“Why Tour Farms?”

On any given day in the small community of Garden City, Missouri you will find a retail meat shop busy during the lunch hour serving up delicious meats to local farmers, residents and those passing through town. You will probably also see the Garden City Chief of Police in there enjoying his lunch.

How do I know this? Being a member of Missouri Women Bloggers, I was invited on a farm tour organized by Missouri Farm Bureau this past Friday. We ate lunch at Kurzweils’ Country Meats and Restaurant, a family owned specialty meat market/restaurant close to Kansas City. Thus, my meeting the Garden City Chief of Police. (I am sure six women with cameras and name tags caught his attention right away, and he happened to know one of the ladies in our group). We conversed for a bit and when he found out what we were doing, he asked, “Why tour farms?”.

I guess I should have anticipated his question, but I did not. I was taken back by it for a second. Not because I did not have an answer for him, but that it was asked in the first place. Why would someone, anyone, not just a member of law enforcement, ask WHY would we, (he did not know that we were six lady bloggers), tour farms.

Aren’t farms places people go to learn and gain information? Don’t farmers know the ins and outs of raising food, fiber and fuel? Where else are you going to see cute baby calves?

Why tour farms!?! (Why indeed?) After my quick recover, this is what I told him; “Because it is important to know where our food comes from and to know who is raising it.” Do you agree? Are there others out there like myself and the five other women bloggers who want to know where our food comes from and who it is that is raising it?

I guess I have a different perspective on the subject. I love to visit farms. I love learning about different types of agriculture and seeing animals that are not on my farm. I had the best time in the “Calf Greenhouse” petting the baby dairy calves and letting them lick my fingers. I was excited to be welcomed to a farm that I have passed by on several occasions and thought what a beautiful place and to then know that the farmers there were just as gracious as I hoped. I was appreciative of the fact that they took time out of their busy days to show us not only their beef cows, but also the feed mill that they use daily to ensure a proper diet for their mama sows. With all of these things, how could one not want to tour a farm?

Did I learn anything new on this farm tour? I did! I learned more about the dairy industry and having a pumpkin patch from the Moreland Family. I learned about water collection for irrigation of crops from the Roth Family and I learned about state of the art technologies as it pertains to a feed mill from the Kurzweil Family. I was again reminded of how wonderful, intelligent, kind, resourceful, progressive, determined and happy farmers are. They love what they do and they are pretty darn good at it too .

Blessings to you and the Family Farms of Missouri,

Laurie – Country Link

*Other bloggers on the tour were:

Photo Credit: Missouri Farm Bureau

Shanley: http://eatitkansascity.com/

Ashley: http://www.showmeashley.com/

Gina: http://ginascraftcorner.com/

Jennifer: http://faithfulhomestead.com/

Sarah: http://www.pen2page.me/