Purdue News

September 3, 1999 Farm Fest offers tours of 6 Hendricks County sites WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Hoosiers can take a break from the fast pace of city life and experience the sights, tastes and smells of life on the farm at the annual Farm Fest, sponsored by the Purdue Cooperative Extension Service and the Hendricks County Extension Office. The free tour of agricultural operations is a way for the farming community to provide a better understanding of agriculture to its urban neighbors. Farm Fest, which began in 1981, annually rotates among the seven counties surrounding Indianapolis. Farm Fest '99 will take place Sunday, Sept. 12, in Hendricks County. The six locations on the tour will offer activities, information about how farms operate and a chance to sample farm cuisine for a small fee. "Each of the sites represents Hendricks County agriculture," according to Ed Sheldon, agriculture and natural resources educator in the Hendricks County Extension Office. "In addition to traditional livestock and grain operations, the farms show the diversity of agriculture we have in the county. For example, we have a small farm raising beef in close proximity to its urban neighbors, as well as a Christmas tree farm. Horses are popular here, so we've included a horse farm, too." Despite their diversity, all the farms have at least one thing in common -- they are all family-based operations. Visitors can start and stop at any of the six sites; tour hours are from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tour maps are available from the Hendricks County Extension Office, 955 E. Main St., Danville, (317) 745-9260. The route also will be marked with Farm Fest road signs. Here are the stops: At Endres Equine Center, the David and Robbylou Endres family has boarded, raised and shown quarter horses for 40 years. The farm has produced many award-winning horses, and its riding students have gone on to win national titles. Visitors can learn about the pleasure horse industry through a variety of demonstrations. Ribeye sandwiches will be served by the Hendricks County Beef Cattle Association. Brothers Tom and Bob Gentry are the fourth generation to operate Gentry Dairy Farms Inc. since their great-grandparents started the farm nearly a century ago. The Gentrys milk 100 Holstein cows and farm 650 aces of corn, soybeans and hay. The Hendricks County Milk Producers Association will be on hand to serve grilled cheese sandwiches and, of course, cold milk. The Emerson farm is an example of agriculture thriving next door to an expanding town, a situation occurring with increasing frequency in central Indiana. But the beef cattle farm operated by Harold Emerson and his two sons has become an integral part of the Pittsboro community. Each year, they sell several animals to local residents for freezer beef. Visitors will learn about the many aspects of beef cattle production, and the Hendricks County Beef Cattle Association will serve food and drinks. The Hal Truax family farms 1,100 acres with Hal's parents, Harlan and Joan. The Truaxes use many of the latest farm management practices, including cover crops, grass waterways, updated tile drainage systems, integrated pest management, global positioning systems and computerized record keeping. The Truax family also grows and sells sweet corn, bedding plants, cut flowers and hanging plants. Visitors can enjoy a porkburger served by the Hendricks County Pork Producers while learning about the production of corn and soybeans. The Nelson Christmas tree farm produces hundreds of trees annually and operates a Christmas shop during the holidays. Visitors can take an old-fashioned hayride through the farm and learn how trees are grown, shaped, cut and baled. Santa Claus will put in a special off-season appearance at the North Pole gift shop, and visitors can make fresh evergreen wreaths. The Hendricks County Pork Producers and 4-H Junior Leaders will serve porkburgers and drinks. The Berg and Warner families own and operate Berg-Warner Nursery. Visitors can tour the greenhouse facilities, observe tree planting and harvesting methods, and learn the growth and development of trees, from seed collection to management of seedlings. The Hendricks County Extension Homemakers will serve food at this site. Source: Ed Sheldon, (317) 745-9260; ed_sheldon@ces.purdue.edu Writer: Olivia Maddox, (765) 496-3207; om@aes.purdue.edu Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu To the Purdue News and Photos Page