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THE MADISON COUNTY (GA) JOURNAL. THURSDAY. MARCH 19. 2009 — PAGE 3C
The ABC’s of Agriculture
Celebrating ag education in Madison County— National Ag Week, March 15-21
Linda Henderson, president of Madison County
Trail Riders, talks to Madison County fifth graders.
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Madison County Extension Coordinator Carl
Vamadoe gives a GPS lesson to Madison County
high schoolers.
Agritainment .conkd from 2C
field trip, not just selected classes. For example, in October
school busses flock to pumpkin patches around the state.
These large groups realize that they will have to pay to visit
a farm enterprise. How much will they pay? According to
the survey results, the upper limit teachers are willing to pay
for a field trip is about $7.00 per student. More specifically,
teachers indicated they were willing to pay $6 per student for
educational hands on farm field trips. Extrapolating the survey
information to include the entire state, it is estimated that
Georgia's elementary school field trip market potential to be
$3.4 million annually.
The results of the study also suggest that there is a demand
for agricultural related field trips, especially if they are aggres
sively marketed. For instance, one of the main reasons teachers
gave for not taking an agricultural related field trip during the
last school year was they were unaware that these opportuni
ties were available in their area.
Marketing agricultural activities to school children can be
a profitable endeavor for farmers. However, it is important to
remember that while school teachers are looking for a field trip
that has an educational component; children are looking for an
exciting hands-on experience.
Yep, marketing agricultural activities to school children may
just be what the county agent ordered when it comes to having
young people answer the question, “Where does the food you
eat come from?"
Madison County seventh graders are pictured during a farm tour.
Young farmers learning much
more than cows and plows
Madison Co. students learning the latest in ag technology
An animal science class is pictured during a field trip to Terry Chandler’s
Stillwater Farm.
By Cindy Jones
Young Farmers Advisor
L isten to a conversa-
tion overheard at a
local cafe - “Ya'll
working cows today? Sure
are, all set to AI this after
noon. What about you? Not
today, we're scheduled for
ET on a recipient herd next
week."
AI? ET? As in “ET, phone
home” fame? No, just two
local cattlemen discussing
progressive methods for
producing superior progeny.
The use of artificial insemi
nation and embryo transfer
are becoming common prac
tices on Madison County
farms.
This example vividly illus
trates that agriculture really
isn't just about cows and
plows anymore, but a pro
gressive, complex industry
that employs cutting edge
technology in order to both
provide pleasing products to
consumers and operate in a
profitable manner.
The Madison County
Young Farmer Association
(MCYF) was organized with
the threefold purpose of pro
viding support to farmers in
a rapidly advancing indus
try, promoting agriculture
to a population increasingly
removed from the farm, and
to work with our youth and
beginning farmers who are
pursuing careers in agricul
ture.
The local chapter oper
ates with Terry Chandler
as president, Mark Stovall
as vice president, Donald
Simmons as treasurer, Terry
Stephenson as past president
and fund-raising chairman
and Cindy Jones as advi
sor. MCYF is a member of
the Georgia Young Farmers
Association, the largest
young farmer program in the
nation with 4,000 members.
Both MCYF and the
Georgia Young Farmer
Programs are committed
to “providing educational
instruction and opportunities
to individuals engaged in the
agricultural industry which
will increase their proficien
cy in agricultural produc
tion, management, agribusi
ness and leadership.”
With rising input costs and
uncertain markets, every sec
tor of agriculture is search
ing for tools to become more
efficient, more productive
and more profitable. On the
second Thursday of each
month, educational meetings
organized by MCYF and
designed to help meet these
needs are held at Madison
County High School in
Room 413. Everyone is
always welcome - large,
small, part time, and “just
thinking about it” farmers
- all come together to share
and learn. Membership is
open to all ages and types
of farmers and to those who
are interested in and support
agriculture.
Coming up on April 9, Dr.
Brummer, UGA, will share
ideas on pasture manage
ment and utilization. And in
the following months, there
are programs on organic
gardening, weather trends,
and specialty oil products.
MCYF is teaming with other
North East Georgia Young
Farmer chapters to provide
even more educational semi
nars.
On March 31-April 2, a
three-day artificial insemi
nation course will be offered
by the Northeast Georgia
Young Farmers Associations
in conjunction with Genex
Cooperative Inc. Classes
will begin at 4 p.m. and
conclude at 10 p.m. at the
Franklin County Ag Center.
The MCYF program is
dedicated to assessing the
needs of local farmers and
finding the information and
expertise to facilitate the
fulfillment of those needs.
On-farm technical assistance
— See ‘Young
Farmers’ on 4C
HVe mould /die to lluudi all our
(uyruul/urc leader and providers.
A DRAKE
d) GAS CO.
66 Brogdon Circle • Royston, Ga.
(706) 245-6111
1-800-344-6111
Service You Can Depend On!
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LORD FARMS'
& CUSTOM SERVICES
More Than 18 Years of Experience
Sales
• Hay (round & square bales) • Straw • Mulch • Seed
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• Hay baling • Bushhogging • No-tilling • Mulching
• Grading • Clearing • Combining • Aeration
• Rock raking and picking • Fertilizing and liming
• Light and heavy tillage
Specializing in pasture establishment & renovation
Keith Lord
2351 Macedonia Church Rd. • Danielsville, GA 30633
706-795-5232 • 706-202-6701
lordfarms@windstream.net