Appreciating Ag
By Suzanne Jacobson
Payson, AZ
May 21, 2010
’Twas agriculture field day and not a video game was in sight. Rim Country kids played in a Rockin’ Rodeo, watched a branding, and learned how to harness draft horses all before night.
The Tonto Natural Resource Conservation District (NRCD) Agriculture field day offered about 100 students — fourth-graders from Payson Elementary School and 4-H members from Pine and Tonto Basin — the opportunity to learn about agriculture and gain an appreciation for food’s source.
“A lot of these kids don’t know where the milk comes from in the grocery store,” said Lori Brown, who hosted the event on her ranch.
“We’re all five and six times generational ranchers,” said Brown. Compare a rancher’s way of eating to today, where most people drive to grocery stores and buy processed, packaged food laden with hydrogenated everything.
“There’s this national push to reconnect children with nature,” said Hall. “Kids are spending unbelievable amounts of time in front of the computer and TV.”
Hall went into schools and taught kids where pizza comes from. “There was one little boy who thought there was a pizza farm someplace.” Read More
I always enjoy highlighting farmers and ranchers that take the time to host children for a tour. The smile on the faces of these kids is as wide as the prairie itself when they get to learn about where their food comes from and who grows it. Kids today are getting bombarded with negative messages about farmers and ranchers so it’s vitally important that we share with them the true story of agriculture. The only people that can do that best are the farmers and ranchers themselves. I hope all of you get the opportunity to be involved in teaching kids about ag at some point.
Showing posts with label farm tour. Show all posts
Showing posts with label farm tour. Show all posts
Monday, May 24, 2010
Friday, May 21, 2010
Farm Tours
Willamette Egg Farms opens doors to visitors
Congressional aides, students tour facility to learn about egg production
By MITCH LIES
Capital Press
AURORA, Ore. -- About three years back, Gordon and Greg Satrum, father and son owners of Willamette Egg Farms in Aurora, decided to open their farm to visitors.
Not doing so, Gordon said, left the impression the farm had something to hide.
"It always was just a biosecurity issue," Gordon said, regarding why the farm previously banned visitors. "We were keeping out bugs."
Today Willamette Egg Farms offers a video tour of the farm on its website. And it occasionally plays host to local schools, which take advantage of the farm's offers to teach children about egg production.
"It is in our farm's best interest to adhere to the highest standards of animal care," the farm says on its website. "As egg farmers, we know healthy, well-treated hens in a safe environment produce the best quality eggs." Read More
Biosecurity must always be a concern anytime you start having people tour your facilities. However, there is no better way to explain agriculture and how food gets on a plate than by showing them first hand. We can never be too busy to share our story, so if you ever get the chance to host a tour look at it as a special opportunity. Congratulations to Willamette Egg Farms for being advocates for agriculture.
Congressional aides, students tour facility to learn about egg production
By MITCH LIES
Capital Press
AURORA, Ore. -- About three years back, Gordon and Greg Satrum, father and son owners of Willamette Egg Farms in Aurora, decided to open their farm to visitors.
Not doing so, Gordon said, left the impression the farm had something to hide.
"It always was just a biosecurity issue," Gordon said, regarding why the farm previously banned visitors. "We were keeping out bugs."
Today Willamette Egg Farms offers a video tour of the farm on its website. And it occasionally plays host to local schools, which take advantage of the farm's offers to teach children about egg production.
"It is in our farm's best interest to adhere to the highest standards of animal care," the farm says on its website. "As egg farmers, we know healthy, well-treated hens in a safe environment produce the best quality eggs." Read More
Biosecurity must always be a concern anytime you start having people tour your facilities. However, there is no better way to explain agriculture and how food gets on a plate than by showing them first hand. We can never be too busy to share our story, so if you ever get the chance to host a tour look at it as a special opportunity. Congratulations to Willamette Egg Farms for being advocates for agriculture.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Hosting Farm Visits
USA - Animal rights citing Hallmarks is like calling all American KKK
16 Dec 2009
Animal agriculture has come under increasing attack by animal rights groups for everything from management practices to their very existence. The most visible action has been by the Humane Society of the United States and their state-by-state crusade to outlaw the use of gestation stalls, calf crates and battery cages. While those in animal agriculture see these as management tools designed for the health and protection of the animal, animal activists see them differently.
Charlie Arnot is CEO of the Center for Food Integrity, a non-profit organization which works to build consumer trust and confidence in the U.S. food system. He says this is going to be an on-going challenge because with each generation, consumers are further removed from the farm. “So everybody has to take a personal responsibility, whether it’s education your neighbor, being involved in a spokesperson program or participating in a more formal program to help tell the story who we are and what we do today in a way that is compelling and meaningful for consumers.”
