterman is an all Jersey dairy, which was also different from the other places we visited. They are able to grow the feed for the Jersey's easier than Holsteins because they eat less and are able to produce enough milk to be economical.

Sporting those booties for biosecurity reasons.

After the dairy, we were able to visit the plant division with Anna Marconi. Seeing the variety of plants that they grow and the projects that they grow these crops for is very inspiring. Some of these things are having pediatric cancer patients and their families come and pick a bag of fresh produce to take home. They are taught how to prepare and use the produce they pick. Low income families are invited out to pick fresh produce. There is also a section of the plot that is used for dining services on campus. We had the opportunity to taste an edible flower, the Nasturtium. It had a bit of a radish taste. There were lots of vegetables that were new to most of us like Kohlrabi, Ground Cherries and different varieties of tomatoes and peppers.

Touring the gardens at OSU Waterman Agricultural and Natural Resources Lab.

From OSU we had a long wait before our flight home, so we ventured to some spots near Columbus. Ice cream seems to be the food we ate the most on this trip and today was no exception. Ye Olde Mill in Utica, Ohio serves Velvet ice cream. We had lunch and learned more about how ice cream is made. Supper was pierogies at a place called Pierogi Mountain that we had seen on Diners, Drive Ins and Dives. That was an experience! Then off to the airport to wait on our flight home. A bit delayed but we all made it home and were happy to see our families.

Ready to go home!

Friday, June 28, 2019

Day 10 (part 3) - Mrs. H

After the very informative visit with Certified Angus Beef (CAB) we had the opportunity to go to Atterholt Angus Farm. Mandy and Aaron Atterholt shared information about the history of their family's farm and the general operation of the farm. As the rain began to fall, we still ventured out to see the cows and calves and learn more about their breeding program.

Look at that cool umbrella! Good enough to eat.

It was exciting that Hillsdale FFA members and their teacher, Lindsay Bowen, joined us for our gathering at CAB and Atterholt Farm. It was nice for the students to learn more about each other and learn more about how the two programs are similar and different. We were fed a Certified Angus Beef Brisket meal that was prepared by Omahoma Bob's BBQ.

After the meal, and when the rain stopped, we were able to visit more of this beautiful farm. The end to a perfect day!

Day 10 (part 2) - Ms. Jordan Heinke

Today we visited two very unique industries that most of the students don’t have very much experience in. During our day I was able to observe so many different changes in the students, whether it be in their knowledge, perspective or new interests.

Our first visit of the day was Heaven’s Hill Alpacas. This farm breeds and sells alpacas for breeding, showing, fiber, and meat. They own multiple championship winning males and predominantly select breeding stock to produce black and grey alpacas. During this visit I observed many different things that made the students brains seem to turn. This is a new industry that only one of our 12 students had any experience in. Most of our students have an understanding of livestock being bred and used for consumption purposes, whether that be meat or dairy products. The unique aspect about this industry is that they are used not only for meat, which is a new practice here in America, but they are also used for showing, breeding and fiber. These animals are also very easy to take care of, no bathing or brushing required, just one body clipping a year and they even potty in the same spot every time. However, the students were very worried to hear about how easily the alpacas can be affected from internal parasites and that finding a perfect management practice is crucial for their survival. Most people look at these animals as cuddly pets, but in reality, they are family’s livelihoods. Watching the students take in this new information about this very interesting species and type was a wonderful experience.

Our second visit today was at the Certified Angus Beef(CAB) world headquarters. This visit was enlightening for the students and I saw many lights bulbs go off throughout the visit. CAB is a one stop shop for everything angus beef. This is a non-profit organization that practically covers and handles every need they have. They have a marketing, design, packing, communications, event planning, chefs, test kitchen, photo studio, brand assurance, education team, value added product teams and so much more. They spoke to the students about how they used to outsource most of their needs, and it was very expensive. Now they have their own little department for everything, that way they can do it all in house and it cuts cost in half. The students were in awe over the amount of different job opportunities there were within one industry and organization. Students asked questions like “If most of you are fairly new employees (2yr or less) how do you guys have so much money and room for new employees all the time.” To this question they answered that they were very successful in their mission and their organization was growing fast. The CAB mission:

“To increase demand for registered Angus cattle through a specification-based, branded beef program to identify consistent, high quality beef with superior taste.”

