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News > Newsletter Articles > 2011
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Agriculture Day for Mostly City Folk
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Boyert’s Greenhouse was the first stop. A greenhouse full of beautiful flowers greeted the class as Patty and Mike Boyert, explained their family owned operation. The class toured the various greenhouses where their unique plants are grown. Besides the greenhouse with plants and garden supplies, the Boyert Family runs a small farm raising grain, beef, chickens and turkeys
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A new addition to the agenda was “Buckin’ Ohio” a bucking bull ranch in Burbank Ohio owned and operated by Denny and Eileen Thorsell along with their son Shawn, a rodeo champion and daughter Charis, a singer songwriter. Bulls are bred to buck and Buckin’ Ohio sells prize willing bucking bulls to rodeos all over the country. You can see a rodeo at their ranch during the summer; 4 rodeos are scheduled this year.
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The Medina County Farm Bureau prepared the traditional corn beef lunch to the raves of slightly damp and hungry class. Speaker William Keim talked about his life in the Amish community and his transition to being “English.”
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One of the largest Alpaca herds in the US is in Medina County at Magical Farms. The birthing barn is unique because the sounds heard are mother alpacas “humming” to their “cria.” Cria (young) are up and curious within a day as owner, Tripp Forstner explained. His operation includes raising, shearing the fiber for market and breeding registered Alpaca.
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Steve Arters runs a family grain and beef farm as did 3 generations before him. The class climbed up to peek into tractors with tires the size of adults. Outfitted with GPS they provide accurate fertilizer and seeds to save time, money and the environment. The grain is fed to Steve’s beef, which are raised without using antibiotics. Son Tyler showed off his skills as he maneuvered equipment the width of a road out of the bus’s way.
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The last stop was Richmond Farms. Dick Indoe and his sons Tom and Bill were almost wiped out by a tornado 3 years ago. The class learned about their decision to rebuild their dairy operation melding over half a century of dairy farming know-how with 21st Century technology and sound animal management.
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A hay ride across a muddy field brought the class to a maple sugaring operation. Inside his grandfather’s original structure, Tom Indoe showed how sap is boiled down into maple syrup. Pints of warm syrup were purchased by the class to share part of this day with their families. View pictures.
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