Thank you!

This trip would not be possible without the many sponsors who support our mission of learning more about the Agriculture Industry across the country. Thank you doesn't say enough.

Marbled Duck Ranch

The Council Family

Hillsborough County Farm Bureau

Publix Charities

Suncoast Credit Union

Hillsborough County Cattlewomen

Cracker Barrel Store 771

Raulerson Castillo & Company

Tour Hosts

We had the opportunity to visit many places along our route through Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana. We appreciate everyone taking time out of their busy day to host a tour for our group. 

Texas: 

    Superior Livestock 

    R.A. Brown Ranch

    Cowan Cattle Company

    6666 Ranch

    National Ranching Heritage Museum

    Texas Tech Meat Science Department

    Sky Gardens

    Morgan Taxidermy

Oklahoma:    

    Express Clydesdales

    Magnolia Blossom Ranch

Arkansas:

    Renee's Berry Garden

    Arkansas Tech

    Southern Seed Garlic

    Wayne Sanderson Farms

    Centerpoint High School

Louisiana:    

    Hill Farm Research Station

    House of Raeford

    Red River Research Station

    

 Day 10: Morgan Taxidermy

Written by: Khloe

Today we visited Morgan Taxidermy to learn about what taxidermy is. He told us that he started out doing taxidermy around the age of 13. And by the time he was 15 he started making and selling the mounts as a business. This was our first year on the Summer Ag tour to ever go to a taxidermist!

In his shop he has about 80 mounts, with most of them being for customers and some of his own. He loves doing birds as he can get one bird fully done in one day. He’s done mounts as little as a fish to as big as a giant moose. When doing fish mounts you don’t actually use the fishes skin/scales. People create molds of the certain type of fish which allows for the scales to show along with other specific details on the fish. Then when you go to mount the fish you mold the tail, fins, and mouth to make the fish either look like it’s out of water or in the water.

  

When getting a skin mounted it can take up to 6-12 months before you get it back. First whenever the hide is skinned from the animal it has to be salted before shipping it to the tannery (1-3 days). Tanning the hide prevents shrinking and cracking which normally takes between 1-6 months. After tanning it is ready to be mounted, this takes up to about 1-2 days to stretch the hide over the foam form, position the glass eyes, and sew all the seams. After that it takes 1-2 weeks to let the glue dry completely before clay sculpting, airbrushing, and final detail. For most animals there are replicas of the jaws, teeth, ears and eyes.

 

We really enjoyed learning about this art with Mr. Morgan. 

 Evening Activities

Each evening we gather to talk about our day and what we learned. We spend time writing thank you notes to those that helped organize or host our tours for the day. Individuals work on writing their blog.

We also play games to help us learn more about teamwork. Designing a "train track" to move the ping pong balls from one end to the other without them escaping the track. Only being allowed to use our breath through a straw to move the balls made this activity a little challenging.

Playing a trivia game using toothpicks to spell out our answers isn't as easy as it sounds! The trivia questions come from things we learned on our tours. 

As part of our recap for the day we have quiz bowl competitions, spelling B's, and some challenges. 

 

Day 10: Red River Research Station 

Written by: Abigail

We had the opportunity to tour the Red River Research Center and see their greenhouse. The Red River Research Center grows many types of tomato plants that they sell to the community and allow people to see and pick. The plants are all grown in the greenhouses in long rows of hydroponic systems that have small plastic buckets full of perlite that they use instead of soil. The perlite lasts for about 3 years and it is cleaned after harvest. Every bucket has a small tube that extends from the big water tank that they have in the greenhouses. All of the tanks will hold water, fertilizers, and various nutrients for the plants like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Their plants tend to take around 90 days to grow from seed to harvest. They allow their plants to grow to about 25 feet and wrap the plant around the bucket and encourage the plant to grow along the rows instead of straight up where they also put a stopper to help prevent anymore growth. After a bit of growing they will go through and trim off all the leaves at the bottom of the plant to help them ventilate the area in order to keep the plants cool in the summer and warm in the winter. The researchers will also go through and make sure that each plant is only producing 3 large tomatoes in order to keep the highest quality tomatoes possible. 

Overall they produce about 600 tomatoes per house and they have 3 houses on the property. The tomatoes will usually be planted in November and harvested in July where they go through and remove everything, clean everything, and replant later in the year. It's important to remember that as each plant is growing and is in a different stage it's going to need different phosphorus, potassium, and nitrogen levels in order to stay healthy. Without this, especially at the end of the growing season, the plants will get speckling on the leaves and while this isn't necessarily harmful at the end it is still something that could damage the plants if it starts early. 

