Huron County Farm Bureau farm tour set for Saturday

Sept. 10--The Huron County Farm Bureau invites everyone to enjoy its farm tour, featuring several farms from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday.

This free, drive-it-yourself tour, will feature two farms and a research station. Door prizes will be awarded to select winners if you visit all three stops on the tour. You can start your tour in any order or follow the numbered stops.

Stop 1 will be Bar Lee Jersey's, 5048 Willard West Road, Willard. The farm is owned by the Nuhfer family; this includes Gary and Amy Nuhfer, Jason and Brandy Nuhfer and baby Gage.

They milk 120 registered Jerseys on 230 acres. The main commodities they raise are corn silage and hay. The free stall barn was built in 2008 with 120 stalls. A cooling sprinkler system was just installed. They use sand bedding.

A baby calf barn was built in 2010. They also have a double six milking parlor. There will be free ice cream for all visitors. The Norwalk Area United Fund will have a booth set up at this stop. Local Nationwide Insurance Agency, The Trent Group also will have a booth set up at this stop.

Stop 2 will be Feichtner Farms, 3254 Townline Road 12, Willard. Feichtner Farms is owned by John and Donna Feichtner. Other members of the family are Heath, Joey, Lane, Owen and Nash Feichtner. This is a grain and livestock farm. The farm grows corn, soybeans, wheat and hay.

They also raise beef cows for production and raise and show pigs. The beef industry and Feichtner Farms use artificial insemination (AI). The embryos are then used in order to improve the quality of cattle raised. Feichtner's Farm has a fall online show cattle sale each year at the end of October.

All production cattle are marketed locally. Heath raises show pigs. He artificial inseminates between 12 and 20 gilts and sows each year. In the spring he has online sales and takes pigs to sales in the area. They also sell Umbarger Show Feeds. Farm Credit Mid-America will have a booth set up at this stop.

Stop 3 will be OARDC (Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center) Muck Crops Agricultural Research Station and Development Center, 4875 Ohio 103, south of Willard. The research station was started in 1948 when the Golden Rule Association purchased and donated 15.5 acres of muck soil.

This led to the creation of the Ohio Agricultural Experiment Station (now OARDC). Most mineral soil is 3 to 5 percent organic material while the soil here is almost 45 percent organic matter. The fertile black soils of Huron County are perfect for OARDC's Muck Crops Station.

Ohio State scientists study yams, potatoes, turnips and many other leaf and root crops. Growers use transplants to extend the growing season. OARDC has a 2,500-square-foot greenhouse that is used for studying the results of transplants.

A poster of the door prizes available will be posted at all of the stops. Huron County Farm Bureau is a member-based organization. Farm Bureau volunteers will be at every stop to talk about current agricultural issues and Farm Bureau membership.

You may also visit www.northcoastfarmbureau.org or call the office at

(888) 292-6442 or (440) 877-0706.

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