The Trigg County Cooperative Extension Service in conjunction with the Trigg County Ag Committee hosts events throughout the year to increase public knowledge of agriculture.  It is important to all involved in agriculture to inform the increasingly urban population about their farming practices so that they can understand and appreciate how important farming is to the local economy.  The tour is designed to give attendees a firsthand look at modern farming and conservation methods.  This year's tour we were able to do on one farming operation where they raise corn, wheat, soybeans, beef cattle, and also run a hunting lodge.

Our first stop was a farm history stop where the producers got to tell their story and what drives them to take care of the land and do what they do.  3 generations of the family all took part in the tour.  The family also farms in Land Between the Lakes and several public land areas in TN.  Learning how that partnerships worked between farmers and the agencies managing public land was very interesting to all in attendance.  Farming on public lands especially wildlife refuges comes with many extra practices and additional costs that are required there that a producer might not normally do otherwise.  Leaving a portion of fields un-harvested, changing to non GMO or avoiding certain pesticides that normally could be used,  planting food plots in addition to cover crops on the land they are actually farming and keeping roads clear for public access are all examples of the extra work involved. 

The second and third stop was with NRCS Conservationists covering several topics including cover crops, reseeding pastures, waterway management, stream crossings, and toxic weeds.  They also  went over their available cost share programs and how they work for producers.  Another interesting thing they did was a short explanation to our non Ag- related attendees about how those programs benefitted them as well as the farmers through improved water and air quality, and better resource management.  

The last stop was with the family and their partner in the Hunting Lodge/guide business.  They have a very interesting story about turning a nuisance to their row crops into a profitable enterprise they could enjoy.  Everyone in attendance learned something new about this farming operation, and several producers reported taking something home with them they planned to use in their own operation.  NRCS reported increases in the number of applications for cost share and producers requesting technical assistance for the first time with issues they were having.  Since the tour the Extension office has seen more interest in trying cover crops, we've had more folks reseeding pastures using recommended varieties and more interest in improving forage quality.  Over 225 people braved the heat to attend the summer farm tour this year.