Due to them using a greenhouse they try to keep everything at about 75 degrees and they have to pollinate the plants on their own or sometimes they’ll put in a bee box to help keep the plants pollinated. The researchers try their best to not use any sprays to kill pests and in order to do so they use beneficial insects, like wasps that lay their eggs in the larvae of harmful pests and they will use a pirate bug that eats the larvae of harmful pests to keep the plants safe. 

Being able to visit and tour this facility was so interesting and so much fun! They offer a little more then just tours so I would keep an eye out and visit if you have the chance to see such interesting and educational place.

 Day 9: House of Raeford

Written by: Andi

Our second stop for the day was House of Raeford Farms, where we got to visit the processing company itself! We first toured their feed mill, where we learned about all the different nutrients that go into chicken feed. They are an antibiotic-free facility to help keep their chicken safe for consumers. Their feed is made up of about 95% corn and soybeans, with the remaining ingredients being amino acids, vitamins, and minerals to give the chickens everything they need to grow.

This feed mill goes through about 10 million pounds of corn every single week to supply their facility and several others. Up to 50 trucks come through the mill every day delivering ingredients and transporting feed to keep production running nonstop. Their broiler chickens take about 65 days to reach market weight, and there are around 9 million chickens on their property alone! A majority of their birds are sold to companies that supply restaurants and other commercial customers.

One thing I found really interesting was learning about the genetics behind the chickens they raise. They use a breed called Aviagen, which allows them to select birds based on the genetics that best fit what their customers are looking for, whether that’s larger or smaller chickens.

The houses where the chickens are raised are very well managed, with carefully regulated environments designed to keep the birds healthy and comfortable throughout their lives. It was really cool to learn about the amount of care and management that goes into raising poultry on such a large scale. Thank you so much for having us!

Day 9: Hill Farm Research Station 

Written by: Andi

Today our crew visited the LSU Hill Farm Research Station. It was built in 1946 and was originally used as a dairy facility for mastitis research. Over the years, it grew to become one of the most accredited mastitis research facilities in the country. Unfortunately, the dairy eventually shut down because of the rising costs of raising dairy cattle. It became more cost-effective to ship the cattle to Texas to be fed there.

Today, the facility focuses on forestry, beef cattle, and poultry research. They have around 300 head of beef cattle and over 900 acres of land dedicated to research! Their herd is mainly Angus and Brangus, with all of their cattle having some Brahman influence because of the breed’s heat tolerance.

One of the most interesting research projects they conduct is on heat stress in cattle. They study pregnant cows exposed to heat stress and the effects it has on their calves. Their research has shown that calves born to heat-stressed cows are typically around 10 pounds lighter at birth and weigh about 40 pounds less at weaning than calves from cows that were not heat stressed.

We also learned about their Geaux Beef: Heifer Developer Program, where cattle producers can send their heifers to be developed and artificially inseminated. They also offer classes that teach producers how to AI cattle, pregnancy check, and ultrasound cattle. These programs have been a huge resource for local producers and veterinarians by helping more people learn these valuable skills.

Lastly, we toured their poultry facility, where they raise chickens for a local processor, Raeford Farms, which we had the opportunity to visit later that day! This was such a cool experience, and it was so interesting to learn about the differences between Louisiana and Florida agriculture. Thank you for having us!

Day 8: Centerpoint High School 

Written by: Olivia

While touring the Centerpoint FFA Chapter I was able to understand and learn how they run their organization. We first started with touring their meat facility that started in 1985. They are the only school in Arkansas with a meat processing facility. Each class has 8-10 students who help assist with processing the meat. They begin by moving the animals from the trailer into the chute, then stun them to allow them to be unconscious. Next, the students will begin with skinning and gutting the animals. This process typically takes the students 4 hours for steers. Afterwards, the steers will sit in the cooler for 2-4 weeks while pig carcasses sit for no more than 10 days. This allows them to provide for banquets and other occasions. 

We got to see some of the meat they processed and got to take home sausage and ground beef. It tasted delicious! They have a retail store open twice a month.

I learned that they have a pie auction which allows them to raise money. The money raised allows them to pay for state convention, national convention, FFA dues and allows them to help pay for students FFA jackets, with students only having to pay $10. 

We then moved on to tour their greenhouse. They have 500-1,000 plants that they raise to sell in an auction. They grow tomatoes, peppers, ferns, pineapples, lemon and lime trees and some ornamental plants. I also learned that they use a germination chamber which allows them to control climate. It also provides light source and oxygen circulation that allows the air to flow in order to keep the plants alive. This was such a great way to understand how they care for their crops. 