In a case such as the Westland-Hallmark animal abuse video, Arnot says animal agriculture needs to be the first voice those consumers hear saying; “That is not acceptable, that is not consistent with our standards, we won’t accept it, we won’t tolerate it.” Read More
One area that Charlie Arnot hit on that I think is really important for all producers to think about is hosting tours of their farms and ranches. It’s especially important to give kids the chance to get out on a farm and experience the things we do for a living. Putting a smile on a kid’s face is as simple as putting them in the seat of a tractor or letting them get a close up look at some livestock. We always say in our presentations that if the school won’t let you bring the kids out to the farm, then take the farm to the school. I guarantee that you will be exhausted after it’s all over, but you will probably have just as much fun as the kids will.
16 Dec 2009
Animal agriculture has come under increasing attack by animal rights groups for everything from management practices to their very existence. The most visible action has been by the Humane Society of the United States and their state-by-state crusade to outlaw the use of gestation stalls, calf crates and battery cages. While those in animal agriculture see these as management tools designed for the health and protection of the animal, animal activists see them differently.
Charlie Arnot is CEO of the Center for Food Integrity, a non-profit organization which works to build consumer trust and confidence in the U.S. food system. He says this is going to be an on-going challenge because with each generation, consumers are further removed from the farm. “So everybody has to take a personal responsibility, whether it’s education your neighbor, being involved in a spokesperson program or participating in a more formal program to help tell the story who we are and what we do today in a way that is compelling and meaningful for consumers.”
In a case such as the Westland-Hallmark animal abuse video, Arnot says animal agriculture needs to be the first voice those consumers hear saying; “That is not acceptable, that is not consistent with our standards, we won’t accept it, we won’t tolerate it.” Read More
One area that Charlie Arnot hit on that I think is really important for all producers to think about is hosting tours of their farms and ranches. It’s especially important to give kids the chance to get out on a farm and experience the things we do for a living. Putting a smile on a kid’s face is as simple as putting them in the seat of a tractor or letting them get a close up look at some livestock. We always say in our presentations that if the school won’t let you bring the kids out to the farm, then take the farm to the school. I guarantee that you will be exhausted after it’s all over, but you will probably have just as much fun as the kids will.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Every Child Should Visit A Farm
Every child 'should visit a farm'
BBB News - Scotland
Oct 8, 2009
Every child in Scotland should have the chance to visit a working farm or croft so they can better understand the food they eat, a campaigner has said.
Hugh Raven, director of Soil Association Scotland, made the call in a meeting with Highland councillors.
He argued such visits would also help encourage more young people to pursue a career in agriculture.
The association promotes environmentally-friendly farming and food production.
Ahead of his meeting, Mr Raven said he hoped Highland Council could use its influence to ensure every child has the opportunity to visit a working farm or croft at least once.
"Very few things are more important to a child's welfare than respect for and understanding of food." Read More
If you have ever heard us speak, you know that we emphasize the importance of working with youth to educate them about agriculture. Like is mentioned in the article, we really need to let every child have the chance to visit a farm. They need to be able to meet the folks that grow their food. As I talk to people who are very critical of modern food production they all insist that the farmers and ranchers that they know are doing a good job, but it’s the farms that are further down the road that they have never been to that are causing all of the problems. That right there shows us the impact that a consumer meeting a farmer can have.
BBB News - Scotland
Oct 8, 2009
Every child in Scotland should have the chance to visit a working farm or croft so they can better understand the food they eat, a campaigner has said.
Hugh Raven, director of Soil Association Scotland, made the call in a meeting with Highland councillors.
He argued such visits would also help encourage more young people to pursue a career in agriculture.
The association promotes environmentally-friendly farming and food production.
Ahead of his meeting, Mr Raven said he hoped Highland Council could use its influence to ensure every child has the opportunity to visit a working farm or croft at least once.
"Very few things are more important to a child's welfare than respect for and understanding of food." Read More
If you have ever heard us speak, you know that we emphasize the importance of working with youth to educate them about agriculture. Like is mentioned in the article, we really need to let every child have the chance to visit a farm. They need to be able to meet the folks that grow their food. As I talk to people who are very critical of modern food production they all insist that the farmers and ranchers that they know are doing a good job, but it’s the farms that are further down the road that they have never been to that are causing all of the problems. That right there shows us the impact that a consumer meeting a farmer can have.
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