Agricultural News
The 2019 Ag in the Classroom Ag on Route 66 Tour Showcased Central Oklahoma to Teachers From Across the State
Fri, 07 Jun 2019 06:05:59
This week, the annual Ag in the Classroom Road Trip, which is called Ag on Route 66, started in Oklahoma City and stayed in the central part of the state for the multi day event. Oklahoma Ag in the Classroom is a program of the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service, the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry and the Oklahoma State Department of Education
Teachers attending the 2019 Ag on Rt 66 tour were welcomed by Oklahoma Secretary of Agriculture, Blayne Arthur at the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry. Teachers then traveled to Express Ranches in Yukon where they spent the morning learning about embryo transfer in cattle and touring the Clydesdale horse facility.
Other highlights of the day included a presentation from SouthWest Dairy Farms, showcasing their mobile dairy classroom.
After lunch, teacher visited the Bornemann Farms in Union City, Okla. where they learned about soybean and wheat production in Oklahoma.
Additionally, teachers toured Fort Reno where they had the chance to visit the historic museum. They also participated in workshops designed to provide interesting and interactive ideas to incorporate agriculture in the classroom as they interacted with researchers from the Ag Research Service station at Ft. Reno.
They ended the evening with a famous fried chicken dinner at Eischens in Okarche.
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On Day two, the teachers traveled to Fisher Farms in Bristow, where they were educated about crop production and had the opportunity to pick strawberries, carrots and potatoes. Fisher Farms also has a feed mill and a small sheep flock. Teachers were able to package feed and learn about different varieties of wool.
Additional highlights included a talk with producer Rex Lundy about crop rotation and a tour of Stable Ridge Winery.
The next stop was Just Right Alpacas in Jones, where teachers visited with John and Janice Robinson. They learned about alpaca fiber and its value within different markets. Teachers were also given the chance to feed and interact with the alpacas.
They ended the night with a delicious steak dinner at Cimarron Steak House in Oklahoma City.
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Day Three started with a tour of American Plant Products and Services in Oklahoma City. Teachers met with Rodd Moesel, Oklahoma Farm Bureau President, who provided in-depth knowledge about quality greenhouses, horticulture equipment and supplies.
The next stop was the Oklahoma National Stockyards in the historic Stockyards City part of OKC, where teachers walked the catwalk and toured the sale ring. Kelli Payne, Oklahoma National Stockyards general manager, spoke about the stockyard's history and provided insight about cattle markets. The tour ended with a tasty steak and baked potato lunch at Cattlemen's Steakhouse.
After lunch, the teachers visited Arcadia, where they toured the historic Round Barn. Teachers then made a stop at Pops for a scoop of ice cream and a soda.
They ended the Ag on Rt. 66 tour by cutting wheat grown in front of the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry. The wheat is for teachers to use as a visual aid when teaching students about Oklahoma agriculture.
All tour stops are connected to Oklahoma Ag in the Classroom lessons which are aligned to the state academic standards. This trip is sponsored by the Oklahoma Beef Council, Farm Credit Associations of Oklahoma, Southwest Dairy, Oklahoma Farm Bureau Women, DairyMAX, Oklahoma Soybean Board, and the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry, so the cost to the educators is minimal.
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