We moved on to see their class room and see the projects students work on. They are offered welding such as tig, mig, and arc, this allows them to have hands on opportunities. They also provide other activities such as wood work, and so much more. 

For our last stop we visited their livestock barn where they have swine, sheep and goats. I learned that their barn used to be a dairy operation until they sold the land to Centerpoint High School. They help provide supplies for their students to be able to show such as clippers, stands and fitting supplies. These projects allow them to learn responsibility and determination. Over the time they learn why it is important to clip, feed, wash, work and show a livestock animal. They use a lot of materials to get their show animals ready with the help of their advisor when needed.

It was great being able to come out and see all the cool things they have to offer to students. It allowed me to get a better understanding of how they process meat, work in the classroom and prepare themselves for shows. 

Bentley was our tour guide through the beautiful facilities at Centerpoint High School

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Day 8: Wayne Sanderson Farms

(Part 2: The Feed Mill)

Written by: Ariel

During our visit to the Wayne Sanderson Farms feed mill, I learned how much work goes into making chicken feed every day. The feed mill was built about a year ago after taking the other one down due to being about 50 years old, and runs 24 hours a day. They produce around 50 loads of feed every day. Each load weighs about 15 to 16 tons, and about 50 trucks come through the mill daily to deliver or pick up feed.

The feed mill is very automated and uses a computerized system to help everything run smoothly. There are only about 18 employees because most of the work is done by machines. The mill makes both pelleted and non-pelleted feed for different types of poultry, including broilers and breeders. I also learned that one breeder house can produce around 40 broilers, which shows how important good-quality feed is.

One of the most interesting facts was how fast the mill works. It can produce about 14,000 bushels of feed every hour if it runs continuously. The feed is made from many different ingredients, including corn, which is ground before being mixed together. Every week, the mill sends samples of its feed to be tested to make sure it meets quality standards. Overall, the tour showed me how advanced and efficient modern feed mills are and how important they are to the agriculture industry.

Some of us had the opportunity to ride to the top of the grain elevator.

 

Day 8: Wayne Sanderson Farms 

(part 1: Hatchery)

Written by:  Abigail

Today we had the opportunity to tour the Wayne Sanderson Hatchery. The hatchery is a large but very clean building that houses thousands of chickens at a time. After we entered the building we took bio- security measures to make sure there's no cross contamination so upon entry we put on a suit that covered our entire body, shoe covers, and a hairnet. These precautions were taken as to keep the chickens as safe as possible while in the facility. 

First we went through their egg cooler where they get thousands of eggs going in and out constantly. The eggs will spend some time in there before being transferred to the incubators. The incubators are set at about 96 degrees and are constantly checked to make sure they maintain a stable temperature. The eggs will stay there for about 19 days on racks that rock back and forth so the chick doesn’t stick to one side of the egg. A lot of the eggs will end up being infertile or will blow up or rot while incubating. This is sadly unavoidable and they will go through and get sorted out to remove all the rotten eggs, infertile, and blown up eggs. They are then vaccinated through a machine that injects the vaccine into the egg, before being put into the hatchery where they finish out. After hatching these birds are then sorted into boxes of 100 through a safe machine. These machines are monitored 24/7 and are filled with alarms and safety precautions to protect the birds. After sorting the birds are then placed on a conveyor belt and vaccinated, with a spray, for a second time and are then stacked by box, placed on a pallet, and shipped out to the chicken house where they spend their lives. The chickens are all checked over for injuries and are monitored constantly to prevent injuries and death. The process is also a quick one and the birds don't travel more then 44 miles from the hatchery to the farm, which helps to keep them from being harmed or stressed. It was so cool to be able to see how this process is done. 

The incubator

The first vaccination is given through the egg shell. Everything is very automated.

Look closely and you will that the chicks are pink! This is the second spray vaccine.

Day 7: Southern Seed Garlic

Written by: Ariel

We went to visit The Singer family homestead. This farm has been in their family for 75 years. It all started when the grandfather bought the land for only $15 an acre. At first, the family grew food to feed themselves, but over time the farm continued to grow and became more successful. Sarah started her first garden when she was just 15 years old. After having three children, and home schooling them, she made a list of goals to become more self-sufficient. 

Through years of hard work, the family now grows about 80% of their own food. They believe growing their own food is healthier, saves money, and gives them more independence. The Singer family raises a variety of animals, including Dexter dairy cows, meat animals, and 20 to 30 laying chickens for fresh eggs. One steer can provide enough beef to feed their family and even help feed their relatives for almost a year. 

