Jefferson County 4-H tours farms, businesses

On Friday, March 17, thirty four 4-H members, along with five chaperones and four-H County Youth Coordinator Hilary Lanman, toured local farms and businesses to learn more about agriculture and career opportunities. The trip was open to members in grades 4-12.

To begin the day, 4-H members met at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds, where they had a light breakfast and boarded a school bus to head to their first stop, the Packwood Locker. While there, members were able to learn from the owner, Peyton Greiner, about the cuts of meat, having a business plan, and the locker’s plans to expand.

After this stop, the group headed to the Lockridge area, where they toured Western Horse Company, Ltd. and R Cattle Company. Western Horse Company is a leatherworking shop which markets at large vendor events like NFR. The owners, Dean and Deb Foster, told members about how they make bridles and about the components and products needed to make the bridles. Also, some 4-H members were able to try cutting leather and punching holes. R Cattle Company, owned by Justin and Taryn Reed, raises cattle, and they use artificial insemination and embryo transfers. Taryn demonstrated the process of AI and discussed their breeding program.

Next was time for lunch. The bus stopped in Lockridge where members enjoyed a lunch catered by the Java Sisters Café & Sweet Shop, hosted at the Lockridge Community Center. At lunch, members were already commenting on how much they had learned and how much they were enjoying the trip. After lunch, the bus headed to Freeman Farms, where members were able to see sheep and baby lambs. They discussed how to care for them and the birthing process and care of young animals.

The last stop for the day was the Keosauqua Sales Co. While there, Bill and Becky Goehring explained the history of the sale barn, how a typical sale day works from the dropping off and selling of animals to how to pick up a check and the traceability process of animals in case of a disease outbreak.

Once the members boarded the bus to head back to the fairgrounds, Hilary and the chaperones led the members in some trivia review from the stops that day. And, once back at the fairgrounds, members were awarded prizes from a drawing. Members filled out a survey about what they learned that day and their ideas for tours next time. One member mentioned that they learned a lot of things that they did not know before. Another mentioned how they enjoyed the tours and spending the day with friends. One mentioned seeing the animals and having their questions answered was their favorite. Ideas 4-H members have for the next tour are: crops, goats, horses, Longhorns, machinery, pigs, plants, and poultry.

Jefferson County 4-H and Extension would like to thank the chaperones for volunteering their time to go on the tours with us, the Fairfield Community School District for allowing us to rent their school bus, the Lockridge Community Center for allowing us to use their facility for lunch, and the Java Sisters Café & Sweet Shop for catering the meal. We would like to give a special thanks to the businesses and farms mentioned above for spending their time to give our 4-H members a tour of their facility, demonstrate what they do to the members, and for answer all of the 4-H members’ questions.

For more information about Jefferson County 4-H, contact four-H County Youth Coordinator Hilary Lanman at 641-472-4166 or hilaryl@iastate.edu.