6/16/2009 6:49:00 PM The Agricultural Tour Ag institute flaunts Verde vines, farms and ranches
VVN/Steve Ayers
One of the points driven home during the Summer Agricultural Institute's tour was the wise use of water. Camp Verde farmer Kevin Hauser explained how his farm uses surface irrigation for corn and alfalfa.
On a deck overlooking Alcantara Vineyards, owner Barbara Predmore delivered a short talk on vineyard management and why grapes are considered to be an ideal agricultural crop to grow in areas where water is scarce.
VERDE VALLEY - Mainstream America seldom gives a second thought to agriculture, unless prices are up or shelves are empty.
In short, America's agricultural prowess, because of its efficiencies and its long record of abundance, is taken for granted by most people.
But those in the business see their line of work a different way. They believe what is forgotten soon disappears.
One of the organizations dedicated to overcoming our collective ignorance of what it takes to put food on the table is the University of Arizona's Cooperative Extension Service.
Not only do they offer a wide range of educational opportunities for the general public, but they also offer an intensive agricultural education program, specifically geared towards educators.
They call it the "Summer Agricultural Institute."
For five days, a group of 30 or so teachers from throughout the state are given the opportunity to hop a bus and see what is really taking place in Arizona's agricultural scene.
However, it is more than a bus ride. It is a chance to get out of the classroom and see how farms, ranches, vineyards and a variety of related agricultural businesses operate.
In short, it is five days of real world education that can be taken back to the classroom.
"We have teachers from all levels of education from elementary school to university participating," organizer Jeannette Fish says. "The idea is to teach them so they can teach others. It's one of those programs that builds on itself."
Organizers from the Maricopa County branch of the Extension Service and the Maricopa Farm Bureau have chosen a different route. This Monday, for the first time in several years, the bus route brought the institute to the Verde Valley.
Among the stops was a tour of Hauser Farms in Camp Verde, where they learned about sweet corn production, irrigation systems and agricultural equipment, and Alcantara Vineyards were they got a brief lesson in vineyard management and sustainable agriculture.
In the afternoon they were taken to Groseta Ranch in Cottonwood, where they received a minor in animal husbandry and a major lunch hosted by the Arizona Beef Council, followed by a trip to Mingus Union High School to visit their FFA garden, before heading to Prescott.
Before the week is out, they will visit Chino Valley, Peeples Valley, Aguila and Buckeye before going to Maricopa for to a couple days of classroom study.
"It's great for us," Kevin Hauser says. "Farmers and farming don't get much attention. So any opportunity to explain what is that we do and how we do it is always appreciated."
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Posted: Wednesday, June 17, 2009
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Great article Steve, thanks for coming out! If more teachers are interested in participating next year go to: http://campverdebugleonline.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&subsectionID=1&articleID=23444
