May 25, 2006

Farm Management Tour to showcase central Indiana agriculture

"The Farm Management Tour is designed to encourage and develop a high level of management knowledge and skill among Hoosier farmers by exploring the management practices of successful farm businesses," said Alan Miller, Purdue University farm management specialist.

The 74th annual Farm Management Tour highlights producers who have dealt with limiting factors and hot issues around the state and adopted new methods or made changes to their operations. The event is free.

The tour schedule is as follows.

Wednesday, June 28

• Smith Family Farm, located on the edge of suburbia in Madison County, will focus on developing and marketing an agritourism enterprise, dairy replacement heifers as a specialized livestock enterprise and pumpkin cropping in Indiana. Registration begins at 12:30 p.m., followed by an interview at 1 p.m. and mini-tours starting at 1:45 p.m.

• Flanders A-Maizing Grain Inc., in Hamilton County, will highlight on-farm quality assurance, choosing the right business entity for your farm, equipment management and lifestyle choices as key strategic concerns for business owners. An interview will start at 3 p.m., followed by mini-tours at 3:40 p.m.

• The evening program, beginning at 7 p.m. at the Hamilton County 4-H Center, will provide an opportunity to visit with a family-owned wholesale greenhouse located in Westfield. Heartland Growers specializes in geraniums in the spring and poinsettias in the fall.

Thursday, June 29

• Shuter Sunset Farms Inc, located in Madison County, is at the forefront of innovation and implementing new technologies. Registration begins at 8 a.m., followed by mini-tours at 8:15 a.m. on strip tillage, beef production, financing swine production with Farm Service Agency's loan programs, precision farming technologies and combine leasing.

• Rulon Enterprises, located in Hamilton County, will focus on the real economics of no-till, smart drainage and preparing the next generation to be successful. Mini-tours start at 10:45 a.m.

• Lunch will be served at Rulon Enterprises starting at noon for $10 per person, $4 for children ages 3-12. Credit cards will not be accepted. After lunch is served, Purdue Extension marketing specialist Chris Hurt will update the market outlook for grains, soybeans and livestock.

• A post-event tour of Beck's Hybrids will begin at 3 p.m. with Miller and Steve Gauck, director of the Indiana Farm Management Association.

Individuals must preregister for lunch and the Beck Hybrids tour by June 21 by calling (888) EXT-INFO or by calling the Purdue Extension office in either Hamilton County, at (317) 776-0854, or Madison County, at (765) 641-9514.

More information about locations and lodging is available on the event's Web site. Information also is available by contacting Miller at (765) 494-4203.

The tour is sponsored by Purdue Extension, Purdue's Department of Agricultural Economics and the Indiana Farm Management Association.

Writer: Julie Douglas, (765) 496-1050, douglajk@purdue.edu

Source: Alan Miller, (765) 494-4203, millerwa@purdue.edu

Ag Communications: (765) 494-2722;
Beth Forbes, forbes@purdue.edu
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