I think one of the most important lessons that the students learned during this visit was “city folk are important”. Without the city folk we would have no one to sell our beef, no one to market our beef, no one to cook it and serve it at restaurants. CAB spoke in detail to the students about the opportunities they offer for these folks to come and learn all about beef, where they come from, how they are raised and most importantly how to cook it!

It was exciting for Hillsdale FFA members and their teacher, Lindsay Bowen, to join us at CAB and later travel to Atterholt Farms with us.

Day 10 (part 1)- Miranda

This morning was a bright and sunny day in Pennsylvania as we drove to Heaven's Hill Alpaca Farm. The drive out was beautiful as the sun shined on the rolling hills of wide-open green grass. Having alpacas myself and falling in love with them on last year’s tour, I practically giggled with excitement when we drove down the driveway and saw the first alpaca. We got out of our cars and had a beautiful view of the valleys and hills. We could even see West Virginia far off in the distance.

We learned a bit about the farm and what they breed for. They are primarily a grey and black breeder however it is still not completely understood how the genetics for fiber color in alpacas work so some of the offspring still come out a different color. We moved down the hill to see the babies and moms to see the variety of colors for ourselves. We approached the barn and they all started to poke their heads out one by one until there was about fifteen adorable fluffy faces confused as to who we were and what we are doing at their home. Alpacas are naturally shy creatures, so they kept their distance at first, however, as so as feed was dished out and instantly, the babies came into eat and a collective “aww!” was heard throughout the group. We each took turns getting to go in and pet the babies who were so soft it felt as though I wasn’t even touching anything. It was as if my hand was gliding through a cool cloud of air and while I can’t speak for everyone else, I imagine they would say the same. Moving through the barn we saw the main breeding stock of the farm. This was a group of ten or so all black females. This gave us a great opportunity to be able to see how much the facial and structural look of an alpaca can differ. We fed the girls by hand to be able to feel how they pick up the feed with their lips. The fine hairs on their lips tickled our hands as they searched every crevice of our fingers to make sure they got all of the feed. After this we walked back to the front of the farm to see the stud males. There were two pastures of males with about four males in each side. The males were either frolicking in the pasture or stretched out sunbathing soaking up all the rays. They were beyond adorable and just made my heart warm to see them. We concluded our tour by going into the farm store and getting to feel some of the shorn fleece and products such as yarn and scarves made from the fiber of the animals we just saw. Overall, this was an amazing experience getting to see the operation from breeding stock to babies to the products made from the fiber of the animals.

Day 9 - Allee

Today we got to sleep in a little bit because we had a “free” morning. After leaving the hotel at 8:30 we headed in to town and visited the Bird-in-Hand farmersmarket where there was everything from fabric to fudge. We explored around for about an hour and then a group of us decided we wanted to go on a buggy tour. After getting to the buggy place we loaded into a cart pulled by two horses named Shooter and Diesel. Our driver was an Amish man who took us on a wonderful tour and taught us all about how the Amish live. We learned about what their schooling is like and what their daily lives may look like. After the ride we went over to another farmers’ market type store and looked at all of the things they had to offer. They had a lot of jams and jellies as well as powdered soup mix which I found quite interesting.

Next, we loaded in the vans and headed to meet Kathleen, with Old Order Amish Tours, who was our tour guide for the rest of the afternoon. Out of respect for the Amish, we did not take any pictures at their farms. We were able to eat an authentic Amish meal that included everything from salad with homemade dressing to peach fruit cakes for dessert. It was delicious and very filling. During this meal we were able to ask a lot of questions to further our knowledge of the Amish life.

We were also able to visit a dairy farm where we were able to see the cows and the bulk tank, as well as the heifers and their working mules. At the end of the tour of the dairy farm we were surprised with 3-week old Rottweiler puppies which were absolutely adorable.

