SEMO Ag Leaders to host Mo. YF/YFW Farm Tour in Stoddard County

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

DEXTER -- The Missouri Young Farmers and Young Farm Wives Association, a group formed in the 1960s to promote the personal and professional growth of adults involved in agriculture, will be sponsoring a Farm Tour in Stoddard County for the three-day period from Thursday, July 31 through Saturday, Aug. 2. As many as 200 attendees are expected to converge on the area to participate in the group's annual event.

A wide variety of farming endeavors are included on the tour, from fish farming to crop dusting operations.

Blair Aviation, Martin Rice Farms, the Stoddard County Gin, Bader's Peach Orchards, and Tanner's Fancy Farm Popcorn facility are included on the list, along with stops at Rinehart Farms, Roberts Produce, Flowers Fish Farm and the Otter Slough Conservation Area.

Sponsorships are currently being accepted for the tour. Funds raised through donations and sponsorships will help to furnish meals, T-shirts, entertainment, door prizes, and program printing for the event.

Anyone interested in sponsorship is asked to contact Josh Lemmons at 573-421-6972. For additional information regarding the tour, contact Janet Johns at 568-5939 Ext. 3.

Friday Tours

Blair Aviation Since 1984, the Blair's family business has been applying seed, fertilizer and spray to area crops. They are currently using two Air Tractor 802's to make their applications and keep up with demand.

Martin Rice This family operation started 50 years ago with 160 acres. Today, three generations later, the Martin's raise more than 4,000 acres of long grain and jasmine rice. Their rice processing facility ships worldwide for both wholesale and retail buyers.

Stoddard County Cotton Gin The gin was built in 1973 but has been owned by Allen Below and Rex & Kenneth Keller since 1993. They can gin 800 bales of cotton in a 24-hour period and will gin anywhere from 12,000 to 50,000 bales per year. Cotton equipment will be on site.

Bader Orchard Bill Bader grew up working in the orchards around Campbell. Since 1986, he has gone from 150-acres of peaches to over 1,000 acres. Now with over 100 workers, they pick, sort and pack hundreds of bushels a day during the summer.

Fancy Farm Popcorn Company The Tanners have raised popcorn since 1987. They package popcorn in bulk or convenient pre-measured kits for individuals, fundraisers or commercially and market it coast to coast.

MDC Otter Slough Conservation Area This is a small remnant of the former swamps that were extensive throughout the Mississippi Lowland of the Missouri Bootheel prior to the drainage efforts which began in the late 19th century. It is now surrounded by irrigated cropland.

Flowers Fish Farm For more than 45 years, the Flowers' have been raising fish on their farm. They have nine species of warm water fish that they wholesale all over the Midwest.

Rinehart Farms There are three generations of Rinehart's that farm together on 3,300-acres. They primarily grow rice with some beans and wheat. Quality, marketing and giving back to community are all important to the Rinehart's.

Roberts Produce 80 acres of watermelons, cantaloupes, tomatoes, sweet corn, and peppers. In the fall they raise pumpkins, gourds, ornamentals and mums. Most of their crops are irrigated using drip tape and other methods of micro-irrigation.

Friday Night Entertainment Jerry Crownover has a doctorate in ag education and is a humorist speaker, writer and cattle farmer from Southwest Missouri. He has a column, "Life is Simple", that appears in magazines and newspapers throughout the Midwest that deals with agricultural life. He has appeared many times as an original Ozarks Storyteller.

Schedule:

Thursday

4:00 Registration Begins Antique tractors, trade show and kids tractor pull

6:30 Meal

8:00 Speaker Door Prizes

Friday

7:00 Breakfast

8:00 Load buses for tours

12:00 Lunch

4:00 Back from tours

6:30 Meal at Eagle's Lodge

8:00 Entertainment Door Prizes

Saturday 7:00 Breakfast

8:00 Load buses for tours

12:00 Lunch Door prizes

Note: Transportation will be air conditioned

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