Purdue News
Purdue News
The Sept. 7 event takes visitors to five Hamilton County farms. Each location offers family activities, information about how farms operate and a chance to sample farm cuisine for a small fee, according to Jim Nenni, fest co-chairman. Visitors on the tour can start and stop at any farm involved.
"It's a way to let people who live in the cities see a little bit of what agriculture is like," he said. "It gets very difficult explaining the wide diversity agriculture represents. It's also a draw for rural residents who see this every day. They find it enjoyable."
Farm Fest 1997 will take place from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 7. Maps are available for the five farms from the Hamilton County Extension Office in Noblesville, (317) 776-0854.
One stop on Farm Fest 1997 is the Janssen Veterinary Clinic and Horse Farm in Sheridan. Dr. Justin Janssen and his family will give tours of his large animal veterinary hospital. Horses, llamas and cattle will be on display, and visitors can see saddlemaking, rodeo and llama demonstrations. Beef producers will sell ribeye sandwiches and steakburgers at the Janssen farm.
The tour also includes Rulon Enterprises in Arcadia. The Hoosier Homestead Farm was founded in 1880 and is owned by Jerry Rulon. Among the sights will be corn and soybean production, high-technology farm equipment, sheep sheering and a grain center tour. Tourists will be able to buy lamb burgers at the farm.
At Glunt Seeds and Breeds hog farm in Sheridan, the David Glunt family will show how their sow operation works, as well as corn, soybean and wheat farming. Machinery demonstrations, exhibits, youth activities and pork sandwiches also will be available.
Farm Fest also will show a day in the life on a dairy farm. Galvin Stuart and his family will demonstrate milking and care of cows, as well as lead a tour of the farm. Milk shakes and grilled cheese sandwiches are on the dairy farm's menu.
Visitors will move indoors at another stop, Heartland Growers. Owners Jim Gapinski
and Rich VanWingerden will display plants grown in their 14-acre indoor farming facility.
The plants are helped by automated watering booms, flood floors, an automatic transplanter and a computer environmental control system. Tourists can bring plants home
and sample pies and drinks.
CONTACTS: Bill Rice, Jim Nenni or Roger Kemper, (317) 776-0854
Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; e-mail, purduenews@purdue.edu
