If there’s a single trip symbolic of ABAC’s School of Agriculture and Natural Resources, it’s Agronomy Club’s Fall Farm Tour.
Across the country, agricultural practices can differ greatly due to climate, policy, culture, and environment. The Agronomy Club Farm Tour held every fall and spring semester offers an opportunity for agriculture students to travel outside of Georgia and learn about different practices and problems in the industry.
The Fall Farm Tour was held between Sept. 22-26, taking students and staff to Texas and Oklahoma. They were accompanied by their advisor Assistant Professor of Agronomy Taylor Hendricks, Associate and Assistant Professors of Agricultural Engineering Erin Porter and Alex McLemore, and Precision Agriculture Technician Nick Gladden.
On the trip, they visited Burtrum Cattle Co., Lunsford Farms, Shantz Farms, and the Oklahoma National Stockyards in Oklahoma, as well as Cadillac Ranch in Texas. Additionally, they visited the Executive Director of the Oklahoma Association of Conservation Districts Clay Pope, and the Lugert-Altus Irrigation District Manager Tom Buchanan.
Many students weighed in with their experiences on the trip from the fun to the educational. In particular, Oklahoma farmers’ experiences with water scarcity and conservation left the biggest impression on the group.
Oklahoma was a central state in the Dust Bowl in the 1930s and in recent years has been facing water shortages due to droughts and depletion of aquifers.
“Something that specifically stood out to me is the issues that Oklahoma farmers and ranchers face with water scarcity. It’s something that we don’t often think about in Georgia because we’re so used to [having irrigation], but in Oklahoma they don’t see it for months at a time,” said Bethany Champion.
Regan Ellis echoed this, mentioning how they learned about different irrigation practices meant to help conserve water in the region, such as drip tape and flood irrigation.
The group also visited Oklahoma State University where they learned about the McGruder Trial. According to OSU, the McGruder Trial has been ongoing since 1892 with the goal of evaluating wheat production on native prairie soils without fertilization.
Logan Thornton said his favorite part of the trip was visiting Shantz Farm in Hydro, Oklahoma. Focused on wheat production, Shantz’s Farm is a fifth-generation family farm that began in 1908.
Many students talked about how old family farms were being updated with new technology to help them continue to produce in today’s market while taking conservation into account.
When visiting Burtrum Cattle Co. in Stillwater, the group learned about fascinating technology such as cow collars and virtual fencing.
The trip was not only about the educational experiences, but also visiting local restaurants and landmarks. The group stopped by places like Eskimo Joe’s in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and left a mark at Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, Texas, after getting donuts.
With spray painted Cadillac cars sticking out of the Texas dust, Cadillac Ranch is a roadside art attraction set up by a billionaire in 1974, made with the intention to create a public art piece that would baffle the local people.
“The most interesting experience was running into Toby Keith on the way to the bathroom and not recognizing him,” said Regan Ellis.
Many students reflected on the trip positively: “I learned a ton! It was interesting to see the difference in Oklahoma agriculture compared to Georgia agriculture. We’re so different but so similar at the same time,” said Bethany Champion.
Sign-up for the next Farm Tour in the spring will open early in the spring semester. According to Dr. Hendricks, the Agronomy club will likely be travelling to Alabama in the spring. Next fall, they’re hoping to travel to the Upper Midwest.
More information and updates about upcoming trips can be found on the Agronomy Club Instagram @abacagronomy or at Agronomy Club meetings held every other Thursday in the Agricultural Science Building at 6 p.m.