Agriculture on display for students
Published 10:40 am Tuesday, September 20, 2011
The Agribusiness Committee of the Austin Area Chamber of Commerce will host its annual “Day on the Farm” for third-grade students in Lyle and Austin schools 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 21. The event was canceled because of weather on Tuesday. More than 400 students and teachers are expected to participate in the annual tour of three area farm operations.
The tour will include stops at the Dean and Wayne Sayles dairy farm, the Larry Gerlach hog farm, and Darrell Ingvaldson’s hobby farm. Activities will include short programs on farm production, eating foods derived from farm commodities, viewing crops and livestock, and a question and answer sessions with producers. The purpose of the event is to provide students with a greater appreciation for agriculture and a better understanding of how food and other products get from the farm to their tables and homes.
Each stop will offer students a look into different aspects of agriculture.
—Sayles Dairy Farm — Three generations of the Sayles family operate this dairy farm. They milk 165 cows daily and have over 300 head of cattle on the site. The tour includes a visit to the milking parlor, calf barn and an agronomy site. Ice cream treats will be provided.
—Larry Gerlach Farm — The Gerlachs operate a hog finishing, nursery and row crop farm. Students will see the hog operation and several pieces of large farm equipment. An agronomy station will provide information on how commodities such as corn and soybeans are processed into everyday foods. Larry and his family members will host this site; gifts from the Mower County Pork Producers will be provided.
—Darrell Ingvaldson farm is located about two miles east of the Austin Country Club along County Road 46. Children will view a variety of farm animals, including steers, alpacas, llamas, chickens and pheasants. The Farm Bureau will have several farm safety stations to tour, and members of the 4-H will present information about how children can get involved with that organization.