By Shelby Shank
Field Editor
A look at specialty crops, turfgrass production, aerial application and discussion over international trade were a part of the 2024 Texas Farm Bureau (TFB) Collegiate Farm Tour held in the Coastal Bend.
This was the first year for the event, and students from Texas A&M University and Sam Houston State University were in attendance.
The three-day event exposed college students to agriculture in a different region of Texas.
“Collegiate Farm Tour offers college students a unique opportunity to apply classroom learning and bring back insights from tour stops to their universities,” McKenna Bush, TFB Youth Outreach coordinator, said. “This event is available to Collegiate Farm Bureau chapters in Texas and showcases the diversity of agriculture throughout our state.”
This year’s tour included stops in and around Houston.
At Tradewind Ag Service, the group learned about the use of aerial application in agriculture.
“I didn’t realize how many farmers and ranchers throughout the state relied on aerial application,” Lily Ford, a freshman at Texas A&M University, said. “I’ve seen the aircraft before and knew what it’s used for, but I hadn’t known the importance of aerial application to agriculture.”
Aerial application is often one of the most efficient ways to apply crop protection products and fertilizer. Aircrafts can treat fields when the soil is too wet or crops become too tall for ground application. Aircrafts can also accomplish more in one hour than ground equipment in a single day.
Participants visited Horizon Grass Farms and learned about turfgrass production with Caroline Krenek.
Known as the largest turfgrass operation in the state, Horizon Grass Farms has 5,000 acres of turf grass grown for residential, commercial and sports use. They grow several different varieties of grass and harvest the grass with a special machine that cuts the grass into slabs.
The Coastal Bend is known for its rice production, and the group visited with Wharton County rice farmer Dillion Berglund about how the crop is grown and harvested. Participants also toured a recently established rice mill and learned how the rice is taken from the field, ran through the mill and made into a consumable product.
Students stopped at United Ag and toured one of their cotton gins. United Ag uses the latest technology and machinery and has a fully automated system, allowing them to serve as industry leaders in cotton ginning.
“Growing up in Texas agriculture, I had seen cotton and toured cotton gins before, but I was impressed by the advancements in technology that United Ag is making in the cotton industry,” Ford said.
United Ag also produces deer corn. Students were able to tour the facility and see how the corn is packaged through an automated machine.
The group met with the British Consul General Richard Hyde and his staff to discuss international trade, agricultural advocacy and commodity standards in the United Kingdom.
“Meeting with the British Consul General was eye-opening, as was listening to the agricultural differences between the UK and America,” Jenna Milam, a senior at Sam Houston State University, said. “We discussed the challenges farmers face in the UK and the process of how they overcome them. It’s unique how they approach issues and how we approach them, but we still have a common goal at the end of the day.”
Another tour stop included Houston ISD Nutrition Services and visiting the district farm.
The tour included a community service component where the group helped plant a sensory garden at Houston ISD’s Food and Agriculture Literacy Center at Mykawa Farm.
Group participants visited Atkinson Farms and saw firsthand how urban sprawl has impacted their operation. Despite the challenges, the surrounding subdivisions bring opportunity to the farm. The fruits and vegetables they grow are sold to local restaurants and in a market on the farm.
“Urban sprawl is becoming such a large topic and an important topic as our population is growing. This tour has really opened my eyes to the hardships farmers are facing when they are closer to these bigger cities,” Milam said.
The Collegiate Farm Tour concluded with a visit to Neal’s Berry Farm & Farmer’s Market. Participants learned about the u-pick operation, toured the farm and picked fresh berries.
The trip gave students a look at Coastal Bend agriculture and broadened their understanding of issues facing producers in a different area of the state.
“Texas Farm Bureau is really investing in the future of agriculture, and they’re passionate about doing it. There are so many opportunities for college students through Texas Farm Bureau, and they have been supportive in helping us start our collegiate chapter at Texas A&M University,” Ford said. “The Collegiate Farm Tour has allowed me and my peers to take advantage of a unique opportunity outside of the classroom to tour agricultural operations, learn from producers directly and gain new insight on careers in agriculture.”
The year’s tour was held April 16-19.
Learn more about TFB opportunities for collegiate students at texasfarmbureau.org/collegiate.
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