We then loaded back in the vans and headed to another Amish market where we were able to see a lot of beautiful quilts, pillows, hot mitts, etc. I was absolutely amazed at the intricate stitch work of each quilt.

Last but not least we loaded in the vans and started on our 3 ½ hour drive to Belle Vernon, PA to spend the night. During this drive we shared storied and laughed a lot. Overall today was a very interesting day and I really learned a lot. I am very excited for the last two days of this trip!

Here are some pictures of some things we saw as driving through beautiful Lancaster, PA.

A telephone booth that the Amish use for business use.

Baling hay with mules.

Seeing a windmill is a sure sign of an Amish home.

A one room school house.

A view of the rolling hills.

The view from the buggy seat!

After the buggy ride!

Wednesday, June 26, 2019

Rules and Recap

All of the students on this trip are great kids. They are very well mannered, respectful and are soaking up the knowledge from each and every presenter they have seen.

When we sit down to eat together, we like for them to talk to each other about their day, without distractions. Probably the biggest distraction for kids today are their phones. So there is a rule in place that there are no phones used during meals. They can put them in their pocket or stack them on the table. (We say the first to pick up the phone, pays for the meal!)

Occasionally, at the end of a meal, someone might pick up their phone to check messages. That's when we get to hold their phone for a while and they have to earn it back. Having respect for each other and each others time is an important life skill.

This is how Joey earned his phone back!

Each evening (or late night!), we gather and have a re-cap of the day as well as review what will happen the next day. We have covered everything from how to address an

envelope, writing thank you notes, asking questions and working on building a team.

Day 8 - Allison

We started out our day leaving White Haven, PA at 6:30 am and arrived at several gardens located in the suburbs of Northern Philadelphia. Lisa, from Food Moxie, was our tour guide for the morning.

The Food Moxie is a non-profit organization that brings together the people of the local community to educate and provide food to low income households. In Philadelphia, many families of 3-4 make $12,000 a year making Philly rank in the top 10 city in poverty in America. The Moxies’ mission is to provide a place where low income families will not experience food insecurity. Food insecurity means that one does not know where at least 1/3 of their meals for their day are coming from. In one of the community gardens we visited there’s a garden area that has been there for around 40 years old and allows for spaces for individuals to garden, many of the gardeners being 60+ years of age. With this, we drove about 5 minutes down the road to one of the largest emergency shelters in Philadelphia, in their outdoor area, also being organized by a non -profit group, where people at the shelters, whether staying for 6 months or 2 1/2 years, are able to teach people how to make food from scratch and simple meals such as how to boil rice and how to cook stir fry. At the end of their program as a graduating “gift” they provide the participants with items such as pots, pans and utensils. Since the programs are not-for profit, much of the money they receive comes through grants, donations, or community events. Ending our visit with Lisa, we went to the Saul High School farm with their local fresh market called ‘Henry Got Crops’. There they have crops as well as a dairy cow barn, with a new sheep barn being built. Our morning with Lisa was pretty interesting because of the amount of community support that is integrated in the small urban agricultural sections of North Eastern Philadelphia.

From community gardens to CSA's, Food Moxie is helping to prepare people to be food secure.

We were able to walk through the gardens, see plants that we have never seen before and learn about crop protection, water collection and green roofs.

We visited the store and enjoyed fresh cherries on our ride to the next stop.

Following, we drove an hour and 45 minutes to the largest one site composting facility in America called LaurelValley Farms. Here, they create a compost that is used to grow mushrooms. There’s several phases in the mushroom making process. We were also able to walk through the rooms where the mushrooms grow. They have 2 stories for each room and the rooms are kept at 60 degrees Fahrenheit in dark, low lit areas. In my opinion, seeing the mushroom farm was pretty cool and interesting since in Florida we rarely see or hear about mushroom growing. Mr. Joe and Ms. Amanda were great teachers. Learning about how the mushrooms grow really opened my mind to how different techniques in agriculture are in comparison to other crops. Today, honestly was one of my favorites on the trip so far and I can’t wait for the next few days.