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!

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.