SHHS hosts Bootheel Agriculture Tour

SENATH, MO.-- The Senath-Hornersville School District hosted the 2007 Southeast Missouri Bootheel Agriculture Tour on Monday, giving individuals across the state an opportunity to visit the Bootheel and learn what the area has to offer agriculturally.

Senath-Hornersville Agriculture Teacher John Dern approached Professional Development Specialist and Professor of the University of Missouri Dr. Jon Ulmer about sponsoring a farm tour to demonstrate the differences taking place all over Missouri in terms of agriculture,wanting to make a difference in the world of agriculture,.

"The students we are teaching represent the future of agriculture," Dern said. "It is imperative that we provide them with the knowledge they need to ensure that agriculture continues to move forward not only here in the Bootheel but all over the state and the nation as a whole."

What came from the conversation between Dern and Ulmer was a decision to host the 2007 Southeast Missouri Bootheel Agriculture Tour, with plans for additional tours to follow across the six agriculture districts within the state.

Senath-Hornersville hosted the first of the series on Monday, starting with a tour of several area farms and ending with a reception featuring area individuals involved in different areas of agriculture throughout Southeast Missouri and the Bootheel.

Agriculture teachers from all over Missouri, including places like Kansas City, Jefferson City, Thayer and Macon took part in the tour, which started bright and early at Small Farms, Inc. in Senath.

Following the tour of Small Farms, who shared information about their cotton and corn production, the group visited agriculture teacher Dean Lackey at Southland Schools in Cardwell, Mo.

Additionally, the group toured the Black Gold Potato Farm located between Hornersville, Mo., and Arbyrd, Mo., Moore Farms in Hornersville, who shared their knowledge about cotton and watermelons, Scott Farms in the Reeves, Mo., area, to learn more about rice and soybean farming; and Farmers Union Cotton Gin in Senath.

During the tour, visitors learned about the vast difference in farming in the Bootheel as opposed to agriculture in other areas of the state.

Agriculture teacher Jason Dieckhoff of Harrisonville, Mo., learned a lot on the tour that he could take back and share with his students.

"We're trying to teach our kids about agriculture as a whole," Dieckhoff said. "I feel like this tour gave us an opportunity to witness it's diversity, truly experiencing those differences for ourselves so that we can share these interesting stories with our students and colleges first hand."

During the tour, visitors asked area farmers a multitude of questions regarding their individual operations and farming in general throughout the Southeast Missouri and Bootheel area.

The group carried with it a farm or business questionnaire made up of a list of questions seeking to find out what types of equipment are used in their operations, what the cost is to operate individual pieces of equipment, what the maintenance costs are, what types of buildings the operations have for storage of equipment and crops, what type of technology is used, what pests area farmers encounter and how do they control them, what diseases are of concern and how are they controlled, as well as what environmental conditions bring about certain pests and disease concerns.

The group also desired to know more about local irrigation and what types are used; the cost involved to buy, operate and maintain irrigation systems used; input cost and quantities of things such as seed, fertilizer, fuel, chemical, technology, broker, trucker, and scouting; how lease contract work on lease ground; what the average cost of land per acre is; what contracts are involved to sell crop; what insurance is needed or required; what the average cost per unit of crop totals; what companies area farmers use on testing equipment, seed or chemical; and the type of skills the employee, manager, or owner should have to be effective.

Farmers were also asked more personal questions, such as what their greatest challenges and largest rewards were for being involved in farming.

In terms of the rewards, many answered that they felt good knowing that the crops grown in this area ensure that quality of life for their fellow Americans, by providing a steady stream of needed resources such as food, clothing, housing substances, medicine and other essentials.

Those who don't often think about the importance of agriculture may find it interesting to know that according to researchers at the USDA Economic Research Service, more than one in six jobs in the United States is associated with agriculture. Even in so-called non-farm states, a substantial portion of jobs are in the food and fiber system.

It is often found that those who do not live in places such as the Bootheel, where you are surrounded by constant reminders of agriculture, rarely think about the role of farming in the daily lives of all Americans, however, it is a fact that agriculture fuels society's dependence on numerous supplies they need to survive.

And another thing to think about, according to area farmers and organizations like USDA, is the fact that Americans spend less of their income on food than people in any other countries because our farming system is so efficient.

Following the agriculture tour, visitors met at the Senath-Hornersville High School Campus at Senath in the agriculture building for a reception which featured speakers like Dunklin County Extension Agent Mike Milam, Southeast Boll Weevil Supervisor Jaye Massey, Randy Carter of the Delta Center at Portageville, Progressive Farm Credit Services Manager Randy Caldwell, and Farm Bureau Region Coordinator for Education and rice farmer Gary Branum.

Each speaker brought even more information to the table regarding agriculture today and provided some insight regarding the behind the scenes processes of local operations.

"I think that the tour went really well," Dern said. "I could not have asked for more and am so honored to have had all of these individuals take part in something so important for this community and the world of agriculture in general."

The tour will close with a visit to Bader Farms in Campbell, Mo., to learn more about peach farming, hay, and general produce. The group will also meet with agriculture teacher John Osborn of the Holcomb School District.