They also preserve food by canning and freeze-drying, which helps their food last much longer. Their garden produces many different crops, including sweet potatoes, tomatoes, green beans, peppers, and peanuts. Sweet potatoes are one of their favorite crops because they can be stored for up to a year and used in many different meals. They also grow winter crops so they can continue harvesting fresh food throughout the year. 

The family enjoys living a natural lifestyle. They grow herbs, make their own natural medicines, and create different herbal teas. One of the teas uses 12 different plant leaves. They even sell some of their products at a local market. During the pandemic, when food prices increased, their garden helped them save money because they already had a reliable source of fresh food. Which became very important so they had to stay on top of it.

The Singer family also teaches classes for other home school kids around their area about importance of farming and hard work, hoping to inspire them to try it for themselves, while also getting hands on experience. Their story shows that with dedication and careful planning, a family farm can provide food, teach valuable life skills, and continue serving future generations.

Sarah started Southern Seed Garlic and along with a couple of local Amish families, she markets the garlic. 

Day 7: Arkansas Tech

Written by:  Andi, Ariel, Abi, Khloe, Olivia

Today our group visited Arkansas Tech which is the number 1 regional public university. Arkansas Tech was originally founded as an agricultural school. Although they are not the Land Grant University they do offer many agricultural courses. 

We toured the campus with Presley and Sarah where we learned that they have 150 + clubs and organizations, 3 club sports, and multiple opportunities on campus for jobs. An example of an on campus job is tutoring and being a tour guide. The campus offers many career fairs to help students for a career that matches their major. It doesn't matter what your major is, you are still able to be involved in extracurricular activities like art, recreational activities and e-sports. 

We learned about their ambassador, Jerry IV, who is a bulldog. He helps bring school spirit to every event and it has been a tradition since the school opened. 

 

After our walking tour of the campus, we then went to the farm where Mr. Steve and Dr. Marsh showed us their swine facility. We learned that their operation is not based on biosecurity but based more on teaching. The biosecurity measures that we took to enter the facility was stepping into a powder that disinfected our shoes and prevented cross contamination. There were 3 different sections in the pig barn, one with the sows for breeding, one for farrowing, and the last for the nursery area. We first entered the sow barn where we learned that the oldest sow was 3 years old. They are bred at 6 months where after they are bred, they are kept in a gestation crate for 30 days where they are confirmed bred. Their gestation period is 3 months, 3 weeks, 3 days (114 days). When they are ready to give birth they are moved to a farrowing crate. The piglets are kept with the sows for 4 weeks, then moved to the nursery area for 6 weeks. The piglets are sold as feeder pigs. 

  

The next stop was their Arkansas Farm Bureau Ag Education Lab. This shop contained multiple components of welding such as Virtual Reality and a simulation welder, as well as real welding booths and a plasma cutter. This shop was designed to help students on the Ag Systems path as well as the Ag Education path. We learned about the Arkansas "Girl Power" program where they visit an off campus site to learn about machine tech with other women. 

 

We walked into their greenhouse where we learned that when they were a smaller university they were able to supply food for all the students on campus from their own crops and animals raised at the farm. Today, the farm also supplies plants and harvested animals to local buyers. 

Mr. Steve took us to the beef cattle area where we learned about a canulated cow. This process is done when the animal is young so that nutritional information can be gathered throughout the animal's life span. Some of us were brave enough to put on a glove and reach inside to feel the digested food. We learned that this does not affect them negatively in their life in that they can still be bred and harvested. 

We had an all you can eat buffet lunch in the university cafeteria. We appreciate the sponsor of this meal. 

Thanks to our Sponsors

A few more sponsors that we would like to extend our thanks to. Cracker Barrel Store 771 in Gibsonton provided us with gift cards to provide each of our kids with a meal. We appreciate their support.

Store 771 Gibsonton, FL

A couple of new sponsors this year are Suncoast Credit Union and Raulerson Castillo & Company. Their support is much appreciated.

Raulerson Castillo & Company

A special thanks to Travis and Amber Council for always supporting our program.

 

What do you know about flowers?

Written by: Andi

The other day when we were at Sky Garden Flower Farm we learned about two different kinds of flowers and how their life span affects Sky's flower picking days. 

We first learned about perennial flowers like peonies, coneflowers, and day lilies. Perennial flowers are flowers that live for more than two years. They go dormant in the winter which means temporarily inactive and work to regrow their roots, bulbs, and tubers. After this, they are able to come back year after year. 

Annual flowers are flowers that complete their whole life cycle in one year. Common examples are zinnias and petunias. They have to be replanted each season. These flowers are commonly remembered  because of their bright colors.

Now you know!

Day 6: Bona Dea Trails

We had a little extra time today so we visited the Bona Dea Trails & Sanctuary.  This is a 186- acre park that is a wetland area that also has walking/biking trails. 

