Purdue News
Purdue News
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May 21, 1999
Purdue holds farm tour with a southwestern flavorWEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Innovation and tradition will be showcased at the 1999 Indiana Farm Management Tour. The two-day excursion, scheduled for July 6-7, will visit Posey, Gibson and Vanderburgh counties in the southwestern corner of Indiana.The Indiana Farm Management Association and the Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service sponsor the annual tour to develop management competence among farmers. Host families conduct tours of their facilities and describe their production and management practices. According to Howard Doster, agricultural economics professor at Purdue University and secretary-treasurer of the Farm Management Association, the tour will provide an opportunity for farmers to learn more about the changing styles of management in production agriculture. "Some farm managers are beginning to use a more aggressive style of management than many farmers are familiar with," Doster said. "A wide range of management styles are being employed in Indiana, and this tour gives farmers a chance to compare and contrast their operations with those of other successful farmers." Doster emphasized that despite a legacy of successful farm management in Indiana, many farm managers are evaluating their current style of management and looking at some of the new styles. "This tour will recognize the differences in traditional management practices versus innovative management practices," Doster said. "We want to give farmers enough information to be able to make decisions concerning the best style of management needed for their individual farms." The tour will begin Tuesday afternoon (7/6) at the Frank and Beth Bender Farm in Posey County. A mini-tour will be conducted at 12:30 p.m., and the Benders will be available for interviews at 1:20 p.m. This farm is notable because it was founded in 1988 and has grown to 1,500 acres during the past decade. The last stop of the day will be the Allyn Farms in Posey County. Mini-tours will begin at 3:45 p.m. followed by an interview at 4:45. This 3,300-acre farm is being visited to demonstrate the effectiveness of using outside consultants and other services. An evening session on Tuesday will feature a panel discussion about how a major new employer such as Toyota can affect agriculture, business and industry, local government, and local schools. It will be held at the Vanderburgh County 4-H Center, and home-made desserts will served by the Vanderburgh County Extension Homemakers at 7:45 p.m. The 1,800-acre Rexing Farm in Vanderburgh County will be the first stop of the tour on Wednesday morning (7/7). Complimentary milk, coffee and doughnuts will be served at 7:45 a.m., and the interview will take place at 8 a.m. Ray Rexing will discuss urban encroachment and efficient resource allocation, plus other issues. A mini-tour of the 1,600-acre Charles and Judy Schmitt Farm in Gibson County will start at 10 a.m., with an interview conducted at 11:30 a.m. This farm stop will focus on incorporating more than one generation into a family farming operation. Lunch at Haubstadt Community Park near the Schmitt farm will feature an economic outlook session by Purdue Extension market analyst Chris Hurt. A limited number of free lunch tickets will be available at the earlier tour stops. The final stop of the tour will be at the Obert dairy and crop farm in Gibson County. The management of this farm is handled by three separate and equal shareholders, all of whom are family members. One issue that will be addressed at this farm stop is the involvement of all partners in the decision-making process. The tour is free and open to the public. Visitors may attend the entire tour, or just visit specific sites. Maps are available at the Extension offices in each Indiana county. Area hotels include Holiday Inn Express, (812) 867-1100; Super 8 Motel, (812) 867-8500; and Comfort Inn, (812) 867-1600, all of which are at the intersection of I-64 and U.S. 41, south of Princeton. For more information, visit the Farm Management Tour Web site or call toll-free at 888 EXT-INFO (398-4636).
Source: Howard Doster, (765) 494-4250, doster@agecon.purdue.edu
Writers: Samantha Cain and Chris Sigurdson, (765) 494-8415, sig@ecn.purdue.edu Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu
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