A day on the farm...

St. Patrick's Day turned out to be a gorgeous day to be outside! I took that opportunity and went out to visit some of the local farmers in Porter County. I was greeted with nothing but smiles and good ole' Hoosier hospitality! Most of the farms I toured grew seed corn and soybeans, but some great specialty crops like pickles, green beans, and tomatoes. In July I am going to see how the cucumbers are harvested, and maybe get a few for myself:-) Besides crops, a few of the farmers also raise animals. We saw beef cattle, pigmy goats, and hogs. If you are looking for meat to buy, let me know and I will get you in touch with the man to buy from! Birky Farms does more than just market meat, they have a farm stand where they sell homemade pies, sweet rolls, and cater farm dinners when it gets warmer. Now, that's the place to be!
Meeting such wonderful people and being welcomed into the county was what the day was all about. However, seeing the livestock was a highlight of the day for me. It felt good to get out on the farm, and smell the dirt, the crops, and yes, in some cases even the manure was a nice familiar smell. On Ed Drazer's farm, which is over 100 years old, I got to play with a newborn calf. We'll call him Laddy for St. Patrick's Day. Laddy was only 12 hours old when I saw him. He was a large calf, and still a little wobbly, but he sure enjoyed the sunshine on his black coat. After playing with Laddy, we moved right on the another farm, owned by Chris Birky. There I saw some giddy little pigmy goats, and some large, lazy sows soaking up the sun. Their curly, floppy ears are nice for keeping the sun out of their eyes. In the barn were the weaned pigs. They are at the age where they have tons of energy and get very excited when people come around.
Overall, I would rate my day on the farm a 10! I can't wait for my next farm day. A big thanks goes out to all the farmers I met, who took the time to tell me a little bit about themselves and what they do. I will try to reciprocate your hospitality by giving you my full support, and aid in any way you need.

To learn more about what are farmers do, please come out to Ag Days at the Expo/Fairgrounds---May 11-12th