My daughter recently completed her 9th grade year at Riverview High School. When the school year started she was enrolled in Agriculture and Vet classes. Through these classes she was introduced to the FFA chapter offered at the school. She has been a very involved member and immensely enjoyed learning about agricultural practices and animals. When she learned that the FFA would be taking a trip to visit multiple states with opportunities to learn more through visits to farmers, ranchers, processing plants and other agricultural facilities she knew she wanted to go and I was offered the opportunity to accompany her as a parent and a chaperone. We were given an itinerary for the trip, however, we weren’t sure exactly what to expect.
We boarded our plane on Tuesday, June 6th at 5:30 a.m. and landed in Indianapolis, Indiana. We immediately picked up our vans and the ten day trip began. We made multiple stops the first day including the National FFA Center, a Waygu cattle ranch, and an Icelandic Sheep farm. At the Waygu ranch not only did the students get to hear first hand from a first generation farmer about the opportunities available in agriculture even for those that did not grow up on a farm, but they also had a chance to connect with FFA members from the local chapter and compare practices and activities. As a parent it was great to see the immediate kinship between the students and listen to them chat. Each group learned a little about how the opposite chapter runs and there was a little surprise on both sides and exchanges of ideas that each group could use in their own Chapter.
Over the next few days we visited Hoard’s dairy farm and historical museum, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, ABS Global, Grow It Forward, the Wisconsin Cranberry Discovery Center, Greensted Microgreens and Squash Blossom Farm. Each of these stops offered a unique look into areas the students have learned about in class and through their own experiences in raising show animals and growing plants at their school. The students took turns writing blogs describing each of the stops mentioned as well as the remainder of the stops we made throughout the rest of the trip. If you have not had a chance to read these blogs they are worth the time to hear more from the student’s perspective.
We continued our trip with a visit to Flatland Farms where we got to see Highland cattle being raised exclusively on a grass feed diet as well as several breeds of rabbits raised for meat and show. We then made our way to the egg industry center at Iowa State University where we toured their turkey facility and egg production facility as well as learned about industry practices and the benefits of egg consumption.
On day six we visited Mr. Gienger who gave us tours of his farm, swine facility, and shops and then invited us into his home for a delicious pork dinner. He gave the students an opportunity to examine and even drive several large pieces of equipment. He explained how his operation runs to make the absolute most of each resource and emphasized that while the farming business has a potential for loss, it also has a tremendous potential for gain in both business and in way of life. We were also introduced to family and key employees who shared information about their roles in the business and advice for those wanting to go into any field particularly agriculture. Mr. Gienger arranged visits for the following day to a local matchstick museum (very cool), Kinse manufacturing where we toured the production line and learned the company history and Brenneman Pork. At Brenneman Pork we meet Mr. Brenneman and his family who also graciously allowed us to tour their farrowing barn and swine nursery where they explained the technology they use to track and monitor their animal health and provide specialized feed. In addition we visited the grain facility and observed trucks being loaded and the shop where we learned about supplies needed and used throughout the operation. Once again this generous family invited us into their office to enjoy a tasty pulled pork dinner.
We finished out our last three days with visits to the Kalona Amish Historical Village which included guided tours of Amish and Mennonite owned family businesses. During the tour we visited a goat farm which produced goat milk, an Amish buggy shop, and an organic family farm. In addition we toured Farmers Hen House where we saw the other side of the egg industry which includes selecting, sorting, packaging and shipping the eggs. As a final treat we were able to enjoy an amazing meal cooked by a wonderful woman named Ida. All the food was fresh and many ingredients including the eggs used in the table “favorite” noodles came from the farm on the property. We then made our way to the John Deere Pavillion, Refuge Food Forest and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Lastly, our final day included visits to the Exotic Feline Rescue, Ozark Fisheries and Hunter’s Honey Farm where we had some great guided tours.
In conclusion, I was very impressed by the passion for what they do that each of our tour guides and owners exhibited, particularly those on small, family owned and operated farms. Not only did these individuals take the time to share their knowledge and sum of their experiences, but they also conveyed the importance of understanding where food comes from, why it’s so important to learn and keep up with new technology in the field and the importance of making the most of the resources you have to succeed. I was in FFA myself as a high school student, however I have not had very much close interactions in agricultural fields after finishing my own high school career so visiting each of these locations was not only very informative for me but they were each interesting and enjoyable to learn about. This was truly a once in a lifetime trip and I am so grateful that my daughter and I (and all the students that wanted to) were able to participate.
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