On Tuesday, Oct. 18 the Osceola Big Chief FFA headed to Indianapolis, Indiana for the FFA National Convention. The members boarded a charter bus with four other chapters and headed east to begin their journey. As part of the National Convention trip, business tours were planned to showcase agricultural career opportunities.
The first stop was at the farm equipment manufacturing company, Kinze. Participants toured the museum and learned of the company’s humble beginning and progressive initiatives to stay competitive. Students were able to witness employees fabricating metal pieces, welding components into place and linking GPS technology to the planters.
The second tour of the trip was at The Food Hub in Davenport. Students learned about initiatives to provide fresh produce to residents of large cities that are experiencing “food deserts.” Through grants, The Food Hub has also started an initiative that collects fresh produce from farmers, packages it into a meal box that includes recipes on how to use the produce and then delivers these boxes to clients.
The final tour destination was Fairy Oaks Dairy and Swine Farm. Fair Oaks is committed to educating the public about modern farming efforts, protecting the environment, caring for their animals and promoting the highest quality products to customers. While visiting the dairy farm, students were able to sit in a 100-person air conditioned auditorium and educate themselves on food safety, tour one barn of a 32,000-head dairy farm and watch as dairy cows labored to deliver calves.
To ensure biosecurity, students were kept on the Fair Oaks charter bus as we toured the dairy, including a 72-cow milking carousel operated to ensure each cow is milked three times daily and how anaerobic digesters turn manure into energy for the facility and numerous homes around the area.
The group was then shuttled to the swine facility. Fair Oaks Swine Adventure is a breed-to-weaning farm that has 2,800 head of sows and weans approximately 80,000 piglets each year. The building utilizes a negative pressure system to uphold biosecurity and the safety of their animals. The facility showcased a free stall set-up and state-of-the-art electronic feeders.
Tour participants met with the CEO and were able to ask questions about the facility and its management. As the students explored the education center they engaged with the interactive ultrasound exhibit and also learned more about heat detection in breeding facilities.
As the day came to a close students felt excited about National Convention but also were very grateful that they had the opportunity to experience such amazing agricultural businesses.