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By Mary Johns Wilson

Special to The Lowndes Signal

Early in the morning, hundreds of farmers from across the state boarded charter buses Friday, Aug. 2, in downtown Montgomery and fanned out across Alabama for educational tours of farms in the region. 

Hart Gargis of Colbert County was one of many who enjoyed stops on the Orange Tour. Those included Looney Farm in Lowndesboro in Lowndes County along with Bell Place Farm and Orrville Farmer’s Market in Orrville in Dallas County.

“We were really dry starting out this year. It seems like their cotton here is in better shape than ours is in north Alabama,” Gargis said. “I think it’s really important to come out and see what other farmers are doing because you may learn something from them.” 

Gargis raises row crops including corn, cotton, soybeans and wheat. He also serves on the Alabama Farmers Federation’s State Soybean Committee.

“This is my third year coming to this conference,” Gargis said. “I enjoy these trips, because it is a really good learning experience.”

Clay and Tracy Overstreet of Clarke County were two of many who enjoyed stops on the Purple Tour. Those included Harvest Select Catfish in Browns, the Black Belt Experiment Station in Marion Junction and ArborGen outside of Selma. 

“We don’t catfish farm, but we ride past catfish ponds when we’re headed to Birmingham. It was really interesting to see how the industry works,” Clay said. “I did grow up around smaller versions of similar ponds back when U-Catch farms were popular, but I hadn’t seen farm-raised fish on this scale before.”

Clay works for a paper mill, and Tracy is a teacher. They farm part-time, raising Charolais cattle, timber and hay.

“I’m excited to take some of this back to my classroom and explain to my kids; they’re really going to love that,” Tracy said.

The six educational farm tours were part of the Alabama Farmers Federation’s annual Farm & Land Conference held Aug. 1-3 in Montgomery. In total, 18 farms, universities and agricultural businesses in 12 counties were included among the tours. 

For more details about the event, visit alfafarmers.org and click on the News tab.

Mary Johns Wilson is communications outreach director for the Alabama Farmers Federation.