Since we have been eating a lot, the walk did us some good! We walked through a couple of different trails, identifying trees and plants along the way. We even saw a deer! There were several people from the area that we met along the way. It was a nice shady walk that we all enjoyed.

What's the difference?

Written by: Abigail

Yield Grade and Quality Grades of Beef

When processing and packaging meat the USDA is always involved in judging the grades of the meat through yield grades that measure the amount of boneless, closely trimmed retail cuts a carcass produces and quality grades that measure eating satisfaction and flavor. 

Yield grades have 5 grades with 1 being the highest that usually has the most muscle intact, 2 having slightly more external fat but still mainly muscle, 3 being the industry average of both muscle and fat, 4 being fatter, thicker, and lower cuttability, and 5 being the lowest that usually has a massive amount of extra fat. 

Quality grades on the other hand only have 4 sections with prime being the highest quality and the most flavorful with a lot of marbling, choice having moderate marbling but still tender and flavorful, select having more leaner qualities and little marbling, and standard being the most economical with a lot of leanness and little marbling. All of this is important for the consumers and producers so they know what goals to reach and what products would be best to buy. 

Day 6: Renee's Berry Farm

Written by: Andi

Today at Renee’s Berry Farm we learned that they primarily grow blueberries and blackberries, but they also produce a variety of other crops, including cucumbers, onions, and potatoes, for personal use. We learned that there are three main types of blueberries: Northern Highbush, Southern Highbush, and Rabbiteye. Blueberries require acidic soil to thrive, and if the soil isn’t acidic enough, sulfur can be added to help create the right growing conditions.

The berries were refreshing and sweet.

One of the biggest challenges blueberry growers in Arkansas are facing is climate change. Blueberries need a period of winter dormancy to produce a successful crop, but increasingly warmer winters have made that difficult. As a result, Renee’s Berry Farm has experienced losses of nearly 70% of its blueberry crop in recent years.
Despite those challenges, the farm has built a thriving U-pick operation. Blueberry season typically begins in mid-May and lasts about four to five weeks. We also learned that approximately 90% of the farm’s business comes from U-pick customers, while the remaining 10% comes from pre-picked berries.

This visit was such a fun and educational experience! A huge thank you to Renee’s Berry Farm and Mr. Pat for welcoming us and sharing his knowledge with our group. We are so grateful for the opportunity to learn more about Arkansas agriculture!

Look closely, do you see the bee? Bees are important for pollinating plants.

What are plant growing zones?

Written by: Ariel

When we were at Sky Gardens, Sky mentioned plant growing zones. What are they? Here's what I found.

Plant growing zones are areas that are grouped by their average winter temperatures to help people know which plants will grow best in their location. The United States is divided into different growing zones, with colder areas having lower numbers and warmer areas having higher numbers. The warmer plant zones seem to be around zone 8 to zone 13 while some of the colder plant zones are between 1 and 4. Knowing your growing zone helps gardeners and farmers choose plants that are more likely to survive the weather and grow successfully. Even though things like rainfall and soil are also important, using the correct growing zone is a good first step when planning a garden or planting crops.

Day 5: Magnolia Blossom Ranch

Written by: Khloe

Today we visited an alpaca farm called Magnolia Blossom Ranch. In addition to the alpacas, they also had a llama there called Milly.  You can tell by their height and the way their ears curve. Alpacas are herd animals which means they always need at least one other partner near them at all times. Mr. Kerry, the owner. and his friend Al have been breeding alpacas and also letting students show them for about 14 years. They also have a shop that you can purchase things made from the alpacas like a stuffed animal made with the fiber from the alpacas. They have two different breeds called Huacaya and the other called Suri. Each of these produce different types of fiber.

They allowed some of the local students to be able to show some of their animals. They also offer free mentoring to people that are newer to showing or raising alpacas. When it comes to purchasing an alpaca the price range varies with age and sex of the animal. For example a male animal that is 6+ years age usually run about $500 while if they are younger they run about $1000. The females that are 6+ years of age run about $1500 and the younger ones run about $2500, with the highest being sold at $40,000. A baby alpaca is called a Cria.

When it comes to breeding an alpaca they usually have only one baby. If they have twins, most of the time you can loose all three so it is better off to always make sure they only have one baby at a time. About 2 weeks after an alpaca gives birth they are then re-bred so that way they are ready for the next year. Mr. Kerry said that alpacas love to be pregnant, and when they go to confirm if they are they put them with a male. You can tell that they are pregnant because they will not want anything to do with the male and will kind of run away from them.

We really enjoyed our stop to learn about Alpacas.